More than 97 million adults in the United States are overweight. That is more than half of the American population. Nearly one in five adults is obese. It seems that children and teenagers are not immune to this malady either, more than 15% are overweight in the United States alone.
With this crisis comes a great increase in the sales of diet pills and weight loss aids. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that American consumers alone spend $33 billion per year on weight loss products.
Who is at Risk of Becoming Obese? There are a variety of factors that can determine who has a greater propensity towards obesity. For instance, American women seem to have a slightly higher risk of obesity than American men. Additionally, race can play a part as well. Adolescent Mexican Americans and African Americans are at a greater risk of becoming obese.
A poor diet that is high in fats, cholesterol and sugar as well as a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to a person becoming overweight and obese. Recent scientific studies have also located a "fat gene" that seems to cause a person to be predisposed to obesity and being overweight.
What are the Health Risks of being Obese? Obesity is linked to at least 300,000 deaths in the United States each year. Additionally, obesity and even an overweight condition can place a person at a serious health risk for more serious diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Liver disease, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, bladder problems and even problems with the reproductive system in women can all be caused by obesity. It can also lead to stroke and an increased risk for certain cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer. In short, the risks of obesity are great, it can kill you.
What Methods can be used in Weight Loss? As obesity is becoming more of a threat, more aggressive steps are being taken to combat it. There are diet pills, diet shots, herbal weight loss remedies and even surgery. Some people are undergoing major surgery and many risks in an attempt to lose weight. Doctors are writing prescriptions for very strong, and sometimes even potentially lethal, diet pills.
Of course, a healthy diet that is low in fat and sugar, includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains can help greatly in a person's weight loss efforts. It is also important for a person to get out and engage in vigorous aerobic activity for at least thirty minutes three or more times a week.
A healthy diet, regular exercise and herbal weight loss supplements can be very effective in a person's weight loss efforts.
Are Diet Pills an Effective Weight Loss Tool? There are a number of effective diet aids available. Many can be very effective when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Hoodia gordonii is a weight loss product that is relative new to the market. It has been shown to give diet pills a higher degree of effectiveness.
There are many diet pills on the market and while many are effective, no diet pill is a cure all on its own. A diet pill must be combined with other factors such as diet and exercise in order to be truly effective.
Even just diet without exercise does not offer a very desirable degree of weight loss. Without toning and fat burning, a person may lose weight, but they are very likely to still look overweight and even flabby. Diet pills work best when they are a part of a larger, health oriented equation.
Harmful internal toxins are created during times of high stress. When overly excited, angry or afraid, your body releases chemicals throughout. Ever felt butterflies in your stomach every time you think of a certain person or circumstance? This is the release of harmful internal toxins.
As these extreme emotions happen to many of us on a daily basis, these chemicals are released daily as well. They will build up over time. Now you have the daily emotional issues and the built up internal toxins that add to and hold in fear and stress.
Added to these toxins are the chemicals in processed and junk foods. The wrong foods can create a vicious cycle; as you stress you create internal toxins, then add external toxins from foods so you feel worse, so you stress and create more internal toxins, and the cycle continues. Our health and wellbeing is in jeopardy and managing stress becomes even more important than ever.
One of the most cost effective, easiest and healthiest ways to manage stress is by watching the food you that you eat. Have you ever eaten foods that make you feel tired, fatigued or even cranky afterward? Perhaps you have noticed that when you eat lighter foods, you are more alert and have more energy.
Unfortunately, many of us eat the wrong things (like "comfort foods") or don't eat at all when we are nervous, upset, anxious, or depressed. This normally leads to a cycle of further depression and feeling out of control.
Since stress is both emotional and physical, it is during these times that we should take special care of our ourselves. Start taking care of your self and start stress management by making some changes in your diet. It is more important than you might think. Here's why...
Foods that you eat can help or hurt your wellbeing, both mentally and physically. For example, caffeine and sodium can raise your blood pressure, while sugar can cause "the blues." Many processed and junk foods contain these substances in high amounts, which can alter our feelings and, in turn, make life seem harder to deal with therefore more stressful.
At the same time, the wrong foods may cause your body to create excess insulin and higher cortisone levels, which are associated with depression. These can be created by over-eating or eating excess white flour, excess white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, caffeine, aspartame, monosodium glutamate, and so on.
Many processed and packaged foods contain these in excess amounts. Because of this, it is best to avoid these during stressful times. They can make you feel more hopeless without the energy to change your situation.
On the bright side - there are physical aspects of stress that you can easily control. Consider this - the nutrients in the food you eat can help your body produce dopamine and serotonin for your brain, which are instrumental for feelings of well being and relaxation. These nutrients are found in whole, unprocessed foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and fresh veggies. Some of the best food examples are tomatoes, bananas and brown rice.
Essential nutrients that are needed for healthy brain function can also be found in EFA supplements (essential fatty acids), green superfoods and balanced proteins such as sprouts and nuts. Each of these provides the nutrients necessary for your body to function properly, which helps to stop the stress toxins from building up and keeping you down.
Start your cycle of stress relief and manage your stress starting today. You don't need a prescription, just a new grocery list. Treat yourself to a healthy diet so you stay healthy, happy and get stress relief during these modern times.
Both Ken Black & Cindy Papp are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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Cindy Papp has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Fitness and Metabolism. Cindy is a Certified Nutritional Counselor. Get more tips and learn how to stay all around healthy with a. Cindy Papp's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.