These days, being overweight is becoming increasingly common. In fact, some overweight people are classified as being in the “fat gap”. This means that they are clinically overweight, yet society fails to see it as thus and therefore the individual assumes that they don’t have a problem.

In the last 30 or so years, the number of children and teenagers becoming overweight has spiraled out of control. Some statistics peg the number at a threefold increase since 1980. Today, one out of 3 children between the ages of 2 and 19 either suffer from obesity or being overweight.

Suffering from obesity and being overweight can contribute to chronic illnesses and health problems. This is in addition to a host of psychological problems that can occur from being teased for their weight or being unable to keep up with their friends on the playground.

The burden of the overweight population and those suffering from obesity stretches to everyone one of us. Obesity is quickly catching up with smoking as the number one cause of preventable illnesses.

Obesity and being overweight means that there is an accumulation of excess fat on the body. Someone suffering from obesity has a BMI of over 30.

Controlling Obesity

1. The safest and most effective way to stop being overweight and controlling your obesity is to eat less and exercise more.

2. Hormones and drugs that increase the “resting metabolic rate” (RMR) have been successfully used to control obesity and overweight issues.

3. Weight-reducing drugs. One type decreases appetite and the other prevents dietary fats from being absorbed by the body. These drugs should only be taken with doctor’s advice, but they are also effective ways of controlling obesity and overweight issues.

4. Surgery. Surgical techniques can be used in cases of extreme obesity, also known as morbid obesity. The most common operation is having your stomach “banded” or stapled to reduce the amount of food you are able to intake.

5. Enzymes. Researchers at UC-Berkeley have zeroed in on an enzyme that plays a key role in regulating metabolism and weight in mice and say a drug that inhibits this target could do the same for people. Disabling the enzyme in mice resulted in their being able to remain lean and healthy despite being on a high-fat diet.

Obesity and being overweight

Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, and at least 300 million of them suffer from obesity. Both have reached epidemic proportions worldwide and both are major contributors to the global burden of chronic diseases and disabilities.

Obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1980′s, up to three-fold in certain areas of the U.S. along with other industrialized nations, but it is also increasing exponentially in developing nations.

Why is driving the obesity and overweight epidemic?

The obesity epidemic reflects profound changes in society and in the behavioral patterns of society over recent decades. While genes are important in determining the proclivity of weight gain, it is dictated mostly by the energy balance between calorie intake and physical activity. Economic growth, modernization, urbanization, and globalization of the food industry is a major driving force behind the overweight and obesity epidemic. At the same time, there has been a movement towards less physically demanding work complemented by the use of automated transportation, time-consuming telecommunications technology in the home, and the pursuit of more leisurely past times. All of the above are factors in combating obesity and being overweight.

How bad is the problem?

Currently, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults. 300 million of them are clinically obese. Obesity levels range from below 5% in China, Japan, and some African nations, to over 75% in urban Samoa. But even in the lower spectrum of obesity, such as China, some cities boast obesity rates of over 20%.

Childhood obesity is also a driving factor. Worldwide, up to 22 million children under five are overweight. In the USA, according to the Surgeon General, the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980.

Obesity accounts for 2-6% of total health care costs in several developed countries. The true costs are probably much greater as not all obesity-related conditions are calculated.

What can we do about it?

Prevention, weight loss and weight maintenance are the most important long-term strategies for fighting obesity. Other key elements include:

1. Creating a supportive environment through public policies and personal goals that promote the intake of a variety of low-fat, high-fiber foods, and opportunities for physical activity. (No more sitting on the bench for an entire phys-ed class.)

2. Promoting healthy behaviors to encourage, motivate, and enable individuals to lose weight, namely, through a better diet.

3. Mounting a clinical response to the existing burden of obesity and associated conditions by lawmakers and health care providers to ensure effective support and prevention for those most prone to becoming overweight.

Overweight or Obese

Obesity is nothing short of an epidemic in the United States. In fact, the term “Fat Americans” yields no less than 52,400 web results, and over 5 million image results (one of a person “walking” their dog from their car) on Google.

While the initial concerns over obesity is usually about how you look and how you feel about yourself, but the fact is, the longer the problem exists for you the more medical problems are going to arise, many of which can be fatal.

Obesity is a growing concern especially because overweight rates have more than double among children and tripled among adolescents. Before you write off your child’s weight as nothing more than “baby fat” or “big boned” consider the following diseases and conditions that are directly attributed to obesity.

