Daily Dose of Common Sense

We recently learned that Americans are still getting fatter. Twenty-three states reported an increase of obese adults over one year ago. Not one state reported a decrease in its obesity rate.

According to body mass index (BMI) statistics, two-thirds of Americans are either obese or overweight. And, you know who you are. Yes, the BMI system isn’t perfect. In fact, many researchers believe a good old-fashioned tape measure around the middle section gives a better indication of health. Regardless, you know if you fall into the category of Americans who need to lose weight. It’s rarely a mystery if you’re heavier than you should be.

Just remember, it’s the calories that count. Some restaurant chains now list calories on their menus, which should go a long way to helping consumers make informed choices. Here’s a great quiz to learn about the calorie counts of some of our (well, my) favorite foods. Who knew raisins had so many calories?!

Do you know the health risks associated with being overweight? It’s a long, scary list. And, the obesity epidemic is one reason for our ballooning health care costs. As the weight problem worsens, so grows the number of people experiencing these side effects. And, our kids learn by example. Is that the lesson you want to pass down to the next generation?

The key to losing weight is being informed about food and being motivated to change your lifestyle. Start small, but start somewhere. Push away from the table and start walking, America.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.