Menstuff® has compiled the following information on Obesity.
The Skinny on Obesity
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More in US Obese Than Just Overweight
Overweight and Obesity Health
Consequences
40 Percent of Overweight Teens Don’t See a
Problem
U.S. States Pay Billions in
Obesity-Related Health-Care Costs
Sugary Drinks Linked to Over 180,000
Deaths Worldwide
Diet
Soda
Energy
Drinks
Alcopops
High Fructose Corn
Syrup
Newsbytes
Overweight
and Obesity: Health Consequences
For more information about these and other health problems
associated with overweight and obesity, visit Clinical
Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of
Overweight and Obesity in Adults.
Source: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/consequences.htm
More in US Obese
Than Just Overweight
Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are "extremely" obese.
"More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005-2023, the NCHS said in its report.
The numbers are based on a survey of 4,356 adults over the age of 20 who take part in a regular government survey of health, said the NCHS, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The figures come from the 2005-2023 survey and are the most current available.
"During the physical examination, conducted in mobile examination centers, height and weight were measured as part of a more comprehensive set of body measurements," the NCHS report said.
"Although the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled since 1980, the prevalence of overweight has remained stable over the same time period," it said.
Obesity and overweight are calculated using a formula called body mass index. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Someone with a BMI of 25 to 29 is classified as overweight, 30 to 40 counts as obese and people with BMIs of 40 or more are morbidly obese.
A person 5 feet 5 inches tall becomes overweight at 150 pounds and obese at 180 pounds. The U.S. National Institutes of Health has an online BMI calculator at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.
In the 1988-1994 surveys, 33 percent of Americans were overweight, 22.9 percent were obese and 2.9 percent were morbidly obese. The numbers have edged up steadily since.
Being overweight or obese raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis and other conditions.
In May, the CDC reported that 32 percent of U.S. children fit the definition of being overweight, 16 percent were obese and 11 percent were extremely obese.
Childhood and adult obesity has emerged as a growing problem not only in the United States but also in many countries around the world.
Most Obese
West Virginia - 30.3% percent of obese people
Louisiana - 30.7%
Tennessee - 30.7%
Alabama - 30.9%
Mississippi - 32.6%
Least Obese
Hawaii - 21.7%
Connecticut - 21.7%
Rhode Island - 21.7%
Massachusetts - 21.7%
Colorado - 19.3% The winner: Colorado has the lowest obesity
rate in America. The Centennial State has a reputation for exercise,
with plenty biking and hiking trails and, of course, ski slopes.
Colorado's elevation also causes the body to work a bit harder.
For the full list of state rankings, go to cdc.gov
Source: the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, AP), news.aol.com/health/article/more-in-us-obese-than-just-overweight/300721?icid=200100397x1216802217x1201065720
40 Percent of Overweight Teens Don’t See a
Problem
After interviewing about 5,000 teenagers, British researchers
found that close to half of those who were overweight
or obese
viewed their weight as “just right.”
Children and teenagers not acknowledging, or even being aware that they need to lose weight is actually a big problem. About.com expert Dr. David Katz, who is also the editor-in-chief of the journal "Childhood Obesity" and founder of Yale University's Prevention Research Center, thinks he might have the right answer.
Two recent reports indicate that the problem of epidemic childhood obesity is much compounded by associated obliviousness. I will hazard a neologism: oblivobesity. Houston, we have a problem. And Hartford. And every place in between.
The first report was issued by the CDC on July 23, 2015. The study used a representative sample of children and adolescents in the U.S. to compare actual weight and body-mass-index, with perceptions of weight.
The principal finding of note was that more than 80% of overweight boys and 70% of overweight girls misperceived their weight as “normal.” Also of note, the frequency of such misperception declined as socioeconomic status rose, indicating that families with more resources were more likely to have heightened awareness of healthy weight.
A related paper followed about a week later, and was even more worrisome. This study, published in Preventing Chronic Disease, also compared actual and perceived weight in a nationally representative cohort of children and adolescents. The researchers then went on to look at the correlation of these measures with attempted weight loss.
As in the earlier paper, a high percentage of kids- and their parents- underestimated their weight. This group was roughly 3 times less likely to attempt weight loss than overweight kids who accurately assessed their weight. But that wasn’t the truly disturbing finding.
