Obesity Kills

Obesity KILLS! Obesity is a killer and it does not discriminate; nor does it care about your economic status! My younger brother succumbed to obesity; he was 45 and left a wife, three children and siblings. He had many health problems that are attributed to obesity. Obesity is not hereditary, it is what we put in our mouth! • Can you imagine you or your loved one walking only a very short distance because the cartilage is no longer there and the bones in your knees are rubbing bone on bone? • Can you imagine you or your loved one taking a few steps and being out of breath? • Can you imagine you or your loved one not attending your child’s baseball game because you or your loved one does not have the energy to get dressed? • Can you imagine you or your loved one not playing with your child because you get tired within a matter of seconds? • Can you imagine going shopping and you or your loved has collapsed in the bathroom because all of the energy was used walking from the parking lot into the store even though you parked directly in front of the store in handicapped parking? • Can you imagine seeing EMTs running past you not knowing that it is your loved one that has collapsed? • Can you imagine the agony of arriving at the hospital to discover that your loved one has succumbed to OBESITY? • Can you imagine a funeral director telling you that a casket has to be made for your loved one? This is the face of obesity at its worse! If you do not make changes in what you consume, obesity will take over. We consume too many processed foods, white sugar, white flour, and dairy. Educate yourself by reading labels. Become informed by doing your due diligence. Most people live to eat instead of eating to live. It is no longer a “Southern thing”, it is a national epidemic. It is up to YOU to make changes in your health. As adults, we need to make the right choices and be an example for our family and friends. And the only way to do that is with knowledge because knowledge is power! Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions including: * Type 2 diabetes * Hypertension (high blood pressure) * Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) * Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides) * Coronary heart disease * Stroke * Gallbladder disease * Sleep apnea and respiratory problems * Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) There is no doubt that America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the past 30 years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and children. Since 1976–1980, the prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults has approximately doubled. In 2005–2006, more than 34% of adults aged 20 years or older were obese. The prevalence of overweight among children aged 2–5 years increased from 5.0% during

1976–1980 to 13.9% during 2003–2004. During the same period, the prevalence increased from 6.5% to 18.8% among young people aged 6–11 years, and 5.0% to 17.4% among those aged 12–19 years. In a news release, Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity said, "The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States, indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels." Childhood Obesity Sadly, high numbers (20%, and this number is growing daily) of our children are overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese can rob kids of their childhood, because these health conditions put children at risk for a range of other health problems. For example, an increase in obesity among minority children is linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes in these kids. Are you aware? Children and youth who are overweight or obese are more likely to have low selfesteem and feel badly about their bodies. They are more likely to be depressed and develop eating disorders. • Bone and joint problems—associated with carrying excess body weight—can cause pain and restrict activity levels of overweight and obese children. • Overweight and obese children are also at risk for developing health problems more commonly seen adults, including: o Type 2 diabetes o Insulin resistance o High blood pressure o High cholesterol o Sleep apnea o Liver disease • Obese children and adolescents are also 12 times more likely than other children to have high fasting blood glucose levels, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. • Early onset of puberty is common among overweight and obese children, and puts them at a higher risk for the some cancers during adulthood. • Most of overweight adolescents (80%) grow up to be overweight adults. This means that they are more likely to have health problems in adulthood, such as heart attacks and strokes.