1. Diabetes – A disorder where the pancreas is producing not enough or sometimes not any insulin. Obesity and being overweight is one of the main causes due to the body having excess glucose due to overeating.

2. Cancer – In all it’s forms and types, could be prevented with more attention to eating healthy and avoiding obesity and being overweight.

3. Congestive Heart Failure – A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body’s other organs.

4. Enlarged Heart – The result of the heart muscle being overworked which naturally happened when you are overweight or suffer from obesity.

5. Pulmonary Embolism – A sometimes fatal blockage of an artery. Obesity and being overweight often contribute to a lack of activity which over prolonged periods can result in an embolism.

6. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – A condition in which cysts form in your ovaries. These can burst causing further complications.

7. Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease – A common condition in overweight people, it is when stomach acid and juices flow from the stomach back up into the esophagus.

8. Fatty Liver Disease – A reversible condition in which large pockets of fat accumulate in liver cells. It is a single disease that occurs worldwide in people who intake excessive amounts of alcohol, suffer from obesity, or are overweight.

9. Erectile Dysfunction – The inability to develop or maintain an erection which can be caused by a medical problem associated with obesity or a psychological condition.

10. Urinary Incontinence – The inability to control ones urine. It is frequently associated with obesity and weak bladder or pelvic floor muscles.

11. Chronic Renal Failure – Also known as chronic kidney failure, is often associated with the poor diet of those who are overweight or suffering from obesity.

12. Stroke – A lack of blood supply as the body, especially the heart, must work harder when you are obese.

13. Depression – When a person feels sad all the time. This occurs, and is aggravated, for obvious self-esteem issues stemming from being overweight.

14. Osteoarthritis – Obesity often results in extreme cartilage wear due to excess weight.

15. Hernia – When the hole in the diaphragm weakens and enlarges.

Childhood Obesity

When should you start becoming concerned about your child’s weight? Sure, all children gain weight and many grow into it well. But a few too many extra pounds, more than needed to support growth and development, can lead to childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is clinically defined as when a child’s BMI exceeds 30. This is also the case for adult obesity. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because diseases and illnesses associated with older people and adults, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, are becoming increasingly common in children.

The following are some jaw-dropping statistics compiled by the CDC on childhood obesity:

According to the CDC, 16 percent (or 9 million) of children ages 6-19 years old suffer from obesity, a statistic that has tripled since 1980. Another 15 percent were considered at risk of becoming overweight. That makes 18 million children in that age group suffering from obesity or at a high-risk for the condition.

In addition, the CDC also found that over the past three decades childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 and adolescents aged 12-19 and has more than tripled for children aged 6-11. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming obese and overweight adults.

One of the best strategies for combating childhood obesity is to improve the diet and activity levels of your entire family. The following is a series of steps to take in helping you child overcome obesity.

1. Have your child examined by a family doctor or pediatrician to rule out any medical causes for obesity and determine if your child can safely participate in vigorous physical activities.

2. Sit down with your whole family and talk about ways to become healthier that year. Be sure you don’t single out your obese child, but strive to make everyone feel and look better. Remember this, if a parent or both suffers from obesity, your overweight child has a 80% chance of growing up into obesity.

3. Don’t make succumbing to childhood obesity any easier for your child. Go through the pantry and refrigerator and throw out all junk food. Potato chips, pre-sweetened cereals, candy, cookies, ice cream, and sodas (try seltzer water with a little bit of juice). Don’t ban your kid from ever eating them, but not having them in the house will simply make it inconvenient to indulge. Forbidding these items completely will just make them more desirable.

4. If your child or even your family is suffering from obesity, limit fast food and pizza delivery to once a week. Meals prepared at home are generally lower in fat and sugar than fast food meals. To make it easier to always have home-cooked meals, use a crock pot the night before to create some really amazing dishes that will be ready the next day or partially prepare meals and freeze them. Many of the chronic illnesses associated with obesity are linked to a poor diet.

5. Try to avoid having your child come home to an empty house every day after school. Try a Boys & Girls Club if babysitting is out of your budget or try asking a neighbor. Children suffering from childhood obesity are often teased and bullied at school, resulting in there coming home and eating comfort food to make themselves feel better.

