AVOIDING OBESITY

1
AVOIDING OBESITY

• Ways to combat Americas biggest heath issue.
• By Mike Melograna

2
OBESITY

• One in three or 58 million American adults aged
  20 through 74 are overweight.
• According to data from the Third National Health
  and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III),
  the number of overweight Americans increased from
  25 to 33 percent between 1980 and 1991.
• The survey also shows that minority populations,
  specifically minority women, are
  disproportionately affected approximately fifty
  percent of African American and Mexican American
  women are overweight.

3
CHILDREN OBESITY

• By a similar definition, more than one in five
  children and adolescents aged 6 through 17 are
  also overweight.
• Even using a more rigorous definition recommended
  for youths, 11 percent of children and
  adolescents are overweight, up from approximately
  5 percent in the 1960s and 70s.

4
WHAT IS OBESITY

• Overweight is the excess amount of body weight
  that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water.
  Obesity is the excess accumulation of body fat.
  One can be overweight without being obese a body
  builder who has a lot of muscle, for example.
  However, for practical purposes, most people who
  are overweight are also obese.

5
PREVELENCE IN AMERICA

• Total number of overweight adults (20 through 74
  years old) approximately one-third or 58 million
  Americans.2 (numbers derived from NHANES III,
  1988-91, which defines overweight as a BMI value
  of 27.3 percent or more for women and 27.8
  percent or more for men)
• Overweight adult females (20-74 years old) 32
  million
• Overweight adult males (20-74 years old) 26
  million
• Total number of overweight youths 6 through 17
  years old approximately 11 percent or 4.7 million
  children in this age group.3 (numbers derived
  from NHES II and III, which defines overweight by
  the 95th percentile of BMI)

6
PREVENTING OBESITY BY EATING BETTER

• Make family meals a priority, and set a healthy
  eating example for your kids.
• Serve a variety of foods family-style at meals,
  which allows children to take what they need.
  Kids may also be more willing to try new things
  if they have control over how much goes on their
  plate and see others eating it.
• Set out fresh vegetables and dip to snack on if
  dinner's running late and the children are hungry
  early.
• Kids are more likely to try new foods with their
  friends. Encourage them to try new cuisines at
  friend's homes, etc.
• Spruce up plain fruits and vegetables with a
  sauce or dip if your child won't eat them plain.

7
PARENTS MUST HELP CHILDREN

• They can model healthy eating and regular
  physical activity
• They can create an environment where food is
  considered necessary for good health, vitality,
  and happiness.
• They can help buffer their children against the
  relentless advertising of unhealthy foods. They
  can do this by engaging their children in a
  discussion of what the food advertisements are
  designed to do, and help convince the children
  that they are in control of their lives if they
  resist these inducements and instead, eat the
  food they know is good for them.

8
PARENTScontinued

• Parents can have a major impact in their
  communities, beginning by working with the
  schools. In several places in the country parents
  have worked with school officials to rid schools
  of soft drinks and snack foods. This sends a
  strong message not only to the children, but also
  to the community in general that schools are
  institutions that will protect children rather
  than collude with the food companies to sell them
  unhealthy foods.

9
PROMOTE ACTIVITY

• Adults as well as youths must become more active
  in their lifestyle in order to remain healthy and
  decrease the amount of weight issues in their
  family.

10
OTHER SITES ON OBESITY

• WWW.WEBMD.COM
• WWW.CDC.GOV
• WWW.AMERICANHEART.ORG