America
has a serious epidemic on its hands. That epidemic is obesity. Obesity
in America has risen from 12 percent in 1991 to 19.8 percent in 2001
(Condor, America's Obesity). That’s a 7.8 percent increase in 10 years.
That is only the obese. Someone can be overweight, but not obese. 45
percent of Americans were overweight in 1991, which rose to 56.4 percent
in 2001 (Condor, America's Obesity). That’s a whopping 10.4 percent
increase in 10 years! In 2011, some researchers from Britain predicted
that 52 percent of the American population would be obese by the year
2021 (Sutton Coldfield Observer). That is, unless we fight it.
Before
getting into fighting this epidemic, I will explain what exactly
defines someone as obese or overweight. To be defined as overweight,
someone’s body mass index (BMI) must be between 25 and 30. To be defined
as obese someone must have a BMI over 30. To estimate someone’s BMI,
follow these 4 steps. I will use a man weighing 158 pounds at 68 inches
for an example, so that it is easier to understand. For me to estimate
this man’s BMI, I need to multiply his bodyweight in pounds by 0.45 (158
x .45 = 71.1). Then I will multiply his height in inches by .025 (68 x
.025 = 1.7). Next, I have to multiply Answer 2 by itself (1.7 x 1.7 =
2.89). Finally, I will divide Answer 1 by Answer 3 for his estimated BMI
(71.1 divided by 2.89 = 24.6) (Condor, America's Obesity). Note that if
someone is muscular and has reduced body fat, then having a BMI over 30
is not a sign of obesity (Condor, America's Obesity).
I
will be honest, when I see someone who is at a healthy body weight, I
think they tend to have a better looking physique than someone who is
overweight or obese, but obesity does more than just negatively affect
physique. Obesity is terrible for one’s health. Obesity greatly
increases the chance of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
(Condor, America's Obesity and Edelman, Robin). Obesity also decreases
the chances of survival if one is diagnosed with certain kinds of cancer
(Edelman, Robin).
Obesity
is a real, widespread and very dangerous problem and we must fight it.
This fight begins in the kitchen. If anyone struggles with his or her
weight, he or she must keep his or her diet in check to fight obesity at
home. Tracking his or her calorie intake to make sure he or she is in a
healthy calorie range is extremely important. If that someone eats more
calories than that person burns, that person will gain weight. Fast
food and junk food are usually very high in calories. That’s a good
reason in and of itself to avoid junk food, not to mention all the
useless sugars, salts, fats and empty carbs from junk food. Here are
some examples of good foods to eat: lean proteins (chicken, fish, etc);
non-meat proteins (nuts, soy, etc); vegetables (lots and lots of
vegetables); whole grain carbohydrates (whole grain breads, oatmeal,
etc); fiber (vegetables, oatmeal, fruits, etc); healthy fats (fish oil,
olive oil, etc) and water. Here are some foods to avoid: processed carbs
(white bread, pasta, etc); foods high in bad fats (red meat, bacon,
cheese, butter, mayonnaise, etc); processed sugars and artificial
sweeteners (candy, cakes, pies, ice cream, soda, most desserts).
There
have been millions of studies on food, but overall, just eating a clean
and healthy diet should be fine, just everyone should make sure to keep
his or her servings in check. Large portions of healthy foods are still
large portions, which still equals more calories than necessary.
Enough
about diet, lets get in the fun part of fighting obesity: exercise.
Obviously, working out burns calories. Someone can lose weight without
exercising, but that person would have to eat less and would get slower
and less appealing results than they would if they exercised. Let us say
someone was trying to lose weight and was not exercising. Assume they
were eating 2,000 calories a day and expending 2,250 calories a day.
They would lose a little weight, but not much. Now if that person would
start exercising everyday and burn 500 calories every workout, that
person could eat up to 500 more calories a day and still lose the same
amount as they were before, or they could only eat a few more calories
and lose weight at a faster rate. Dieting without exercise can lead to
not only losing body fat, but also can lead to losing muscle and bone
(Hellmich, Nanci), yet another reason to exercise.
What
are the best exercises to lose fat? Combining weightlifting with
aerobics (also known as cardiovascular exercise) is probably the best
way to lose fat. This is because aerobics burn a lot of calories during a
workout, but will not burn many after a workout (Laura, S. J.).
Weightlifting on the other hand, will burn less calories during a
workout, but will burn more calories during recovery from a workout
(Condor, Weights Give a Great Lift). Bob Condor explains this in his
article “Weights Give a Great Lift: Strength Training, Advocates Say,
Redefines Body at any Stage of Life”.
He says, “When a person lifts weights, it causes micro tears in muscle
fibres. During the next couple of days, the body repairs the "damage"
and builds the muscle even stronger. As we build more muscle, more
calories are required to keep the muscle nourished. As a result, the
body will burn more overall calories and fat.” (Condor, Weights Give a
Great Lift). Furthermore, weightlifting combined with aerobics will make
someone look better (Hellmich, Nanci). If one can not get themselves
into weight training and aerobics, then playing a sport he or she enjoys
on a regular basis would be better than not exercising at all.
How
could someone help in this fight against the obesity epidemic? I
already explained two simple ways to help fight this epidemic: eat
healthy and exercise. Some people may think, “How on earth will just me
exercising and eating healthy fight obesity?”, One way is that they are
ridding themselves of obesity, so that is one less person to add to the
obesity statistics. Another way is that they may inspire their friends
and family to exercise and eat healthy, removing them from the
statistics as well. Their friends and family then could inspire their
friends, which could create a domino effect.
Works Cited
Condor, Bob. "America's Obesity Crisis Grows again." Chicago Tribune: 3. Nov 18 2001. Condor, Bob. "Weights Give a Great Lift: Strength Training, Advocates Say, Redefines Body at
any Stage of Life." The Gazette: 0. Aug 13 2001. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Newsstand. Web. 1 Nov. 2012 .
Edelman, Robin. "Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease." Nutrition Today 40.3
(2005): 119-25. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Newsstand. Web. 31 Oct. 2012.
"Frightening Statistic Over Obesity in America that Will Happen here Unless we Fight it." Sutton
Coldfield Observer: 44. Nov 25 2011. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Newsstand. Web. 30 Oct. 2012 .
Hellmich, Nanci. "Lifting Weights Helps You Lose Fat and Look Better." The Province: 0.
Jun 08 1998. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Newsstand. Web. 3 Nov. 2012 .
Laura, S. J. "Cardio Vs. Weights: The Battle is Over." The Washington Post: 0. Apr 24 2007.
ProQuest Central; ProQuest Newsstand; The Washington Post. Web. 1 Nov. 2012 .
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