Obesity

Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue with many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood. Obesity is the nominal form of obese which comes from the Latin obesus, which means "stout, fat, or plump."

Causes of Obesity:

Cause #1 - The first cause of obesity is laziness. If you are a large person and you can honestly say that you get at least a half an hour of aerobic exercise each day, then there is something else that is causing your obesity, but if you are not getting at least that much exercise, then you need to get off your lazy butt and start exercising.

Cause #2 - The second cause of obesity is the lack of balance between your caloric intake and your energy out put. With all the sit down in front of a computer jobs we have to take special time out to exercise more because we are not active with out day to day jobs. This causes us to gain weight and become lazy.

Cause #3 - The third cause for the overweight people is diet soda or pop. Did you know that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda cause you to crave sweets? Plus what good are you doing when you order a diet soda, then you order a meal that has about 2,000 calories per bite. That is the thing about diet soda, it convinces you that you are doing something good when you are not.

Cause #4 - The fourth cause of obesity is eating out and eating fast food. Restaurants make their food taste good with all types of fattening things that are not good for you. Fast food restaurants are greasy and horrible for you. Yet there are some people that eat every meal from a drive thru or at a restaurant. This is very bad for your health and you need to cut it out.

Obesity can also be a result of certain conditions and disorders, including:

• Cushing's syndrome

• arthritis and other orthopedic problems

• heartburn hypothyroidism

• neurologic disturbances

• consumption of certain drugs, for instance antipsychotic medications, steroids, or antidepressants

• high cholesterol levels

• high blood pressure

• menstrual irregularities (amenorhhea)

• shortness of breath

• skin disorders

Treatment of Obesity:

•    Eat for Health, not just whatever Tastes good

•    Develop a habit of doing 40 minutes a day of aerobic exercise - walking, running, swimming, bicycling - it only takes 21 days to form a habit, then you won't have to think about it, "Just Do It!"

•    Lift light to moderate weights two or three times a week to maintain tone and strength in major muscle groups.  More muscle helps burn more calories, keeping your weight under control more easily

•    Take a high-quality, balanced multivitamin daily.  Source Naturals' "Life Force" is a great value for the money.  Find them at your natural foods store.

•    Don't watch TV, except for occasional informative non-profit specials.  TV puts your body into a state where you burn less energy than when you're sleeping.  TV is also loaded with ads that stimulate your appetite for fattening foods.  Turn it off if you want to get/stay thin.

•    Avoid prepared, packaged foods; much better to cook from scratch so YOU control what you eat.  Best to only patronize restaurants where you know and trust the chef.

•    Stay regular naturally with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables; daily elimination is essential for maintaining colon health.