The sad fact of life is that around 97 million Americans or around 55 percent of the total populace are overweight or suffer from obesity. The definition of "overweight" is having a Body Mass Index of greater than 25. In spite of many programs of natural weight loss, more women than men are obese with a Body Mass Index of greater than 30. This translates to 27 percent of women and 21 percent of men.
More Obesity Now Than Ever Before
Scientists have found out that the obesity prevalence has actually increased-by 12 percent in the early 1990s to 18 percent in the late 1990s. The worst increases were seen in the young adult population and in those of a higher socioeconomic status. The facts are made worse by the fact that the obese tend to underestimate how much they weigh and overestimate how tall they are.
Obesity is chronic and resistant to natural weight loss. It is part genetic and part environmental. The reasons behind why we have so much obesity are believed to fall into the categories of metabolic issues, psychological issues, cultural claims, behavioral issues and several genetic factors.
It seems that the hormone "leptin" plays a role in all of this. It seems to regulate the amount of adipose tissue made and to affect the way we eat. Leptin given to patients reduced their weight in at least one study.
A normal person keeps their weight steady to within ten percent or less and one pound translates into 3500 calories. Those who eat up to 500 extra calories per day will gain up to a pound a week.
The risk factors for obesity include diabetes, high lipids, sleep disorders, gallbladder disease and heart disease. Others suffer from excess arthritis of the knees and gout while still others suffer from chronic lumbar pain, breast cancer, colon cancer or cancer of the endometrium. High blood pressure is one of the most common complications of obesity, especially in those under 55 years of age. Instead of natural weight loss, up to eighty percent of type II diabetics suffer from obesity.
Exercise and diet appear ineffective in curing the complications of diabetes as more than 90 percent of those who try a conventional diet will gain the weight all back again. Even supervised diets in which a lot of weight is lost, once the supervision stops, the weight comes back on.
Ideally, one should lose about ten percent of their body weight in six months or so. This translates to about a pound a week with 500 calories lost per average day. Heavier people should lose about 2 pounds per week. The diet needs to be low in sugar and whole grains. This is what natural weight loss is all about. The actual intake depends on one's activity level throughout the day. On average, the women should eat around 1000 to 1200 calories daily and men should eat 1200 to 1500 calories daily.
Exercise is a natural part of this kind of eating and weight loss. It helps the heart and decreases the fat around the abdomen. Think about 30-45 minutes of exercise for at least three to five times weekly. Eventually the goal is to exercise every day.
When you eat, you should eat at regular intervals and be seated at a table. Your focus should be on the meal at hand. You should use smaller plates and cook small quantities. Refuse second helpings of food and throw away extra food right away into the garbage.
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