Why are so many Americans heading towards (if not already battling) an obesity problem? What are the main factors to this growing epidemic and what can we do to stop it?
Let’s take an eye opening look into the downfall of our diet and our changing culture. Here we will outline the cause and effect and give you the solution to stop the rising obesity problem.
Cause: Drastic changes in lifestyle and dietary habits have contributed to a quick decline in our overall health, causing diseases like Type II Diabetes, Coronary Artery Disease, cancer, high risk of stroke, and gallbladder disease to have an alarming effect on our younger generation. At this rate of health decline due to poor diet and lack of exercise, our life expectancy rates are starting to decline, and proper medical care will reach an estimated cost of over 100 billion dollars. (These facts are taken from the American Obesity Association.)
Today’s modern lifestyle is more comfort driven. People would rather ride than walk, riding the elevator over taking the stairs. Gone are the days of hard work; instead, the majority of our jobs are centered on our computers and desks. Making the time in our hectic, stress-driven world to cook at home instead of eating out is also a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. Fast food has become a sad way of life for Americans. Eating on the run and ingesting thousands of calories at just one meal of burgers, fries, and a shake is not the way to go. Families are not taking the time to sit down and eat a properly prepared, nutritious meal together. A bucket of fried chicken and a liter of sugar-laden soda does not count as a healthy family meal, contrary to what the commercials may claim.
Time Management
Time management is essential to maintaining a healthy weight and way of life. This is possible to attain by following these easy steps:
- Thirty minutes of planned exercise, three times per week, can make a significant difference in dropping those extra, unwanted pounds.
- A well-planned trip to the supermarket, list in hand, will lead to proper food choices and cut down on binge shopping.
- Keeping all the healthy ingredients at home can lead to preparing a healthy and fast meal for yourself and family.
- Cut out those daily stops to your local coffee shop—just one latte and an afternoon danish can add over 1500 calories to your diet. If this is an important part of your daily routine, try ordering a simple cup of coffee or tea. This way you will still have your social interaction without the calories.
- Send your children and yourself out to play. People today spend too much sedentary time indoors in front of the TV and computer.
- Make sure you and your children get the proper amount of sleep. Lack of sleep is also a contributing factor to obesity. Did you know that your body repairs itself and also burns calories during the sleep process?
