How Are You Influencing Your Child’s Behavior? Childhood Obesity Stats You Can’t Ignore

As an adult, chances are good that you know very well that being overweight or obese comes with a price.

Everywhere you turn there is more and more information coming out about the link between being overweight and the risk of disease that you could be putting yourself at because of it.

But, do you ever stop and wonder how this is impacting your children?

How are they being influenced by the food choices and activity habits that you’re choosing to pursue in your own daily life?

The fact of the matter is that childhood obesity rates are on the rise right now at alarming rates and if we don’t take action right now to try and put a stop to this, our health care system is only going to become more and more overburdened into the future.

How Are We Exercising – Can You Improve Upon National Rates?

As part of your weight loss and health promotion program, physical activity should be added in on a daily or almost daily basis. Yet, many adults are failing to do just that.

We lead extremely sedentary lifestyles in today’s world and this is one of the leading reasons why we are suffering from the rates of obesity that we are.

Unless action is taken to correct this, the lack of physical activity will be setting our population up for higher than ever incidences of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, as well as stroke.

Let’s look at bit further at the stats of the current exercise trends so that you can see where you should be putting most of your focus to ensure you aren’t ‘of the norm’.

What to eat to lose weight?

The best dietary strategy to achieve ideal weight

The best way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in. You can do this by following a healthy eating plan, taking a potent (yet safe) natural weight loss supplement and being more physically active.
After decades of research, weight loss enthusiasts and dieticians have a generalized consensus on almost all of the following dietary tips to lose weight fast and maintain it permanently.

Focus on fresh fruits
Eat a variety of fruits whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried, rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day. An example of 2 cups is 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches.

What makes you obese?

Know more to lose more weight….

Did you know that obesity has now become one of the “commonest” health problems faced by the people all over the world? Unfortunately, until now, many people have been even unaware of the fact that obesity is, in fact, a serious health disease.

It has been estimated that about over 300 million people worldwide are obese and 750 million more are overweight. Speaking of USA alone, according to recent surveys, about 60% of American adults are overweight, that is 39.8 million people. The US National Institutes of Health reports that obesity and being overweight are the second leading causes of preventable death in the United States and an estimated 300,000 deaths per year are caused by obesity. Similarly, in UK, the effects of obesity are pretty much the same. About 46% of men in England and 32% of women are overweight and an additional 17% of men and 21% of women are considered to be suffering from obesity.

What causes someone to become overweight or obese?

Risks and causes

You can simply become overweight or obese when you eat more calories than you use. A calorie is a unit of energy in the food you eat. Your body needs this energy to function and to be active. But if you take in more energy than your body uses, you will gain weight. Many factors can play a role in becoming overweight or obese. These factors include:

1. Psychological factors: Psychological factors may also influence eating habits. Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger. Behaviors, such as eating too many calories or not getting enough physical activity may also contribute to obesity.

2. Environment and culture: This includes lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and his or her level of physical activity. For example, Americans tend to eat high-fat foods, and put taste and convenience ahead of nutrition. In addition, most Americans do not get enough physical activity. Some cultural reasons for this include:

Where Do I Find Weight Loss Resources

The right knowledge can make the difference!

Finding an excellent weight loss resource is a little more challenging than one would think. As obesity is growing like an epidemic today, more and more people are turning to seek suitable online and offline weight loss resources. Thanks to helpful enthusiasts, there are now many carefully prepared and well-arranged weight loss resources that you can get help and support from at any time you want to.

Following is a short review of some of the major, yet easily available weight loss resources for you.


Weight loss support group: A weight loss support group can be a great resource for people trying to shed some extra pounds. Emotional support and encouragement is critical when trying to lose weight. Look for opportunities to join a weight loss group that will allow you to share your achievements and frustrations with others who have the same goal. This camaraderie can help you avoid pitfalls, such as emotional eating and bingeing. To find a weight loss support group, you can also check the message board at your local gym or at your office.

Do Carbs make you fat?

Revealing the reality…

With millions and billions of people all around the globe seeking to lose weight and consume the ideal, low calorie diets, there have been also lot of myths associated with fitness and health and unfortunately many people still adhere to them. In reality, believing these rumors can actually do the opposite as several people often end up gaining weight instead of losing, causing more harm than good.

