Obesity In America

Obesity in America

America has a big fat problem, and it’s time to deal with it. Did you know that a whopping 67% of all Americans, age 20 and over, are “overweight” or “obese” as defined by the National Institutes of Health? Additionally, one out of every 3 adults, more than ever before, now fall into the “obese” category. Some experts say this number could balloon to 40 percent by 2018. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the medical costs alone for treating obesity have essentially doubled since 1998 to $147 billion and now account for 9.1% of all medical costs in the US.

It’s not completely our fault? Although experts agree that lifestyle and eating choices play a significant role in the accumulation of fat, recent research reveals that some of the problem is inherited or “programmed” into our systems during childhood and adolescence. A 2007 study by Kirsty Spalding, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, together with a large team of international researchers, found that the number of fat cells (adipocytes) in the human body are set during childhood and adolescence. It was discovered that obese children add fat cells at twice the rate as their lean peers, so they start adulthood with an increased number of fat cells in their body.

After individuals reach adulthood the number of fat cells stays relatively constant, neither increasing nor decreasing. As adults then gain weight, it is because the fat cells swell up with more and more lipids or stored energy. Additionally, a person with excess fat may become partially resistant to the hormone leptin, which is one of the body’s main hunger regulating hormones, so it takes more food for the person to feel satisfied. When an obese person loses weight, they are decreasing the volume of fats within each fat cell, while the number of cells remains the same. A long-term solution requires a “reset” to both the desire for high-calorie foods and the desire for high volumes of food.

It should come as no surprise that, according to a recent Gallup poll, over 55 percent of Americans would like to lose weight. However, less than half of those who want to lose weight are currently trying. Perhaps, they are not trying because they have been let down by so many other diet programs that allow them to lose a few pounds only to gain it back. Or perhaps it’s because it usually takes so long to lose the amount of weight they need to lose. The HCG The Diet Weight Loss Program offers what many consider the best long-term solution, as it changes the eating habits by changing the desire for the types and volumes of food. Observations suggest that it may also reset the brain and body chemistry necessary to support a sustained slimmer body. And our program offers an easy lifetime maintenance plan to keep your body in check.

Fast Facts Concerning Obesity

An “Overweight” individual has a BMI (body mass index) greater than or equal to 25.0 and less than 30.0
An “Obese” individual has a BMI of 30.0 or greater
An “Extremely Obese” individual has a BMI of 40.0 or greater
Body Mass Index or BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in pounds by the square of their height in inches multiplied by 703 (BMI = lbs/in² x 703)
In 2005–2006, data from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that 32.7 percent of US adults 20 years of age and older are “overweight”
From the same study, 34.3 percent — over 72 million Americans — are “obese”
The percentage of young people who are obese has approximately tripled since 1980
In 2007, 65 percent of young people in grades 9–12 did not get the recommended amount of physical activity; 35% watched television for 3 or more hours on the average school day
Some people are more prone to more fat storage than others due to a combination of genetics, upbringing, and lifestyle choices
Breastfeeding is associated with reduced risk of obesity in children
The number of fat cells is set during childhood and adolescence and stays constant throughout adulthood
Obesity is an enlargement of adipose tissue to store excess energy intake. (i.e. – swelling of fat cells when we eat too many calories)
To lose 1 pound of fat, the body must burn 3,500 calories
A weight gain of just 22 pounds triples your risk of chronic disease (e.g. – coronary heart disease, hypertension, gall stones, and type 2 diabetes) compared with those who maintained their weight within 4 pounds of the weight they were at 18-20 years of age. A 33 pound gain results in a risk 5 times above normal
A sustained 10% weight loss will reduce an overweight person’s lifetime medical costs by $2,200–$5,300 by lowering costs associated with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol
Overall, persons who are obese spent $1,429 (42 percent more) per year for medical care in 2006 compared with medical expenses for people of normal weight

Health Risks of Those Who Are Overweight:

Coronary heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
High Blood Fats (high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
Stroke
Liver and Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
Reproductive Problems (abnormal menses, infertility)