Ten Facts about Obesity and Physical Inactivity
In This Chapter
▶ Seeing what studies say about inactivity and obesity
▶ Taking advantage of your body’s ability to adapt and grow fitter
▶ Finding out how to use activity to avoid obesity and the perils of being overweight
In 2010, over 35 percent of adults and almost 20 percent of children in the United States were obese — a whopping total of 90 million Americans! The prevalence of obesity has grown at a staggering rate over the past 30 years, and estimates suggest that by 2050 everyone will be obese! Although that scenarios is probably not going to happen (obesity rates appear to be level- ing off), obesity is clearly a global epidemic. And, boy, does it cost money!
Recent estimates put the obesity bill at about $150 billion annually, with obese individuals spending almost $1,500 more in annual medical costs due to obesity-related ailments. Although physical inactivity is not the only con- tributor to obesity, it certainly plays a major role, as the ten points in this chapter make clear.
As One Goes Up, the Other Goes Down
As we note in this chapter’s opening paragraph and in other places throughout this book, obesity is at epidemic levels in the U.S. and in many industrialized countries. The biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic are physical inactivity and excessive caloric intake, especially involving fatty and processed foods — the hallmarks of the Western diet.
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As this epidemic has grown, the amount of physical activity is at all- time lows. Less than half of adults and only three out of ten kids get the recommended amounts of daily activity. Physical education has almost been completely eliminated from school, and technology has helped create a climate of inactivity. Reversing this trend means flipping the equation:
Increase physical activity and bring about drop in obesity levels.
Just Adding Activity May Not Be Enough
Just adding some activity to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle may not be enough to ward off obesity and the problems that come with it. Some studies show that when people start an exercise program, they actually reduce their activity in other areas (like leisure time) — a scenario that gets them nowhere! In addition, being sedentary for long stretches of time not only adds to the obesity problem, but it also negatively affects circulation, muscle mass, and blood sugar. Your body needs to feel gravity and movement throughout the day, and exercise may not be enough of a stimulus to counteract long-term sitting.
If you can’t start an exercise program, at least stop sitting around all day!
Break up work-time sitting by taking a walk to the restroom (preferably on another floor), take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk your dog before or after dinner — do anything that keeps you moving throughout the day. Who knows, you may even want to start an exercise program on top of that!
Obesity and Inactivity Can Lead to Metabolic Syndrome
As a body becomes obese, the extra fat affects a number of body systems, and the obese person ends up with cluster of conditions: high blood pressure, higher blood sugar, a greater prevalence of diabetes, abnormal cholesterol levels, and so on. Obese people also are usually quite inactive, which has its own problems.
This clustering of problems due to obesity is called metabolic syndrome, and it’s a big reason why obesity has so many healthcare costs. Medical inter- vention is often necessary to control blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol — all of which costs money but doesn’t actually do anything to help the root cause of obesity. Long term, metabolic syndrome
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leads to high rates of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, and diabetes (to just name a few).
Reversing obesity can reverse these conditions and eliminate the need for med- ications. Reducing body fat to normal levels is one of the best things you can do for your body, and exercise is one of the best medicines to help you get there!
Sitting Is the New Smoking
Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. It’s linked to cancer, heart dis- ease, asthma, and a whole host of other bad things. Even secondhand smoke is hard on the body. But did you know that physical inactivity puts you at just as much risk for heart disease, cancer, and a number of other ailments? In that way, physical inactivity is the new smoking.
Across the country, the prevalence of inactivity ranges from 10 percent to 40 percent! Now’s the time to begin to view inactivity just like you view smoking and to take steps to stop it: If you have children, help them stay active and support efforts to protect (or bring back) physical education programs in schools.
The good news is that it doesn’t take much activity to reduce the risks. Just get moving! Leisure activity, walking, sports, dancing, even video games that get you up and moving are beneficial. A moving body will become a healthy body if you stay with it!
Growing Up Fat Has an Emotional Impact
Kids who are overweight or obese have a much greater chance of developing deadly and debilitating diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack — you name it. But, believe it or not, the problem is even worse than that.
Remember how awkward and self-conscious you felt whenever you didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the kids in school? Remember how embarrassed you were and how much you dreaded letting anyone see even the smallest imperfection: a pimple on your nose or a bad haircut? Well, just imagine what it’s like for the “fat kid” who feels awkward and self-conscious pretty much all the time.
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These children are seen as fair game to be poked fun of, teased, insulted, and bullied. Such constant ridicule can have a lasting impact on the way these kids see themselves — especially when the horrible things being said about them come from the people who mean most to adolescent kids — their peers.
Compared to people who are of normal weight, obese kids (and adults) are generally seen as lazy, stupid, sloppy, dirty, and lacking self-control and disci- pline. That’s a pretty tough way for people to go through life — especially kids — who are still trying to figure out who they really are.
Starving Yourself Just Makes You Fatter!
