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All about smoking and how to quit
Why do we smoke?
Why do we smoke, when we all know that it is not good for health? There are very many reasons to it but in this article we will ponder over the biggest reason in today’s times and that is to release STRESS. What is stress, can we...
Fitness Woman. Do you need a reason to get fit?
Feel free to use this article for your web site or e-zine as long you include the author bio and make sure all links are live and working. Please don’t change anything in the article. It will also be awesome if you let me know if you use the...
Join a Support Group and Reduce Your Stress Levels
When you are facing a particularly difficult time in your life, whether it's because you're struggling with an addiction, or perhaps because someone you love is an addict, or if you are finding life hard because you have just been diagnosed with a...
Using Carrot Juice for Relieving Constipation
Carrot juices contain certain oils that work on the mucus membranes of the stomach and colon. This helps with digestion and starts your bowels functioning properly. Carrots are high in fiber and beta-carotene, an antioxidant, which the body...
Why Most Overweight People Should Lose Weight Gradually.
People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop
heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes,
gallbladder disease, and joint pain caused by excess uric acid
(gout). Excess weight can also cause interrupted breathing
during...
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Obesity - The American Epidemic
Obesity – What is it?
Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960’s.
But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that’s not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there’s a difference in percentage.
It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It’s
important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.
With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.
A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!
About the Author
Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer. Sign up today for her free Exercise Advice Journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com.
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