Obesity is America is said to be out of control and some call it an
epidemic, due to the rise in the number of people suffering from
obesity in the last few years. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), a person is deemed to be obese if he has
a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above. This means that the person
consumes more food than is required by the body and does not burn
enough calories. As a result the person would suffer from diabetes,
heart disease and metabolic syndrome to name a few. The main causes of
obesity are said to be unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary
lifestyle. A decrease in physical activity results in lower calories
being burnt. However hormone deficiencies could also lead to obesity.

The obesity statistics are somewhat staggering. It is said that nearly
two-thirds of American adults above the age of 20 , that is 66 percent
of the population, are said to be obese, according to results from the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)  . Out of
these obesity statistics, 33 percent are said to be women whereas only
30 percent are said to be men. Another survey by NHANES shows that the
prevalence rates of children aged between 2 to 5 years has increased
from 5 percent to 13.9 percent over the last few years. A lot of
children too are therefore facing a high risk of being obese. This risk
can be seen in another study showing obesity statistics, conducted by
CDC which showed that children who are overweight between the ages of
10-15 years are very likely to be obese at the age of 25.

Based on obesity statistics by the National Institutes of Health,
obesity is the second leading cause of  death that can be prevented, 
in America. The deaths caused by obesity only becomes secondary to
deaths caused by tobacco and right now it is the second most leading
cause of death in the United States. An estimated 300, 000 deaths are
said to be caused as a result of obesity each year. As stated earlier,
diabetes is very common among those who are obese, particularly type 2
diabetes. 80 percent of those suffering from type 2 diabetes are said
to be related to obesity according to obesity statistics by the
Wellness International Network Limited.

Looking at these
obesity statistics it is clear as to why people refer to the situation
in America as a growing epidemic. People should therefore become more
aware of their eating and exercising habits and should make an active
effort to change their unhealthy lifestyles if they are to prevent
these obesity statistics from becoming even worse in the years to come.

Co-submitted by: Freestylele Glucose Strips.