subject: Our Waistlines Are Widening But Many Of Us Are In Denial About Our Health [print this page] Our Waistlines Are Widening But Many Of Us Are In Denial About Our Health
If you are overweight in our youth and looks obsessed world many people think it is just an appearance concern. After all it can make you look years older than you really are. But it is much more than that as being overweight is actually a medical issue because it can negatively affect a person's health both in the short term and in the long term.We usually hear about serious problems like heart disease, diabetes and even cancer but the health issues that stem from being overweight go way beyond those conditions. Being overweight can affect every system and process in the entire body, from a slowing of the metabolism (the body's engine) to the extra stress on joints like the knees, hip and the back. Being overweight can affect quality of sleep, breathing, mood and stress levels along with causing low energy levels and little motivation to be active. All of these things can impact a person's entire quality of life so being overweight is a serious affair.The growing epidemic of overweight to the point that an estimated two thirds of us are in this condition has been attributed to a number of factors. But two big causes rise quickly to the top of the pile. Our modern sedentary and inactive lifestyles and the abundance of high calorie, nutrient devoid, processed food full of chemicals. These 'so called' foods throw our metabolism 'out of whack' unbalancing the hormones that tell us when to eat and when to stop eating.One of the factors that precedes weight gain and is believed to be the ultimate cause of becoming overweight is a becoming resistant to the hormone insulin. This hormone's job is to regulate concentrations of blood glucose. If blood sugar goes too high insulin is shunted into the blood stream to bring it back down.It does is job in several ways, first it increases the rate of uptake of glucose by mainly muscle cells for use as fuel. Then it converts any excess that is not taken up by the cells into body fat for storage. But when a person develops insulin resistance their body no longer can maintain ideal blood glucose levels. So, more glucose is converted into fat and high levels remain in the blood stream along with high insulin levels which find their way into places they should not be and cause damage.People are encouraged to get themselves started on a proper exercise program not only to lose excess weight but to decrease resistance to insulin. When strength training exercise is performed the muscle cells use up the excess glucose for energy and can take more of it from the blood stream so less is left for fat storage and to do damage to arteries and other sensitive tissues. Do not expect low intensity activities like walking, jogging or cycling to have this effect as they do not directly work the muscles intensely enough through their ranges of movement. Somehow we have to get past the "I'm fat and its okay" notion. It is not just about acceptance of appearance but something way more important - it is about health. The journey back to a healthy weight is simple. A proper exercise program performed 2-3 times each week and ditching as much processed food from one's diet and replacing it with natural whole foods cooked from scratch. These two things will slowly reverse the overweight problem so not only is appearance improved but the threat to health is reduced.