6. Get the whole family involved, especially if you all suffer from obesity, in a weekly or daily physical activity. Skate, walk, run, or bike, it doesn’t matter as long as every one picks one and does it. Even if you live in a neighborhood that isn’t conducive to nighttime outings (read: dangerous), pop in an exercise DVD or take advantage of tons of free online resources regarding obesity treatment. However, always ask a doctor if you and your family is healthy enough to participate in strenuous exercises.

7. Don’t let childhood obesity get your kid down. Always remind them of how much you love them for reasons besides appearance. Give your child opportunities to develop skills and talents to increase his self-confidence. Don’t let childhood obesity cause depression or social anxiety. Always support them.

Treatment Overview

Treatment for obesity and overweight will be most successful if you create a long-term plan and set reasonable goals with your doctor. Your initial goal should be to improve health, not to achieve an ideal weight. People with clinical obesity or overweight can actually be healthier, when measuring factors such as heart recovery following exercise, than sedentary normal-weighted people.

Although the formula for curing obesity and overweight seems simple, burn more calories than you take in, sounds simple, it is awfully difficult in practice, especially, if a person has lost weight before only to gain it back and then some. As a result, surgery and medication is becoming increasingly popular for people suffering from obesity and overweight. However, health guidelines suggest that people should attempt to make lifestyle changes for at least 6 months before trying surgery or medication to solve their obesity or overweight.

1. Initial Treatment

Be realistic, if you don’t think you are ready to lose weight, focus on improving your health and not gaining any weight. Obesity and overweight is more readily being seen as the end-result, not catalyst, of poor health.  Improve your health and your overweight problem should soon follow suit.

I. Eating Right
Aim for a goal of 1200-1800 calories a day. Research shows that limiting calories, not food types, cause you to
lose more weight. Eat foods that you enjoy, just remember to control portion sizes.

II. Increase Physical Activity
Physical activity helps you burn more calories. One of the best ways to increase your activity is simply walking.
It is an activity you can do safely and routinely alone and is easy to work into the daily schedule. Try using a
step counter as a motivation to improve. Consult your doctor for a moderate and vigorous exercise regiments
and if it is safe for you to do them.

III. Stick With It
There are so many factors that can make us stray from our plans. So start keeping track of everything: start a
food journal, count your steps, track calories burned and factor it into your daily calorie intake. As they say,
seeing is believing and simply looking at the progress you’ve made can be the motivating factor to push you
into the next day. Just remember, battling obesity and overweight may take just as long to heal as it took to
accumulate.

2. Ongoing Treatment

See your doctor after 6 months or so to get an accurate reading on your progress. Some people stop losing weight around this time, because their bodies adjust to the fewer calories, and this effects morale. Your doctor may recommend that you increase your activity and revisit a dietician or nutritionist to further alter your diet. At this point, your goal may switch from losing weight to keeping the weight off. Don’t be discouraged, you have made substantial progress in the battle against obesity and overweight at this point.

In addition, if you cannot lose weight or keep the weight off, it may be time to consider medicines to supplement your new lifestyle change. Remember, medicines without lifestyle changes only result in short-term results at best.

3. Treatment If The Condition Gets Worse

If you’ve made a lifestyle change, but your obesity continues to get worse, it may be time to consider surgery and medicines. The following treatment options are available:

I. Stomach stapling or gastric banding – Both make your stomach smaller and are reversible surgeries.
II. Roux-en-Y bypass or biliopancreatic diversion – Makes your stomach smaller as well, but also limits how much
food is absorbed in the small intestine.

Fighting Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. It is often the result of excessive calorie intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic predispositions.

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. If this fails, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In extreme cases, surgery is performed or an intra-gastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach reduce stomach volume or bowel length. This leads to earlier satiation and the reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is associated with an array of diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory diseases, sleep apnea, arthritis, and cancer. It is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide and health officials consider it as one of the most serious public health problems in the 21st century.

BMI is the leading indicator of obesity and is categorized thus:

1) < 18.5 BMI = Underweight
2) 18.5-24.9 = Normal weight
3) 25.0-29.9 = Overweight
4) 30.0-34.9 = Class I obesity
5) 35.0-39.9 = Class II obesity
6) > 40.0 = Class III obesity

In addition, some revised definitions include the following:

1) A BMI of 40.0-49.9 = Morbid Obesity
2) A BMI > 50 = Super Obesity

However, it is worth noting that BMI is highly subjective when considering people such as bodybuilders whose weight and height may classify them as overweight or obese, but they are actually mostly lean mass.

