Obesity

Obesity is a huge problem right here in the United States. It’s not just some small blip on the radar, it is endemic, as a matter of fact.

Don’t believe me? Here are some shocking numbers how obesity has increased at alarming rates.

• In the past 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States increased almost 50% among adults and by 300% in children.
• It has doubled among children ages 2 to 5, has nearly tripled among youth ages 6 to 11 and has more than tripled among adolescents ages 12 to 19.
• In the last 16 years, 39 states have seen an increase in obesity of between 50- 80%. Unimaginable!
• Since 1995, obesity rates in Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee have gone up the fastest.
• Washington, D.C., Colorado, and Connecticut have seen obesity rise the least.
• Ten years ago there were no states with an obesity rate above 24%, now 43 states have higher obesity rates than the highest in 2000.
• Diabetes rates have increased in ten states by 200% in the past 15 years.
• Hypertension has increased from 22 – 26% in the last 15 years.
• In 1980 less than 50% of Americans were overweight; today that number is more than 65% and growing.
• 1/3 of all children today will eventually suffer from diabetes.
• 44% of obese adolescents have metabolic syndrome.
• It is estimated that by 2020, half of all Americans will have chronic disease.

There is a direct correlation to obese children growing into obese adults. The resulting healthcare burden grows exponentially as this rate continues to increase.

We have all of the information needed to change this…

80% of preventable disease risk factors are influenced by positive behaviors like:

• Regular exercise
• Good nutritional habits
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Quit smoking

How can something so simple be so devastating?  Well, it is not easy BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.  Start making changes at home now. Children need to be taught these factors to learn to live a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy meals at home instills the seed of healthy eating for a lifetime.

What are you doing in your household to help your families maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/