Among the relatively small percentage of kids who OVERestimated their weight, the rate of attempted weight loss was more than 9 times higher than among kids who perceived their weight status accurately.
This is an alarmingly high rate of “dieting” among kids who have no need to lose weight in the first place.
Above all, this study highlights the perils of a societal preoccupation with weight, rather than a focus on health and the lifestyle factors that support it. Eating well and being active are important regardless of weight, because they promote health. Weight is merely one among many measures that suggest something about overall health- albeit an important one.
The high rate of dieting among children who over-estimated their weight is of real concern. This behavioral pattern suggests impaired body image perception, and vulnerability to eating disorders. The more common error of under-estimating weight and its effect on lowering the likelihood of weight control efforts is also of concern.
These opposing problems are really two sides of the same coin, the fixation on weight rather than health. In general, dieting is ill-advised both for overweight children and those misperceiving their weight as high when it isn't. Eating well and being active are advisable for both groups- and all other children, too.
We do need to raise awareness about the importance of childhood obesity- but we need to emphasize that what really matters is health, not some number of pounds. If a devotion to healthful behaviors were the norm in our culture, we would not look on as weight perception- accurate or otherwise- talked our children into dieting they do not need, or out of weight control efforts they do.
The weight of our children matters for reasons that are more than
skin deep. Childhood obesity is on the causal pathway to a whole
array of scourges that siphon years from the lives of our children,
and life from their years- fatty liver disease the most recent item
to make that dubious marquee. Knowledge may not reliably be power,
but oblivion is unfailingly disempowering. We face a unique challenge
where widespread obesity, and prevailing obliviousness, converge. We
must work to overcome that. Even as we do, we must take precautions
to cultivate a focus on health as the ends, and healthful living as
the means, so that obliviousness to weight is not replaced by
obsession with it. Neither is healthy.
Source: diseaseprevention.about.com/od/Childhood-Obesity/fl/What-Is-Oblivobesity.htm?utm_source=cn_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Health%20Channel%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=healthsl&utm_content=20150711
Sugary Drinks Linked to Over 180,000
Deaths Worldwide
Preliminary research suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths
Among the 35 largest countries in the world, Mexico had the highest death rates associated with sugary beverage consumption. The US ranked third, with an estimated 25,000 annual deaths from sweetened drinks
Fructose has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the rise of obesity and related health problems, and while the majority of the problem is caused by the large quantities of high fructose corn syrup added to so many processed foods and sweetened beverages, naturally-occurring fructose in large amounts of fruit juice is also a problem
Coca-Cola recently released its latest enhanced water product called “Fruitwater.” Despite its name, the product does NOT contain any juice. Rather it’s sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose and synthetic chemical “natural fruit flavors”
Your most cost effective ideal beverage is plain filtered tap water. If you want a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.
By Dr. Mercola
I’ve been warning you of the dangers of soda since I started this site over 16 years ago, and the list of reasons to avoid this beverage just keeps getting longer. Americans in particular get most of their daily calories from sugar, primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in soda and other sweetened beverages.
Half of the US population over the age of two consumes sugary drinks on a daily basis,1 and this figure does not even include 100% fruit juices, flavored milk or sweetened teas, all of which are sugary too, which means the figure is actually even higher.
Many people mistakenly believe that as long as you are drinking fruit juice, it's healthy even though it's sweet, but this is a dangerous misconception that is fueling the rising rates of weight gain, obesity, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in the United States and other developed nations.
It’s important to realize sugary drinks, soda and even fresh squeezed fruit juice, contain fructose, which has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the meteoric rise of obesity and related health problems—in large part due to its ability to turn on your “fat switch.”
So-called “enhanced” water products are another source of hidden fructose, and/or artificial sweeteners, which can be even worse for your health than sugar. I recommend drinking plenty of pure water as your primary beverage of choice instead.
Sugary Drinks Linked to 180,000 Deaths Annually
Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 heart disease deaths and 6,000 cancer deaths.
Among the 35 largest countries in the world, Mexico had the highest death rates associated with sugary beverage consumption. There, the average consumption of sugary beverages was 24 ounces per day.
