According to the CDC research, More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.
Obesity in America
Obesity prevalence in 2014 varies across states and territories.
- No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%.
- 5 states and the District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity between 20% and <25%.
- 23 states, Guam and Puerto Rico had a prevalence of obesity between 25% and <30%.
- 19 states had a prevalence of obesity between 30% and <35%.
- 3 states (Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity of 35% or greater.
- The Midwest had the highest prevalence of obesity (30.7%), followed by the South (30.6%), the Northeast (27.3%), and the West (25.7%)
These statistics are mind blowing. What people don’t understand is that the food that they eat directly affects the quality of their lives. Sure, it is okay to treat yourself on occasion, but let’s be honest; does anything ever taste as good as HEALTHY feels?
Small Changes to Help You Lose Weight
There are some simple things that can help you on your weight loss journey:
Portion control
It is easy to get a plate and feel compelled to eat the whole plate rather than listening to your body telling you that it is full. Overindulging is easy to do. Instead of eating until you just cannot take another bite, try eating until you feel content. No one likes to feel so stuffed that they have to unbutton their pants as soon as they get in the car, right?
Water
We cannot emphasize this enough. Water water water! Water is essential for keeping the body hydrated we are actually more likely to retain “water weight” by not drinking enough of it rather than by having too much. The needs of each person will be different, but the general recommended daily amount is 64 ounces. It also takes up space in your stomach so you’ll feel fuller while taking in less calories. Do not think that “diet’ drinks can replace it. People who consume diet foods might be more likely to overeat, because your body is being tricked into thinking it’s eating sugar, and you crave more. Do your waistline a favor and kick the soda habit.
Rapid Eating
Rapid eaters are often heavier than slow eaters, according to research from The University of Rhode Island. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you have eaten enough and are satisfied. If you rush your meal and eat rapidly, your body’s satiety cues won’t be tuned in to those feelings of fullness yet and it’s easier to overeat. Try slowing down by chewing each bite at least 10 times, putting your fork down in between bites, and fostering a relaxing eating environment rather than eating on the run.
Exercise
Now to everyone’s least favorite weight loss must- Being active is an important part of any weight-loss or weight-maintenance program. When you’re active, your body uses more energy (calories) and when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight.
Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you’d lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). There are other factors that can influence this equation. Because of changes that occur in the body over time, calories may need to be decreased further to continue weight loss.
Counting Calories/Documenting food
There are several apps that have been created and served as useful for those on a journey to a healthier life. Apps such as MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, SparkPeople Calorie Counter & Weight Loss. These help you to be more conscious of what you are eating as well as helps you not exceed your daily calorie goal.
Medically Supervised Weight Loss Plans
(This is not because we are bias) Our clinic has had numerous success stories. We consider ourselves to be the people that give you the extra pep and motivation to get started on your weight loss journey. We see our patients once a month to oversee your success/health. We have a bio-metric weight loss scale in which gives you a detailed print out (BMI, water percentiles, muscle mass, fat mass, ect.) You will receive this print out monthly. Depending on your health status/current medications, there are several different appetite suppressants we can prescribe to jump start your goal. We also offer B12 injections in which studies have shown have assisted with weight loss as well. With this assistance and the motivation of our patients, we are very confident we can achieve your goals to getting to a healthier you and a renewed lifestyle.