It seems that everything revolves around food! We celebrate occasions with food, give food as gifts, and use it for relaxing and self-medication. Restaurants are serving inexpensive bigger portions than ever before, supersize anyone?? It’s no wonder we have an obesity problem in the United States.
Your health is not just about the number on the scale. It’s about the healthcare crisis America is heading towards from the rise in obesity-related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, High cholesterol, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and obesity-related cancers. These extra pounds are crazy expensive! According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, obesity-related diseases currently cost an estimated $147 billion annually and this number is on the rise. Soon you may have to pay if you are not taking a proactive approach with your health. Under the Affordable Care Act, obese employees may have to pay 30-50% more towards their health insurance if they refuse to join a wellness program to help them lose weight. This also goes for smokers, as they are costing more in claims than those who do not smoke. Being a non-smoker, meeting a certain target BMI and cholesterol number, will most likely get you a deduction on your personal health insurance contributions to your employer. These incentive programs will soon become the norm, whether people feel comfortable with it or not. One of the biggest problems in this country is the way we have focused on treating people who have become sick, instead of preventing illness with a proactive approach.
So how did we get here? How did one-third of Americans become obese? Food has changed, our mindset has changed, and our lives have become fast-paced. We have moved from a whole-food diet towards highly-processed, prepackaged convenience food. There was a study done in 2010 by Pomona Collage that revealed that our body’s metabolism responds differently to whole and processed foods. Whole foods are metabolized at a 50% higher rate than processed foods, meaning that your body processes these calories more efficiently. Switching to whole foods, without even cutting calories, gives you less work to do in the gym with better results.
So what’s the solution? We live busy lives, and it’s hard to make our health a priority. You have to find a real, lasting solution that works for you. What’s not going to work long-term is a diet, pills, or a couple sessions with a personal trainer. For me, support, accountability, and forming healthy habits works. It’s hard to do it alone! An exercise study conducted by the Virginia Polytechnic University showed that those participants who had an accountability partner were 20 times more likely to stick with an exercise program. I think a little support from others equally committed to their health and fitness goes a long way. Online fitness support communities are increasing in popularity, because support is as far away as our smart phone. It’s convenient and effective. Let’s be honest, it feels good to feel part of a community of positive, like-minded people!
Comments
The statistics you quote here Kelly are frightening and eye-opening. Of course, we all know that there are more obese people than ever, but when you attach the numbers, it makes the problem even more clear.