fitness

 Americans are fat . . .  Currently 2/3 of the US population is overweight or obese.  We generally eat too much, eat the wrong things, and don’t exercise.  You know things are bad when the US Coast guard reduced the number of passengers allowed on boats because the “Average American” is 9% heavier than the last time they measured.

Fitness refers to your state of health and well-being. What you put in your body and what you do with your body determine your overall health, your risk for developing major diseases and your quality of life. By improving your nutrition and fitness, you can reap many benefits.

Exercise plays a large role in mood. The University of Birmingham reviewed exercise and depression studies and reported that exercise can be as effective, and sometimes more effective, than medication with the same adherence rates. In 2007, the Institute of Physical Education in  Poland, reported evidence confirming that physical activity is important for primary prevention of chronic diseases, decreased mortality rates and physical and psychological well-being.

 Although it is unfair and mean to judge someone on their looks, people who are

overweight or obese frequently suffer disadvantages. Overweight and obese persons

are often blamed for their condition and may be considered to be lazy or weak-willed.

It is not uncommon for overweight or obese conditions to result in persons having

lower incomes or having fewer or no romantic relationships. Disapproval of

overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias,

discrimination, and even torment.

The number of obese or overweight Americans is staggering. A BMI of  over 30 is considered obese; 36% of adults meet this criteria. A BMI of 25-30 is considered overweight; 66% of adults are in this category. Amongst children, 33% are obese or overweight.

 Us is 2^nd fattest nation to mexico.

Countries with the lowest overall obesity rates include Japan (3 percent), Korea (4 percent), Switzerland (8 percent), Italy, Norway and Sweden (10 percent each. In all of the countries examined by the OECD, the average obesity rate was 16 percent. WHY? More active, smaller portions.

Causes of obesity in the U.S. and other countries include the typical national diet and nutritional profile and also lifestyle trends in each country. An article in the August 2004 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates that community design, physical activity levels and levels of car use all affect obesity rates. Many American cities and towns were built in the automobile era, resulting in fewer walkable communities in the U.S. than in countries with lower obesity rates, such as Italy or France.

A contributing factor to obesity is lack of exercise. Only 3.5% of people 18 and older meet the recommended exercise standard of 30 min a day, 5 days a week. Benefits of exercise include: decreased health risks, feeling motivated and a sense of accomplishment, stress relief, falling asleep easier, being able to splurge on eating something unhealthy every once in a while. You do not want to completely deprive your body of something because then you will may eat and get out of hand.

Obesity has a far-ranging negative effect on health. Each year obesity-related conditions cost over 150 billion dollars and cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US. The health effects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to:  increased risk of heart disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, respiratory issues, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. It's estimated that an obese person will, on average, live eight to 10 years less than a non-obese person. A high obesity rate in the population of a country increases health care costs significantly.

In the  documetntary Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock conducts an unscientific experiment using himself as the guinea pig: eat only McDonald's for thirty days, three meals a day. If he is asked by the clerk if he would like the meal super sized, he has to say yes. By the end of the thirty days, he will have had to have eaten every single menu item at least once. Before starting the experiment, he is tested by three doctors - a general practitioner, a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist - who pronounce his general health to be outstanding. They will also monitor him over the thirty days to ensure that he is not placing his health into irreparable damage. He also consults with a dietitian/nutritionist and an exercise physiologist, the latter who also deems him to be above average fitness. As it mimics the lifestyle of those who eat fast food, he will also do no exercise for the thirty days, limiting himself to under 5,000 steps per day (the approximate equivalent of 2½ miles).

As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24½ lbs.,a 13% body mass increase. His  cholesterol level was 230, and he experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight gained from his experiment using a vegan diet supervised by his future wife, a chef who specializes in gourmet vegan dishes.

CALL TO ACTION

No matter how busy you are, you have 30 minutes a day to exercise. If you only have 10 one day, run for 10 minutes! Exercising for 10 minutes beats exercising for 0 minutes any day. And this includes 2 days off. I personally think you should exercise more than this if you really want to get fit, but you have to start somewhere!

*eliminate drinks with calories in them-these are empty calories and unnecessary

*limit your sweet intake- have one or dark chocolate Hershey kisses for desert(dark chocolate is good for your heart now), but moderation is key. Do not reward yourself for working out with 10 cookies because you will be defeating the purpose of working out.

*walk or ride your bike places-you get some fresh air, are helping the environment, and are getting fit.

*don’t eat after 8. Your body does not need a midnight snack and lots of calories to just lay down and sleep.

*drink lots of water. It is recommended to drink half of your body weight in ounces every day, or as a rule of thumb 8 cups, 64 oz. It can facilitate you being healthy, you must stay hydrated when you exercise, and it even makes your skin better!

*mix up different exercises; working out does not have to be something you dread doing like running on the treadmill (except for the rarity of people that actually enjoy running) Go roller blading, ice skating, swimming, biking, zumba class, dancing, and much more!

*Wherever you are, do a certain number of pushups and situps. Over the summer I started doing 100 pushups every day, and it surprisingly only takes a few minutes, and you won’t believe how much stronger you get just from doing something for a few minutes each day.

*get aps like myfitnesspal, which you enter your food and exercises for the day and it tells you how many calories you should have a “net” of for your aspired weight loss, maintenance, or gain

*take the stairs instead of the elevator!

*do not diet! This will only lead to temporary results, and you will gain weight again. You do not want to deprive your body of certain foods and then go crazy when you have them