It\’s little wonder that we have an obesity epidemic. Food is everywhere, from roadsides and vending machines to television and overstuffed supermarket shelves. That, coupled with a life of sitting - in cars, at desks, on couches - has set us on the road to an obesity epidemic.
Data from two major surveys show that since 1980, the rates of obesity have doubled for adults and tripled for children. In 2007, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 percent. Thirty states had obesity rates of 25 percent or more.
Though rising numbers seem to ...

Nearly half of all American adults will get osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85. So says a landmark study funded by the Centers for Disease Control. The study followed over 3,000 people in the rural South, and showed the highest risk was among those who were overweight or obese.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a painful degenerative joint disease. Over time, the cartilage or "cushioning" between two bones wears away. What\’s left is a painful, inflamed area that impairs your ability to move.
The study showed that nearly two in three people who are obese will get knee ...
Lose 10 pounds in ten days!
Melt away fat as you sleep!
Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!
Sound too good to be true? It\’s a safe bet that anything promising quick results without the work means that your wallet - not your body - will be lighter. All the same, phony weight loss products that claim to burn, melt and flush fat from your system have flooded the multi-billion dollar weight loss market.
The FDA warns consumers
The federal government, in an ongoing battle to clamp down on bogus weight loss products, has successfully brought claims ...
It can happen during football season, in your first few weeks at college or during the holidays. "Weight creep" is the unwanted pounds that slowly show up on the scale.
You may think that a couple of pounds here and there is no big deal. When it happens every holiday season, though, it can add up. If you are overweight, shedding as few as five pounds can make a difference in your health.
Exercise may be the best way to keep a check on weight creep. How much exercise you need depends on the amount and type of the ...
About one in every three American adults has hypertension, or high blood pressure. Medication is often prescribed, but that\’s not the only solution. There are many lifestyle strategies that have also been shown to have an impact. For some, weight loss combined with exercise and a healthy eating plan may even reduce or eliminate the need for medication altogether.
Your doctor can help you decide whether to take a combined approach (medication plus lifestyle) or whether to try following these healthy lifestyle strategies first:
1. Increase exercise. Aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure and can also help with weight ...
As concerns about weight, diabetes and other health problems rise, our nation has focused on exercise and being fit. One thing we do know is that being physically active is one of the most important steps that Americans of all ages can take to improve their health. But along with the focus comes some misunderstandings, such as "no pain, no gain."
Here are some more common myths - and the truth about them.
Exercise is a waste of time unless you work out hard and often. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from sticking to an ...
Can the way you eat really have an effect on your metabolic rate? Are there types of foods that will burn fat more efficiently than others? The answer to both questions is yes.
Beyond the calorie in-calorie out theory, you can help control the timing of your eating and how your body responds to food. Check out the following guidelines to see if you are practicing any of these healthy eating habits. If you\’re not, it\’s time to start.
Eat lots of small meals
Split up your calories between breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Don\’t make dinner your largest meal.
Eat every ...
It\’s hard to lose weight. Shedding pounds and trimming down takes dedication, discipline and months of effort. You might find that once you finally get the pounds off, staying at your goal weight can be as tough as losing the weight in the first place.
What are the risks of gaining the weight back?
Weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of weight. Besides returning to an unhealthy weight, not keeping the pounds off can have other negative effects, such as:
Depression and anxiety (stress) about losing weight
Bingeing or eating a lot of food while feeling out ...
Your skirt is too tight. You can\’t zip your jeans. You don\’t even want to think about putting on a swimsuit. You look in the mirror and mutter about how you\’ve got to lose weight.
Though there\’s enough dieting advice out there to fill a dozen refrigerators, be wary of programs that offer quick weight-loss solutions. Remember, modest goals and a slow course will increase your chances of both losing the weight and keeping it off.
Back to basics
If you are really serious about long-term weight loss, look to change habits, not slash calories and deprive yourself. Start ...
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Your height and weight are used to calculate your BMI. It is used by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The World Health Organization as a way to help define obesity.
Knowing your BMI is important because your weight alone doesn\’t tell the whole story. If your BMI is too high, you\’re at an increased risk for many chronic health problems. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis. It also raises the risk for endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers.
Making sense ...
