Obesity Statistics Show Dangers Of Being Seriously Overweight

Airline seats may be getting smaller, but Americans are getting larger as well. According to a recent study by the U.S. government, 8 in 10 men and 7 of every 10 women will be overweight by 2020.

While childhood obesity may be leveling off some, theres no end in sight for adults, who are increasingly living sedate lifestyles, eating too much and making poor food choices. The statistics speak for themselves:
78 percent of Americans arent meeting basic recommendations for activity
25 percent are living completely sedentary lives
58 million men and women are overweight
40 million are clinically obese and 3 million are morbidly obese

Sadly, some 300,000 adults in the U.S. die annually because of their poor dietary habits, lack of activity, and sedentary behavior. In many cases, simple changes in their lifestyle could have possibly saved their lives.

The secondary effects of being overweight and obese are clear. Not only do obese people put a strain on their muscles and bones, making it increasingly difficult to maintain mobility, the incidence of serious obesity-related diseases also dramatically increases.

For example:
80 percent of all cases of type 2 diabetes it can be traced to obesity
70 percent of cardiovascular disease is related to being overweight and obese
42 percent of all breast and colon cancer occurs in people suffering from obesity
30 percent of gall bladder surgeries are performed on obese people
26 percent of people with obesity suffer from high blood pressure

While childhood obesity may have leveled off some, the long term effects of obesity on children means they could fight the issues of being overweight or obese well into adulthood. One recently study showed that 80 percent of children who were overweight when they were between the ages of 10 and 15 became obese adults. A different study seemed to confirm this trend, finding that fully one quarter of obese adults had been overweight as children.

Losing weight and overcoming obesity is possible through a combination of increased exercise, proper nutrition, decreased calorie consumption, and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. In some cases, bariatric surgery is an option for those who are morbidly obese. Certainly, prevention is the best medicine in the case of weight management and a few proactive steps can greatly reduce complications down the road.