The leading cause of death in the US is heart disease, according to the CDC. That’s almost one fourth of all death. Wow. Cancer is number 2. Do you know what one of the biggest risk factors for both heart disease and cancer is? Obesity and being overweight. Yep, I am so going there.
Fat, fatty, thick, cow, pig.
Fat, fatty, thick, cow, pig.
If you just took offense to these words, then you might just be in that category. I am in that category. In fact, I am no longer considered obese, but I am still overweight. I’m working on that fact and plan on getting to my goal weight by April of 2015.
According to Texas Heart, being obese and overweight is one of the risk factors of heart disease, along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes…all of which are caused by obesity and being overweight. GASP! And here is my shocked face.
You saw that coming, didn’t you?
So, let’s talk about being fat. Why am I talking about this? Because it has become an epidemic. Everywhere you go, just look around at the people near you. 68.5% of the US population are overweight or obese (frac.org). Guess what a fourth of them are going to die of? Yep, heart disease. Another fourth will die of cancer. It is time for some sort of change.
What else is affected by obesity? According to kidney.org, having excess body fat causes an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, stroke, certain types of cancer, gallbladder disease, arthritis, breathing problems, kidney disease and kidney failure. For more information on the staggering side effects of excess weight, you can visit the Help Guide. I promise you, if you are overweight, you will have an “Ah-Ha” moment after looking at that page.
According to research gathered by Phit America, $190 billion is being spent on health care costs associated with obesity. And if you are wondering why your flights cost so much now, it’s because “U.S. airlines are consuming an extra 350 million gallons of fuel per year due to overweight passengers.” That’s about $1 billion.
Obesity is even costing the environment, since the amount of fuel used to power cars would be less if we were not a fat nation. And then this one: TRICARE, a medical insurance company, is spending more than a billion dollars a year for the treatment of weight related diseases. No wonder the cost of living is going up, and no wonder they are trying to get us to pay out of pocket for our insurance. Treating our fatness is getting expensive for the government. I no longer want to be part that this growing epidemic. I want to help other people as well.
According to Texas Heart, being obese and overweight is one of the risk factors of heart disease, along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes…all of which are caused by obesity and being overweight. GASP! And here is my shocked face.
You saw that coming, didn’t you?
So, let’s talk about being fat. Why am I talking about this? Because it has become an epidemic. Everywhere you go, just look around at the people near you. 68.5% of the US population are overweight or obese (frac.org). Guess what a fourth of them are going to die of? Yep, heart disease. Another fourth will die of cancer. It is time for some sort of change.
What else is affected by obesity? According to kidney.org, having excess body fat causes an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, stroke, certain types of cancer, gallbladder disease, arthritis, breathing problems, kidney disease and kidney failure. For more information on the staggering side effects of excess weight, you can visit the Help Guide. I promise you, if you are overweight, you will have an “Ah-Ha” moment after looking at that page.
According to research gathered by Phit America, $190 billion is being spent on health care costs associated with obesity. And if you are wondering why your flights cost so much now, it’s because “U.S. airlines are consuming an extra 350 million gallons of fuel per year due to overweight passengers.” That’s about $1 billion.
Obesity is even costing the environment, since the amount of fuel used to power cars would be less if we were not a fat nation. And then this one: TRICARE, a medical insurance company, is spending more than a billion dollars a year for the treatment of weight related diseases. No wonder the cost of living is going up, and no wonder they are trying to get us to pay out of pocket for our insurance. Treating our fatness is getting expensive for the government. I no longer want to be part that this growing epidemic. I want to help other people as well.
I decided to change my life because I have an autoimmune disease, I had high cholesterol, my parents are obese, and one of my brothers is obese with diabetes and high blood pressure at 40 years of age. My other brother was obese. Then he started eating right, exercising, and became a fitness junky.
It was AWESOME watching him change. I envied that. Then there is my husband. He is pretty fit, and I don’t mean buff. He is more “running” fit. I hated being the fat wife with the skinny husband. It was embarrassing. AND I didn’t want to die of heart problems. It runs in my family. I have had multiple family members die of either cancer or heart problems. I did not want that to be me. I want a long, healthy life so I just might be able to play with my grandkids, if I ever have any. If not, I will be the coolest great-aunt there ever was. But I had to start somewhere. So I started with hitting the gym, doing classes like Zumba, doing the elliptical, etc. I then graduated to BeachBody products, like P90X3, Les Mills Combat, and PiYo (all great programs, and if you want to check them out, my website is www.beachbodycoach.com/tiger215). So, what’s my point? I have lost about 40lbs since February. I took a break when I started nursing school, but now I am back to it. And my autoimmune disorder has been mostly in check, as long as I eat right.
So why should you become part of the solution and stop being part of the problem? You will cost our government and your health insurance less money, which in turn will help our economy grow (ok, that is a slight stretch). But seriously, your health is in YOUR hands. Not anyone else’s. You have to want to change and become healthier for you and your own health. No one can do it for you. AND when you do, you will be so proud of yourself and what you have accomplished. I know I am proud of me, and you will be proud of you too! And, I will be happy that the government has stopped asking us to pay for our health insurance… oops, did I say that out loud?
Many Kind Regards,
Rebekah
Read here about Rebekah's personal weight loss journey
Photo Credit: Daremoshiranai Flickr
It was AWESOME watching him change. I envied that. Then there is my husband. He is pretty fit, and I don’t mean buff. He is more “running” fit. I hated being the fat wife with the skinny husband. It was embarrassing. AND I didn’t want to die of heart problems. It runs in my family. I have had multiple family members die of either cancer or heart problems. I did not want that to be me. I want a long, healthy life so I just might be able to play with my grandkids, if I ever have any. If not, I will be the coolest great-aunt there ever was. But I had to start somewhere. So I started with hitting the gym, doing classes like Zumba, doing the elliptical, etc. I then graduated to BeachBody products, like P90X3, Les Mills Combat, and PiYo (all great programs, and if you want to check them out, my website is www.beachbodycoach.com/tiger215). So, what’s my point? I have lost about 40lbs since February. I took a break when I started nursing school, but now I am back to it. And my autoimmune disorder has been mostly in check, as long as I eat right.
So why should you become part of the solution and stop being part of the problem? You will cost our government and your health insurance less money, which in turn will help our economy grow (ok, that is a slight stretch). But seriously, your health is in YOUR hands. Not anyone else’s. You have to want to change and become healthier for you and your own health. No one can do it for you. AND when you do, you will be so proud of yourself and what you have accomplished. I know I am proud of me, and you will be proud of you too! And, I will be happy that the government has stopped asking us to pay for our health insurance… oops, did I say that out loud?
Many Kind Regards,
Rebekah
Read here about Rebekah's personal weight loss journey
Photo Credit: Daremoshiranai Flickr
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