The best way to prevent yourself from these myths is to keep yourself informed and, for that, you need to only believe data from credible and reliable sources. Read on to rediscover a common myth associated with eating carbohydrates and weight loss i.e. to lose weight, you should definitely avoid carbs. This article will not only serve as your concise guide to reveal the reality but will also help you differentiate between fact and fiction.

Measuring your body weight

Your first step towards an ideal figure!

Do you know that everyone needs a certain amount of body fat for stored energy, heat insulation, shock absorption, and other functions?
As a rule, women have more body fat than men. Most health care providers agree that men with more than 25 percent body fat and women with more than 30 percent body fat are obese.
Measuring the exact amount of a person’s body fat is not easy and various traditional and modern methods and ways have been implemented from time to time to measure the extent of one’s obesity or being overweight. Some of these methods are as under:

DEXA
The most accurate measures are to weigh a person underwater or to use an X-ray test called Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). However, these methods are not practical for the average person, and are done only in research centers with special equipment.

Lucky 7 tips to lose weight fast

It takes “SMART” to become SMART

For many, losing weight is not the only fitness objective. They want it fast enough also want it to stay on permanently. Following are some of the recommended fitness and nutrition rules that could help you achieve your weight loss goals steadily yet quickly:

1. Be SMART
Did you know that the term SMART is an abbreviation for being “Specific, Measured, Appropriate, Realistic, and Time-bound” about what you plan to achieve?

Let’s assume, if your goal is to increase your physical activity, then write down the type of activity you plan to do, how many times you can realistically do it each week, and for how long each time. Start with small, short, and easier goals, and work your way up.

Discovering the truth about carbohydrates…

Are all carbs equal?

It’s a well-known fact that a diet rich in carbohydrates is proven way to satiate your appetite and makes you feel fuller. On the other hand, a diet low in carbohydrates can actually cause temporary weight loss. However, this temporary weight loss is not without some serious health risks. This presents a serious diet dilemma of what one should do while selecting a carb diet.

The solution to this dilemma is quite simple. All you need to know is “what to eat?” Yes, it’s all about making wise carbohydrate choices.

Salient features of carbohydrates
 Let’s first review what carbohydrates are, where are they found and what do they do for our bodies.

Can organic food help me lose weight faster?

The basics of organic food explained…

Organic foods are becoming more popular again as people realize that our bodies don't need the extra burden of harmful chemicals. There are now a number of nutritionists and dieticians that believe that buying organic foods from sources that you can trust is the best way to promote healthy foods.

What is organic food?

Everyone ate organic food until chemical pesticides and herbicides were invented in the last hundred years or so. The label "organic" is a bit of a misnomer, since all food is chemically organic because it is carbon-based. But organic in the context of food now means it is produced without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers, is free from contamination by human or industrial waste, is processed without ionizing radiation or artificial food additives, and does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). Also, in the context of livestock, use of antibiotics or growth hormones is not allowed.

Can exercise really help me lose weight?

Helpful hints & tips on exercising

Regular physical activity may help you lose weight and keep it off. It may also improve your energy level and mood, and lower your risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, experts believe all adults should be physically active. Some activity is better than none, and individuals who engage in any amount of physical activity may gain some health benefits. The majority of your physical activity should be moderate to vigorous in intensity. However, adults should aim to include muscle-strengthening activities as well. For more information on the Physical Activity Guidelines, see the “Other Resources” section at the end of this brochure.

You can be physically active every day for one extended period of time, or you can break it up into shorter sessions of 20, 15, or even 10 minutes.

Alarming epidemic of obesity

Statistics & figures

Obesity, today, is now regarded by many as “silent killer”.

The global number of people who is suffering from overweight in adult population is approximately 1.6 billion people (age more than 15 years) and at least 400 million of that are obese. Similarly, with respect to global childhood obesity, there are at least 20 million children under 5 that either have overweight or, that can turn into obesity if their parents don't take the necessary measures. The projection of the WHO by the year 2015 is that approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese.

While globally, there have been significant increases in obesity prevalence rates over the last 20 years, the following statistics indicate the alarming threat of obesity with respect to specific North American & European countries.