Obesity… a Growing Concern
Along with the waistlines of North Americans, the problems connected with obesity are rapidly expanding and reaching epidemic levels. In fact, as a major preventable cause of death, obesity is outranked only by tobacco. Some of the major health problems associated with overweight or obesity include diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
The possibility of health problems generally increases as a person’s body mass index (BMI) increases. The BMI offers a calculation based on a relationship between height and weight. Check your BMI.
Where the body carries its fat can also indicate the potential for health problems, even if the BMI is normal. Women with a waist measurement of 35 inches or more, or men with waist of 40 inches or more, may be at a higher risk.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation states that approximately half of the population of Canada is overweight or obese. The numbers are slightly higher for the US, according to the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey that indicates 65% of adults in the US are overweight, and about half of them obese.
So, what to do? It’s simple. Go back to the basics that we all know: eat smaller portions, stay active, drink lots of water, and make sure to enjoy a minimum of 5 servings per day of fruits and vegetables. Only 30% of Canadians reach that target, and fewer in the States.
