Obesity – a modern day epidemic
Today, obesity is considered to be one of the main health risks in the developed world. In fact, the issue is so serious that the United Nations Health Organization has declared an “obesity epidemic”, especially in the richest, most developed parts of the world, like Western Europe and US and Canada. You might be aware of the hype that’s surrounding obesity, and you might wonder why the media, doctors and health organizations are dedicating so much time and effort to it.
The fact is that the number of people who can be considered obese from the medical point of view has been rapidly increasing in the past several years. In the US alone, over 35% of the population – that’s one in every three Americans – has a Body Mass Index higher than 30. The problem is not limited to the US alone – Mexico and the UK also show this negative trend. And when you look at some statistical data, you will find out that this is in fact a recent development. In fact, in the past thirty years, United states have seen the number of obese adults double, while the number of overweight adolescents and pre-teens has increased by over 300%! It’s obvious from the data that the problem is far from “hyped”.
The obesity wouldn’t be as much of a problem if it were only a cosmetic, image and looks related concern. But the reason why obesity is such a serious issue lies in the negative effect it has on the overall health of an individual. Medical studies have clearly shown that people who are obese, or extremely overweight (again, those with a BMI higher than 30) have a much higher chance to develop a number of serious health issues – including stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, Diabetes – than individuals with healthy BMI. A recent study sponsored by the UK government has shown that obesity is more dangerous to a person’s health than alcohol or smoking. In the US, public health studies have found out that for every hundred of obese Americans, there are fifty or more chronic disease patients. Compare that to the twenty occurrences of a chronic disease per 100 smokers, and you might have a better grasp on the seriousness of the problem.
What is the reason for this rise in the number of obese individuals in the last few decades? The answer is not really simple, but some of the most obvious suspects include overeating, lack of activity and the prevalent sedentary lifestyle that more and more of us are leaving. In most cases, obesity is really a self inflicted problem, and can be fixed by using a sensible weight loss and management program. One sure fire way to help treat obesity and to enable people to become healthy again is to utilize a low calorie diet and exercise program in combination with an effective weight loss pill like Meridia. Also known as Reductil or Sibutramine, Meridia affects the neurochemicals in the brain that are responsible for appetite control.