OBESITY IS A TERRORIST KILLING AMERICA?

(Older article of mine)

With the intensity of politics all around us we sometimes forget about what our own priorities should be.  Too many times we are too focused on what each Political Party is not doing and forget what departments we ourselves are lacking-in.  We quickly forget the fact that many Americans are suffering and dying every day by not taking simple steps to protect their health.  How many terrorist attacks have claimed American lives this past year?  I bet there have not been as many as the lives claimed by Obesity!

According to our Federal Government, by way of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov), we lose nearly 300,000 Americans each year to Obesity related illnesses!

Here are just a few diseases and illnesses associated with Obesity:

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Acid Reflux

Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

Angina

Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

Allergies

Type 2 diabetes

Coronary heart disease

Anxiety/Stress

Bursitis and Tendonitis

Stroke

Gallbladder disease

Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Insomnia

Menstrual Problems and PMS

Back Pains

The following is from the website of our own Surgeon General’s Office (www.surgeongeneral.gov):

“THE FACTS ABOUT OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY

• 61% of adults in the United States were overweight or obese (BMI > 25)* in 1999.
• 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years were overweight* in 1999. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades.
• The increases in overweight and obesity cut across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and both genders.
• 300,000 deaths each year in the United States are associated with obesity.
• Overweight and obesity are associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological disorders, such as depression.
• The economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000.”

This is our own doing and many times we are all guilty of eating the wrong foods and passing on exercise and healthy activities.  These statistics are not the fault of our President or either Political Party.  They are a direct result of our own choices we make each day.

Many times we eat too much junk and skip regular exercise then our bodies fall prey to one of the above illnesses.  We need to make it our #1 priority each week to work on living a healthier lifestyle.  We can all do this by eating healthy foods and partaking in healthy activities and getting plenty of rest!  We can succeed in slowing down and even stopping this Terrorist known as “Obesity”!