Obesity Threat for a Generation
In this section of Seattle Organic Restaurants, I'm going to talk about the obesity era. If you go with the flow in America you will end up overweight or obese.Two thirds of Americans are either obese or overweight and the rate of obesity happens to increase drastically.
Here are the latest statistics about the rate of obesity and diseases in America:
- MORE THAN 36% of adults in America have CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
- 25% of Americans have excessive amount of FAT in their LIVER
- More than 40% of leading CAUSES OF DEATH in America today is DIABETES. - 20% of CHILDREN today have PLAQUES (fat deposits) in their arteries; these children are often times diagnosed with HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE and HIGH LEVEL OF CHOLESTEROL
Obesity is more of a national issue than a personal issue:
Obesity is pterry much related to our environment, like the way our cities are designed or the way our food policies are. Tennessee and Alabama are marked as the states with the highest rate of obesity in America. A recent study shows that obesity rate in neighborhoods that do not sell fresh products is much higher than others. Obesity is affected by many factors in the environment such as lack of physical activity, stress and food supply.
More than 95% of adults in America do not meet the physical activity guideline because they aren’t active enough. Having access to green zones and walkways increases physical activity. In the last century, infectious diseases were the number one cause of death but in the last few decades, the main cause of death is replaced with chronic diseases caused by obesity.
The obesity epidemic started in the early 1980s and the signs of obesity have exploded in the last few decades. 5 out of 10 deaths in America are related to obesity. Obesity can cause a wave of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney problems and heart failures. Obesity is the biggest threat to the health of the American public. Statistics show that if the obesity increases as the current rate by 2030 somewhere between 35% and 55% of adults in America are going to be obese. Obesity is also a major driving force behind insulin resistance.
MORE THAN 36% of adults in America have CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 25% of Americans have excessive amount of FAT in their LIVER. More than 40% of leading CAUSES OF DEATH in America today is DIABETES. 20% of CHILDREN today have PLAQUES (fat deposits) in their arteries, these children are often times diagnosed with high blood pressure and high level of cholesterol.
This was the very first scientific evidence that proves plaques can exist in kids. 150 billion dollars a year is spent on the health consequences of obesity. If obesity increases as the current rate, the costs of health care by 2018 will increase to 300 billion dollars. Every year, obesity costs American businesses over 70 billion dollars and the productivity and utilization of our work places also decreases as a result of obesity.
Excessive Eating
Excessive eating is one of the factors contributing to obesity. Our genetics wouldn’t let us turn down calories when we have abundance of fatty and high carb foods in front of us. Our bodies are designed for a certain life style which includes low calorie consumption and staying physically active. Scarcity is the other factor that is contributing to obesity. Back in the day, when there wasn’t a lot of food available for all of us and we could kill a large animal,we had to consume as much as we could over a short period of time. Our brains couldn’t digest the idea that after a few bites we were full and we souldn't over eat. The excessive fat and sugar blocks our senses that signal us to stop eating. The excessive amount of fat and sugar also condition us to overeat and that conditioning is extremely POWERFUL and INDISPENSABLE for SURVIVAL. .