Bangladesh had the lowest death rates. The US ranked third, with an estimated 25,000 annual deaths2 from sweetened drinks.3 (Many might have expected the US to come in first place, but remember that American processed foods contain far more sugars than other nations, so Americans also consume a lot of “hidden” sugar in products other than beverages.)
Interestingly, and quite disturbingly, the death rates associated with sweetened beverages were highest in those under the age of 45. According to the featured article:4
“[W]hile the connection between excess sugar and chronic disease is well-known, the latest research is the first to quantify deaths correlated with sugared drinks worldwide....To reach their conclusion, the scientists analyzed data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study and recorded how much sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, dividing up the data by age and sex. Then, they figured out how the various amount corresponded to obesity rates.
Lastly, they calculated how much obesity affected diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers and determined the mortality rates from these diseases, ending up with the number of deaths that could be attributed to consuming sugary beverages by age and sex.”
Co-author Dr. Gitanjali Singh told Time Magazine:
“Our findings should push policy makers world-wide to make effective policies to reduce consumption of sugary beverages, such as taxation, mass-media campaigns, and reducing availability of these drinks... Individuals should drink fewer sugary beverages and encourage their family and friends to do the same.”
As you may recall, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently tried to ban the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces in restaurants, food carts and theaters, but the day before the ban was scheduled to go into effect, a Supreme Court judge overturned it.5 Bloomberg has stated he intends to appeal the decision.
Personally, I believe the most appropriate strategy is to educate people on the facts about sugar consumption, and encourage personal responsibility. Taxation and eliminating sweet drinks from schools and other venues may have a beneficial effect, but to really put a dent in the problem, you need to be properly informed about the consequences of your choices. Voting with your pocketbook and avoiding purchasing these products will cause them to disappear from the marketplace as companies will not produce items that don’t sell.
Scientific Statement from American Heart Association about Sugar Consumption and Heart Disease Risk
In 2009, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a scientific statement6 about sugar intake and heart health, pointing out that there is evidence for a relationship between the two. According to the abstract:
“High intakes of dietary sugars in the setting of a worldwide pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease have heightened concerns about the adverse effects of excessive consumption of sugars.
In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19%, which added 76 calories to Americans’ average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients...[T]he American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars. A prudent upper limit of intake is half of the discretionary calorie allowance, which for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and for most American men is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.”
How Much Sugar Do You Eat or Drink Each Day?
Let’s start with soda. One hundred calories isn’t much. Just one 12-ounce regular soda contains about 140 calories; the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Similarly, one eight-ounceglass of orange juice has about eight full teaspoons of sugar, and at least 50 percent of that sugar is fructose. Drinking just one eight-ounce glass of orange juice will wallop your system with about 25 grams of fructose, which is more than you should have the entire day...
Fructose has been identified as one of the primary culprits in the meteoric rise of obesity and related health problems, and while the majority of the problem is caused by the large quantities of high fructose corn syrup added to so many processed foods and sweetened beverages, naturally-occurring fructose in large amounts of fruit juice is also a problem. Fructose is also a likely culprit behind the millions of U.S. children struggling with non-alcoholic liver disease, which is caused by a build-up of fat within liver cells. Fructose is very hard on your liver, in much the same way as drinking alcohol.
Around 100 years ago the average American consumed a mere 15 grams of fructose a day, primarily in the form of whole fruit. One hundred years later, one-fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams per day (that's over a quarter of a pound!), largely in the form of soda and other sweetened beverages.
Fructose at 15 grams a day is unlikely to do much harm (unless you suffer from high uric acid levels). However, at nearly 10 times that amount it becomes a MAJOR cause of obesity and nearly all chronic degenerative diseases. As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. However, for most people it would actually be wise to limit your fruit fructose to 15 grams or less, as it is virtually guaranteed that you will consume “hidden” sources of fructose from most beverages and just about any processed food you might eat.
Did You Know?
Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic "Fructose Overload." Use the embed code to share it on your website.
Fructose Overload."
Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic "Fructose Overload." Use the embed code to share it on your website.
Fructose Overload."
Don’t Fall for the Latest 'Designer Water' Fad...
