We’re Killing Ourselves!

From 2000 to 2010, the obesity rate in the United States rose at an unprecedented rate. Before the year 2000, no state had an obesity rate of 30% or more. By 2010, TWELVE states reported this dismal number. Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 33.8% of adults in the U.S. are obese. Remember … being obese is not the same as being overweight. If you’re obese, you are considered to be well over your healthy weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. I am not saying that we should have a goal of being thin, skinny, or any of the stereotypical symbols of beauty. I’m not advocating for us to try to “look like a runway model.” Instead, I am suggesting that we get HEALTHY.

I’ve decided to write about this condition of obesity that is slowly, but definitely, causing us trouble. This is a very serious topic, and the trouble that I refer to comes in many forms. Not just our economy, but our health and quality of life is being affected in such a way that I cannot help but wonder if the average life expectancy will be lowered at some point.

The good news is that we don’t have to let this happen. There is a lot that we can do … but we must be willing to talk to one another and share information about resources and strategies that will help to keep us motivated to achieve a healthy weight. We must make good nutrition and exercise a habit; so natural that we make good choices for ourselves as easily as we remember to shower and comb our hair. Our bodies are very forgiving, and our minds can be changed.

Check back often, because I will be sharing more information that we can all use to change these statistics.

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