Obesity, what’s
“big” deal? ------------------------------------------------------------------- This article has been provided by Dr. M. Montgomery at www.healthyunderstanding.com Dr. Montgomery is a practicing Chiropractor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nowadays, so much of public is obese (fat) that it is “norm”. So much so, that we are starting to ignore this epidemic.Thankfully, Surgeon General has issued a warning about plague of obesity that has been considered to be as significant or moreso than warning issued about hazards of cigarette smoke.
As long as you are carrying extra weight (beyond acceptable upper limits of body fat), you increase your risks for a variety of health complaints. These complaints and risks include conditions such as diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and more. ----- Definition of Obesity and Overweight
Obesity has been defined as an abnormal accumulation of body fat in proportion to body size. Overweight persons, although still technically obese, will have a body-fat proportion that is intermediate between normal and obese. (1) ----- Some Common Excuses for Being Obese
This section will probably ruffle feathers of some people who read it. It is not meant to be demeaning or belittling. Rather it is meant to shed light on some of “unhealthy” thought patterns that contribute to obesity, its consequences, and other conditions.
A lot of people will say to themselves and others something like “Yeah, I’m a bit overweight but I feel okay about it” or “Maybe I’m carrying a few extra pounds, but so is everyone else” or even “I might be fat, but I can lose it anytime I want”.
Other things that you might hear someone else say are things like “Jeez, you look pretty good …” “for someone who just had a baby” or … “for someone who has had three kids” (my wife absolutely hates hearing those ‘compliments’) or … “for someone who hasn’t played hockey in ten years.”
Then of course there are “medical” excuses. “I’ve got metabolic syndrome”, “ever since my surgery, I’ve had no energy”, “my knees hurt”, “I have arthritis”, “It’s hereditary”, “I’ve got asthma” …
All of above probably have a seed of truth in them for many people. However, more often than not, these excuses are a way to avoid doing something that you don’t want to do, such as getting more exercise, or controlling your eating habits.
Why does this occur? Because we are in D.E.N.I.A.L. (an addictions counselor/mental health worker told me that it stood for Don’t Even (k)no(w) I Am Lying). ----- Lifestyle Factors
Today’s life is, no doubt, incredibly hectic and seems to be getting moreso every passing year. Gone are days when most people in our society must do heavy physical labour every day just to survive. Automation has created many labour saving devices. This in turn has created a largely sedentary, inactive society. Look at kids today. Instead of being outside playing shinny or a game of pick-up basketball, or any of thousands of other outdoor activities, they are inside playing video games or getting mesmerized by T.V.
Patricia Markham Risica (2) writes that … The number of people affected by obesity continues to rise along with prevalence of comorbid diseases that result from this condition. What could be considered modern-day plague, caused by higher consumption and less expenditure of energy, has been broken down into its economic components by Eric Finkelstein.[1,2] The likely economic culprits for marked increases observed in 1980s and '90s include increased availability of higher-calorie-dense foods, increased portion sizes, and lower overall costs of food along with increased exposure to television advertising of same products. These trends are coupled with earlier trends from '60s and '70s of lower energy expenditure at work, more women in workforce, and not making family meals at home. The increased prevalence of obesity carries a parallel increased demand for economic resources; 5% to 7% of total medical expenditures are already being devoted to this very costly condition.[1,3,4]