As a general rule, I advise using water as your primary form of beverage. Many simply do not drink enough water these days. But don’t be fooled by slick marketing. There are a number of “designer water” products available, and none of them can really beat plain, pure water. For example, on April 1, Coca-Cola released its latest enhanced water product called “Fruitwater,” described as “a great tasting, naturally flavored zero calorie sparking water beverage.”7 Despite its name, the product does NOT contain any juice. Rather it’s sweetened with sucralose and “natural fruit flavors.” Sucralose (Splenda) is an artificial sweetener that, like aspartame, is associated with a host of side effects, including:
Artificially Sweetened Water is a Recipe for Poor Health
Different artificial sweeteners have been found to wreak havoc in a number of different ways. Aspartame, for example, has a long list of studies indicating its harmful effects, ranging from brain damage to pre-term delivery. Sucralose has been found to be particularly damaging to your intestines. A study8 published in 2008 found that sucralose:
In response to this study, James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health issued the following statement:9
"The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label."
That was nearly five years ago, yet many are still in the dark about these health risks. Having healthy gut flora is absolutely vital for your optimal health, so clearly, any product that can destroy up to half of your healthy intestinal bacteria can pose a critical risk to your health! Many are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to consuming too many highly processed foods. This is why I recommend eating fermented vegetables every day, or at the very least taking a high quality probiotic.
Believe me, if you continuously destroy up to 50 percent of your gut flora by regularly consuming sucralose, then poor health is virtually guaranteed. So please, do not make “Fruitwater” a staple drink thinking you’re doing something beneficial for your health... Remember, pure water IS a zero calorie drink. You cannot find a beverage that contains fewer calories. If you think about it, why on earth would you choose artificially sweetened water over regular mineral water? If you want some flavor, just squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon or lime into mineral water as they have virtually no fructose in them.
Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as acceptable and even preferred alternatives to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst seriously damaging the health of those who listen to this well-intentioned but foolish advice. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity. So much for being an ally in the battle against the bulge...
The Case Against ALL Bottled Waters...
While we’re on the subject of commercially available water products, let me remind you that bottled water in general is a bad idea. Not only are you paying about 1,900 percent more for the same or similar water you get straight from your tap, water stored in plastic bottles have other health risks as well. The plastic often used to make water bottles contains a variety of health-harming chemicals that can easily leach out and contaminate the water, such as:
If you leave your water bottle in a hot car, or reuse it, your exposure is magnified because heat and stress increase the amount of chemicals that leach out of the plastic. So the container your water comes in needs to receive just as much attention as the water itself, and plastic is simply not a wise choice from a health perspective … not to mention the extreme amounts of toxic waste produced!
What’s the Healthiest Beverage You Can Drink?
Sweetened beverages, whether it’s sweetened with sugar, HFCS, naturally-occurring fructose, or artificial sweeteners, are among the worst culprits in the fight against obesity and related health problems, including diabetes, heart- and liver disease, just to name a few. Remember that sweetened beverages also include flavored milk products, bottled teas, and “enhanced” water products. Ditching ALL of these types of beverages can go a long way toward reducing your risk for chronic health problems and weight gain. So what should you drink?
Your best most cost effective choice is to drink filtered tap water. The caveat though is to make sure you filter your tap water. I've written a large number of articles on the hazards of tap water, from fluoride to dangerous chemicals and drugs, to toxic disinfection byproducts and heavy metals, so having a good filtration system in place is more of a necessity than a luxury in most areas. Remember, nothing beats pure water when it comes to serving your body’s needs. If you really feel the urge for a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.
Another option to consider is to bottle your own water from a
gravity-fed spring. There's a great website called FindaSpring.com
where you can find natural springs in your area. This is a great way
to get back to nature and teach your children about health and the
sources of clean water. The best part is that most of these spring
water sources are free! Just remember to bring either clear
polyethylene or glass containers to collect the water so no unsafe
chemicals can contaminate your water on the way home. If you choose
to use glass bottles, be sure to wrap them in towels to keep them
from breaking in the car.
Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/03/sugary-drink-consumption.aspx?e_cid=20130403_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130403
More die in the United States of too much food than of too little.
- John Kenneth Galbraith
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