One of the focal points of the battle against obesity has been childhood obesity. Treatments used for childhood obesity mainly focus on lifestyle interventions and behavioral techniques. Surgery and medication is not FDA approved in this age group but has been used in some very extreme cases. It makes sense to begin with childhood obesity simply because they are the highest-risk group to become obese adults.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century in both developed and developing worlds. In the United States, depending on the age group, rates of childhood obesity have double and tripled.

Rising childhood obesity has been blamed on everything from self-propelled transportation, lack of school physical education, and a drop in organized sports. However, the overwhelming majority of experts agree that when it comes to childhood obesity, genetics accounts for a minute proportion, but lifestyle habits is the number one cause of childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity often persists into adulthood, studies show that 70% of obese children go on to become obese adults and 80% suffering from childhood obesity go on to become obese adults if either or both parents are obese.

The following are the leading 5 ways to battle obesity:

1) The main treatment course is diet and exercise. Not only does this produce weight loss, but also lessens the chances of developing the many chronic illnesses associated with obesity.

2) Weight loss programs are a great way to find support to promote lifestyle changes. They have shown modest results in weight loss, but can go a long way in changing the mental state of someone suffering from obesity.

3) FDA approved obesity medication is available in two forms: orlistat, or Xenical, reduces intestinal fat absorption and sibutramine (Meridia) is a neuro-inhibitor which curbs your appetite.

4) Surgery generally takes the form of a band placed around the stomach or bowel shortening surgery. These options are reserved for those suffering from severe or morbid obesity.

Prevent Obesity

We all know the dangers of obesity and overweight. While it is true that being a little overweight is extremely subjective to body-type (higher levels of abdominal fat is worse than fat that is evenly distributed throughout the body), obesity and overweight contributes to an already bursting health care budget. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer. An overweight person has a 20% greater mortality rate from associated conditions than a normal weighted individual while someone suffering from obesity has a 70% greater chance and someone who is suffering from morbid obesity has a 200% greater mortality rate. Statistics have revealed that two of the most commonly associated diseases with obesity and overweight, stroke and heart failure, are also the two principal causes of death and disability among people in the U.S.

In addition to the above, obesity and overweight have been attributed to various mental illnesses such as depression, social anxiety, and even Alzheimer’s.

There are probably too many healthy foods out there to list and although it would make for an important topic, so let’s focus on the most common bad foods and how to avoid them.

The typical American diet is chock full of the following:

1) Refined sugars
2) Hydrogenated and refined oils
3) Chemicals and preservatives

The above have been increasingly added to our diet over the last several decades and has had an enormous effect on overweight and obesity.

The following food categories are often the most common ways we gorge ourselves into obesity and overweight on those three unnecessary substances:

1) Processed and Junk Food – Any food that has chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated and refined oils, and refined sugars is not good for you. Fast food is high in all of the above. Pay attention to ingredients labels and avoid foods with high sugar, hydrogenated or refined oils, and dyes or colorings.

2) Avoid The Processed “White Devils” – This would encompass white processed flour, many processed wheat products, white bread, non-whole grain pasta, white rice, crackers, cereals, and non-whole wheat pizzas. These products are highly processed, high in sugar and carbohydrates and low in nutrients.

3) Avoid Refined Sugar – Refined sugar is often called a “poison” by nutritionists. It holds zero nutritional value and is merely empty calories. If you can do away with one substance for your life, it should be refined sugars.

Instead, anyone suffering from obesity or overweight should consider the following:

1) Lean meat – Whether it’s beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, they are all excellent sources of protein and do not contain large amounts of fat

2) Protein-rich foods – Protein rich foods appear to trigger mechanisms in our brain telling us we are full.

3) Pasta, rice, rye bread, and other whole grain foods are useful because they contain complex carbohydrates and have a low calorie count. These foods are digested slowly and lead to a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, unlike the spikes caused by fast foods, and leaves the stomach feeling fuller for longer.

4) Yogurts and fruits make good snacks because they help keep the biochemistry of the blood balanced. They can also be combined to make a pretty delicious snack. Be careful of taking in too much refined sugars though.

Children's Weight

Results of a American College of Gastroenterology’s 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adult obesity. Obesity is often accompanied by an increased risk for a wide array of diseases stemming either from being overweight, or lifestyle habits that brought about being overweight.

