Obesity--Are you at Risk and How Will it Affect Your Health

Obesity is on the rise worldwide. Approximately 1.2 billion people are overweight and of these 300 million are considered obese. In the United States alone, more than half of all adults are overweight and about 20% of these people are obese. Of children 6 years and older, 15% of them are obese. This number has tripled since the 1970s. In the United States, at least 300,000 people die each year from complications attributed to obesity. Women are at a higher risk for obesity than men and blacks and Hispanics also fall into a higher risk group than other ethnic groups, in the United States.

Obesity has negative affects on both your body and your mind. It puts extra stress on your whole body and wears down your joints. It is hard to keep up with friends, you may not fit in chairs and it is difficult to participate in activities. Obesity is the cause of breathing problems, such as; sleep apnea and asthma. Prolonged obesity may lead to knee and hip replacement surgery.

Mentally, being overweight will drain your confidence and self-esteem. There has been a great deal of research done on how overweight people are treated by society. No matter how great your personality is, society does not treat an obese person the same as they treat a person of normal weight. This treatment can be very damaging to children and adolescents. Overweight people are one of the most discriminated against groups of people in society today.

Obesity can have some very negative affects on your health. Adolescents are starting to experience health problems that used to be seen only in adults, such as; type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease and bladder disorders. Women may also experience problems with their reproductive system. Obese people are at higher risk for colon and breast cancer, stroke, heart disease and death.

People who are overweight are at a greater risk for depression. These feeling of inadequacy can cause a person to eat to relieve the emotional pain. This overeating can lead to a feeling of sadness that can lead to more eating. This endless cycle can be very difficult to break, not to mention the affect that it can have on your children and how they view the use of food. Obesity is an epidemic in this country and is considered one of the top reasons for preventable death in the United States.