Obesity is a disease that affects nearly 60 million people in the United States, where women are particularly affected. More than a third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960s.
But it is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that's not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat and water.
An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals agree that man is obese if you have more than 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if over 30 percent. Women are physiologically more body fat than men, so that's why there is a percentage difference.It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tool called clamp pliers, you can measure skinfold thickness in different parts of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers.
You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures the percentage of body fat. The most commonly used to determine whether a person is obese method is to look at his / her body mass index (BMI).
A person with a BMI over 30 is considered obese, and BMI over 40 is considered severely obese. It is important to remember that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or nursing women and in muscular people.With obesity comes the increased risk of diseases such as hypertension, type II diabetes, heart disease and breast, colon and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health problems such as depression or feelings of shame and low self esteem.
Health experts say that even the loss of 10-15 percent of your body weight can significantly reduce the risk of developing these serious diseases. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and insults insults and other targets.A number of factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. A major obstacle to be more physically active is motivation and accountability.
Find a friend with the objectives of similar shape and re-start a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see results, but your health is worth it!
