Dealing with Obesity or Overweight Problems

How many women in the United States are suffering from obesity?
Stats have shown that 60 percent of U.S. adult women, in approx, are suffering from obesity. According to 2007 estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a third of adult women — over 60 million — are obese. This clearly shows that Obesity is reaching to epidemic level in the United States.

Obesity in United States of America

Are you overweight or obese?
It's simple, just calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. People with a BMI of 25 to 30 are considered overweight. People with a BMI of more than this are considered to be obese.

Causes of Obesity
You are at risk of becoming overweight or obese if you eat more calories than you use, which is just exactly opposite to losing weight. A calorie is a unit of energy in the food you eat. This energy is then utilized by your body to function properly. Now if your intake of calories is more than what your body requires, you will ultimately gain weight. There are many other factors that causes obesity. It may include:
- Environment and culture
- Behaviours like eating too much or remaining physically inactive
- Genes, yes you could be genetically obese as well, but don't let that for an excuse :).

Results have shown that obesity problems keep getting worse in the US. This may be due to our culture, who knows?
- Larger portion sizes
- Little time for workout due to busy schedule
- Many of us use vechiles to get to places instead of walking, hmm this is interesting.

Will obesity affect my health condition?
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of:

• Heart disease, Stroke
  
• Type 2 diabetes
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Difficulty in breathing
  
• Arthritis (inflammation of bones), Bath disease
  
• Hyperthyroidism and hormonal imbalance
  
• Gallbladder disease
  
• Gastritis, Colonitis, GERD (acid reflux)

Now by far we have known that obesity isn't good for health. Further the places where you store your body fat also affect your health. Women with a "pear" shape tend to store fat in their hips and buttocks. Women with an "apple" shape store fat around their waists. You are a good candidate for overweight and other health related problems, if your waist is more than 36 inches.

How to lose my excess weight?
Use more calories than you take in. I guess everyone here knows that :). First of all, make a plan, or make your goal settings (reachable). Before making any weight-loss program, it's always better to talk to your physical trainer or doctor. And yes don't remain inactive, give some time for workouts, you may run or walk, but do it regularly. Eating correctly is also part of weight loss. Make more healthier food choices (see more on Weight Loss Diet), and cook properly, don't overcook as you might lose the nutrients from the food. Make an effort, set your mind, there's no looking back, start from now!!!

Are there any surgical options available to treat weight loss?
Yes, there is and it's called Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), also known as bariatric surgery. If you struggle to lose weight via other methods, then the surgical option is always there. There are many surgical methods. Click here to see all of them.