Obesity is a Worldwide Epidemic But Health is an Individual Choice

The American Heart Association sponsored a worldwide demographic study of obesity. They found that \”the prevalence of obesity is increasing in virtually all populations worldwide. Although this increase is most evident in the United States, it is not limited to the more developed, affluent nations of the world.\”

From the United States, to Europe, Australia, China, Latin America and even more developed areas of Africa, obesity is increasing. With the increase of obesity comes a number of health risks. Coronary heart disease and stroke are among the major health risks of obesity. Circulatory conditions will become more prevalent as obesity rates rise. Right now nearly a third of a million die in the United States annually because of obesity related conditions.

Type 2 diabetes increases in prevalence and severity as body fat increases. Men with a BMI (body mass index) of 35 were found to have a risk factor 40 times greater than for those with a BMI of 23. Fatty liver disease is also commonly found in obese people and can progress to severe cirrhosis of the liver. The upsurge in obstructive sleep apnea is also highly associated with increased fatty deposits and loss of muscle tone in and around the air pathway.

So, what is responsible for this increase in obesity? It can be simply stated as an energy imbalance. Too many calories consumed and not enough energy expended. Said, another way, we eat too much of the wrong foods and do not exercise enough.

It\’s obvious that as the world develops more and more machines will do the heavy work once done by laborers. Prior to the Civil War in the United States a farm laborer could manage only about 10 acres. After the Civil War mechanical reapers and other farm implements were developed. Then a farmer could mange 70 to 100 acres and expend less energy doing it.

As the intensity of labor decreased and the availability of manufactured food products and fast food restaurants increased, people got used to more leisure and less nutritious foods. This helped fuel the energy imbalance and caused rampant weight gain.

While the consequences of increasing leisure and prevalent foods of low nutritional quality are universally felt in developed countries, the solution must be individual. Each individual must decide to counter these causes of obesity for themselves.

The long term solution is to get more exercise, especially muscle building exercises, and to select high quality natural foods for consumption in the right proportions. Without a determination to pursue this course of action only temporary fixes like diets, liposuction or even bariatric surgery will help.

You can avoid obesity and all the attendant health risks. Take action now to stay healthy and keep your weight within a normal range. Get plenty of exercise and reduce your consumption of unhealthy, fatty foods.