Obesity in America is said to be out of control and some call it an epidemic, due to the rise in the number of people suffering from obesity in the last few years. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), a person is deemed to be obese if he has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above. This means that the person consumes more food than is required by the body and does not burn enough calories. This leads to all sorts of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome to name a few, and on certain occasions can even result in death. The main causes of obesity are said to be unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. A decrease in physical activity results in lower calories being burnt. However hormone deficiencies could also lead to obesity.
The obesity statistics are somewhat staggering. It is said that almost two-thirds of American adults above the age of 20, that is 66 percent of the population, are said to be obese, according to results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Out of these obesity statistics, 33 percent are said to be women whereas only 30 percent are said to be men. Another survey by NHANES shows that the prevalence rates of children aged between 2 to 5 years has increased from 5 percent to 13.9 percent over the last few years. A lot of children too are therefore facing a high risk of being obese. This risk can be seen in another study showing obesity statistics, conducted by CDC which showed that children who are overweight between the ages of 10-15 years are very likely to be obese at the age of 25.
Based on obesity statistics by the National Institutes of Health, obesity is the second leading cause of death that can be prevented, in America. This is only exceeded by tobacco. An estimated 300,000 deaths are said to be caused as a result of obesity each year. As stated earlier, diabetes is very common among those who are obese, in particular type 2 diabetes. 80 percent of those suffering from type 2 diabetes are said to be related to obesity according to obesity statistics by the Wellness International Network Limited.
Looking at these obesity statistics it is clear as to why people refer to the situation in America as a growing epidemic. People should therefore become more aware of their eating and exercising habits and should make an active effort to change their unhealthy lifestyles if they are to prevent these obesity statistics from becoming even worse in the years to come.
All The Best! Take Care.
Author Resource:-
Paul Oliver is an inspiring author and seasoned entrepreneur. Drawing from 20 years of award winning corporate executive success Paul is gifted in the art of nurturing others in their quest for success. Please visit:
www.a1success4every1.com www.healthy4every1.com
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