Thursday, August 26, 2010

Obesity and Health-Related Problems in the U.S.

A few weeks ago, while reading the latest issue of Well Being Journal,  I ran across a startling fact.  45% of Americans suffer from one or more of the following:  high blood pressure; high cholesterol; and/or diabetes.  If these individuals were afflicted with H1N1or any other communicable disease, we would stand up and take notice.  Instead, this quiet epidemic is being covered up by experts who push prescription drugs.  In addition,  over half of us are either overweight or obese.  The numbers for overweight and obese children are frightening, as well.  Something is wrong with how we're caring for our bodies and it seems nothing is being done as these statistics are increasing.


Today I sat down and recorded some observations as to why people in the U.S. are experiencing these serious food-related problems.  Most of it seems to stem from mindless eating and convenience.  Here's what came to mind:
  1. Eating and watching television
  2. Eating and driving
  3. Supersized portions
  4. Using a microwave to prepare food
  5. Artificial sweeteners which actually make us hungry
  6. High fructose corn syrup in everything
  7. Habitual snacking
  8. Fear of wasting food
  9. Stress
  10. Dehydration due to lack of adequate water intake
  11. Temporarily dieting rather than a adopting healthful, permanent lifestyle changes
  12. Television and print advertisements for snack, convenience, and fast foods
We need to slow down, savor real food, and eliminate the negative influences in our lives.  Easy to say, sometimes difficult to do, but we need to put ourselves in control of our health.  No one else is going to do that for us and what we're currently doing is literally killing us.  Even worse, as the richest country in the world, we should be the healthiest.  Instead, we often have problems that are comparable to a third world nation.  We must become accountable for our own well being.

4 comments:

Shona~ LALA dex press said...

A co-worker just got a HUGE wake up call with a Diabetes diagnosis + I am so proud of her for her radical lifestyle change in a matter of a month (so is her Dr + Diabetes coach). She has such a large support group encouraging her to continue with these healthy changes. However, the flip side is another co-worker's reaction was to state that there is nothing that would ever stop her from eating junk food (said with empty 8-package box of Moon Pies in the trash under her desk...eaten in 2 days).

Carolyn said...

So sad when there are such simple solutions. Not easy, mind you...but simple.

Carolyn
www.project21days.blogspot.com

Cherie said...

Shona, I'm sorry your co-worker has a serious health problem but glad she's now taking control of her life and has a supportive group. Your other co-worker...how sad.

Carolyn, like you said it is simple but not easy. However, the consequences are deadly.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm heading over to yours right now.

Adrienne said...

Another one to add to your wonderfully thought out list would be families not eating together.

When I was a child families ate dinner together every night. Schools would have never scheduled activities that interfered with home life.

Actually, parents would have never have allowed their children to be involved in so many extra-curricular activities.

Kids no longer just get together and play a game of baseball. We played in the alley - first base was a trash can, second was a rock in the middle of the alley, and third base was a poplar tree. Now it's T-ball or Little League

I think it's weird.