In the study, 46 parents of children ages 5 to 9 with a BMI in the 70th percentile or higher (95th and higher is overweight and 85th and above is at-risk) were chosen for the study. Child height and weight were measured during a routine pediatric visit. Parents were then mailed a series of questionnaires which included questions on their perception of their child’s current weight, and whether they perceived that their child was at risk for developing obesity as an adult.

Despite the elevated BMI of their children, less than 13% of the parents of overweight children reported their child as currently overweight. Fewer than one-third perceived that their child’s risk for adult obesity was above average or very high.

This misconception is despite the fact that 17% of children in the U.S. between the ages of 2 and 19 are diagnosed with obesity. An even more startling fact is that children in within that age range who are currently suffering from childhood obesity have a 70% likelihood of growing into adult obesity. This number is bumped an additional 10% if they have a parent, or both, with obesity or overweight problems.

Since parents are probably the most influential factor in laying the foundation for a child’s weight problems, it’s obvious something need to be done to curb the parental disillusionment with childhood obesity and overweight and, in turn, the obesity-overweight epidemic across the world.

In another study, in the U.K., only 1.9% of parents with children at risk for overweight or obesity accurately identified as being at risk for or being overweight. Only 17.1 percent of parents with overweight children accurately identified their child as being at risk for or being overweight.

In New York, the parents who had concern for their children’s’ overweight, 76% thought it was a concern similar to those about sunburn, while 67% found that concerns about overweight and obesity were similar to prolonged television watching.

Although the numbers only say so much, underlying, yet common, quirks identified by researchers were that a parent’s inability to recognize their child’s risk for obesity was especially pronounced if the parents themselves were suffering from obesity or overweight. This is despite the jaw dropping 80% chance a overweight or obese child has of adult obesity if they have one or more parents who are overweight or obese. Cultural influences also may have played a factor. More black women reported being satisfied with their larger size and overweight than white women.

Childhood Obesity Epidemic

There is an obesity epidemic in the United States. This means that the number of people suffering from obesity has increased steadily in recent years. The root of this problem is often blamed on childhood obesity. According to recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately one child of every five in the U.S. suffers from obesity.

First, let’s cover what it means to be overweight.

You may think that you can look at someone and tell if they’re overweight, but this is not always true. In fact, obesity is not diagnosed simply by looking at someone, but by taking into account our individual body shape and then measuring our body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using a person’s weight and height. BMI gives an estimate of the amount of body fat relative to lean body mass.

What causes childhood obesity?

There is evidence that ties obesity to genetic factors, but personal behavior and dietary habits are probably the most important factors. Childhood obesity is often the result of children gorging themselves with an increasing amount of calories, especially calories from fat, than they need a day.

What are the complications of childhood obesity?

Besides the social difficulties, and the emotional issues that arise from thus, childhood obesity puts children at risk of health problems such as orthopedic problems, sleep disturbances, menstruation problems and diabetes. Some researchers have also suggested at a link between childhood obesity and asthma. In addition, children who suffer from childhood obesity are also more likely to suffer develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis, and certain kinds of cancers as adults.

Childhood obesity can also increase chances of being bullied and lead to a life of obesity. The obesity epidemic has extensive personal consequences and, inevitably, significant financial implications as well.

What can be done?

If you suspect your child suffers from childhood obesity, contact their pediatrician. Your child’s BMI will be compared with national growth charts to decide if he will be diagnosed with obesity. Your doctor will then suggest a target weight for your child.

Next, it’s time to sit down together as a family and make a plan. The whole family must be involved, especially if parents or siblings also suffer from obesity. Remember, the child does not make decisions regarding family meals and activities. In addition, refrain from approaching the problem with a “you are fat and need to lose weight” approach, but attempt to convey the idea that “we all need to eat right and be active so that we can be healthy.”

In addition to any changes made at home, be sure that the fight against obesity does not end the minute your child steps into school.

Schools have a responsibility to help students avoid obesity by encouraging them to become more active and eat better. The following are reasons why schools are having such a tough time battling obesity:
1. Soda and snack machines along with snack bars boast impressive financial incentives from their  suppliers.
2. School districts “in the red” are hard pressed for resources to create quality phys-ed programs
3. Increasing demand for higher academic achievement in core subjects

The rate of childhood obesity has skyrocketed since the 1980′s. While the immediate impacts are worrisome, the long-term effects on sustainable health care, general well-being and quality of life are profound. Obesity is a full-blown epidemic and it needs attention now.