People interested in fat loss commonly cut way back on their calories. To some degree, limiting fat intake and the number of calories eaten is wise.
However, skipping meals on the assumption that doing so will force your body to start using fat is a big mistake. What you’re actually doing is setting the stage for more fat gain!
Here’s what happens when you fast:
1. Usually within a couple of days, you lose carbohydrate stores in the muscle and liver. You also lose water.
Because of these changes, so you may lose 4 pounds, but not of fat.
2. Because you need glucose to metabolize fat, fat metabolism actually slows down, and ketones, which slow metabolic rate and reduce appe- tite, are formed.
3. The body searches for energy and glucose, and it uses muscle to sat- isfy its craving.
Protein in muscle is broken down in the liver to create energy and glu- cose. This drops more weight (but it’s muscle!) and further reduces metabolic rate.
At the end of all of this, you have a reduced metabolic rate, a loss of muscle mass, and only modest fat loss. When you go back to the old ways of eating (which seems to always happen with fasting diets), you put on fat even faster!
The continued cycle of fasting and then eating causes a steady gain in fat, lead- ing to overweight and obesity. Your best option is to make wise adjustments in caloric reduction and never stop eating! You need to fuel your muscle and maintain metabolic rate. Keep exercising and reduce unnecessary fat calories.
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There Is No Secret to Losing Fat
The list of diet plans and exercise programs that are currently in the media and on the market currently is enormous — and confusing! Yet if you look at all of them, you’ll notice that they share a common link: limiting calories (especially calories that have no nutritional value) and increasing the burn- ing of calories — the hallmarks of all successful diets. But you don’t need a fancy diet or to spend a lot of money on a nutrition plan. Here are some gen- eral guidelines you can follow to get that first pound of fat to go away:
✓ Limit your intake of calories. Start simply by reducing portion sizes (eating on smaller plates can help). Try to eat more fiber and complex carbohydrates and drink more water; doing so helps fill you up (fat has a lot of calories without offering much tummy-filling satisfaction). Look for lower fat foods and try to avoid a lot of foods that have calories without any nutrition (think soda and high sugar foods).
✓ Move. Walk a mile, run a mile, walk the stairs, dance, play with the kids . . . anything! You burn calories when you move, and that movement doesn’t have to wipe you out. In fact, if you want to lose weight, try to find an activity or combination of activities that keeps you moving for about an hour every day. This hour of activity does not have to occur all at once; it can accumulate over the day. As you begin to feel more fit, you’ll notice that you take on more active pursuits, and the calories keep on burning!
This approach is a good place to start. It’s simple and uncomplicated, and you can always get more complex after you’ve established good habits.
Fat Can Hide in Your Body
We have all pinched an inch (or more) and felt the fat that sits between our skin and the underlying muscle. But that’s not the only place where fat takes hold. In fact, the fat you really need to worry about is deeper in your body.
Visceral fat is the fat that is deep within the central part of the body (the vis- cera) and covers your organs. Here’s what you need to know:
✓ High levels of visceral fat, especially stored in the upper body, are linked to higher incidences of heart disease. Upper body obesity (or an “apple” shape) is linked to greater heart disease risk.
✓ Fat can migrate! Well, sort of. The distribution of fat changes. As you age, more of your fat is stored in the visceral area — not good news. So that same inch you pinch at age 20 is not as bad as the inch you pinch at age 50.
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Because obesity is so prevalent in young people, as they age, more and more of their fat will be deposited internally and create even higher risks of heart disease down the road.
✓ Losing internal fat is the best thing you can do to improve your health and keep heart disease away. If you are losing weight and can’t see the fat melting away from your love handles, don’t worry so much. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
You Can Make a Difference in a Day
The wonderful thing about the human body is the way it adapts and responds quickly to physical activity. Despite years of inactivity, your body will respond almost immediately to strength and aerobic training. After only one bout of exercise, you’ll experience these changes:
✓ Your body begins to adapt, growing larger muscles, building enzymes that help use fat as a fuel, and improving your ability to control blood glucose.
✓ Your ability to burn fat and control your blood sugar improves. Studies have shown that even short bursts of high intensity activity (one to three minutes) can improve control of blood sugar.
For beginners, even one day a week of weight training can add strength and muscle. If you are in poor shape, you can get in shape in a matter of months, even if you have been inactive for years! The key is taking the first step and doing something. You will soon see the results!
It All Adds Up
The good news about movement and health is that it is the expenditure of energy that reduces heart disease and cancer risk — not how hard you worked or how many miles you ran, but just the total amount of work.
Studies show that if you can burn about 1,000 calories per week (equivalent to walking 10 miles, or 20,000 steps) you reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer and improve your fitness.
These calories can come from any activity. Walk the dog? Count it! Take the stairs. Go dancing. Play an active video game. Any activity that gets your body moving contributes to a healthier you. So although you may choose to work out or do some other type of structured activity, realize that as long as you are moving, you are burning calories. So just move!