Eat less, move more Nadia Halabi

Some Information Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions Obesity is both an individual clinical condition and is increasingly viewed as a serious public health problem Overweight by 30 percent of the ideal body weight. Obese means having so much body fat that your health is in danger. When you take in more calories than you burn off, you gain weight Having too much body fat can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, and stroke.

Facts The nation's scales are going up; it's clear that we have an obesity health crisis on our hands. We have a major social issue: Nearly a quarter of the (Washington) 8th, 10th and 12th-graders are overweight, in some cases, obese. (Report from the University of Washington's Human Services Policy Center ) The national obesity rates have increased nearly five times in children (6 -11) since the 1970s.

Obesity By the Numbers * “Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S”. (2000) “Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese and 9 million are extremely obese” (2004) “An estimated 65.2 percent of U.S. adults,>=20 years, and 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight and 30.5 percent are obese. “(2004) “Approximately 62 percent of female Americans are considered overweight” (2002) “Approximately 67 percent of male Americans are considered overweight.” (2002) “An estimated 400,000 deaths per year may be attributable to poor diet and low physical activity” (2000) *

Solution “Eat less, move more”. –Such a simple, old-fashioned advice is the best way to fight the overweight/obesity trend found in our society.

So what can we do about America's obesity epidemic? Parents need to be sure they are in optimal health before having children (The report states that children of overweight parents are likely to be the same). Parents need to adopt healthy life styles –Eat more salads, fruits, vegetable, exercise more Parents must be more conscious of the quantity & contents on their children's plate Choose a new hobby (outdoor/indoor/family activity) Parent should check food labels –“Shoppers are in the dark about where much of their food comes from despite a five-year-old law requiring meat and other products to carry labels with their country of origin.”

So what can we do about America's obesity epidemic? Schools can play a role in teaching parents/kids to be more health conscious Media can play a big role in educating the public The government can step in, eliminating such harmful ingredients (trans fats) from foods and impose some restrictions on the industry. html calculate Body mass index (BMI) html

Results Healthier society Better Quality of Life Optimal health for all Less trips to the Doctor – less medical bills to pay

References orialsopinion/ _fated26.htmlhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edit orialsopinion/ _fated26.html 31_obesityed.htmlhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/ _obesityed.html nm/weight_loss_advice_dc_1http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/ /hl_ nm/weight_loss_advice_dc_1 on_he_me/diet_fat_children