Why is it okay to list the risk factors on the side of cigarette pack but not on a Big Mac?  It’s a fact that smoking cigarettes can cause cancer.  Well, eating Big Macs, Whoppers, French fries, ice cream, chocolate, etc. can cause obesity, and obesity can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, sleep apnea, cancer, fatty liver disease, gallbladder disease, gout and the list goes on.  If obesity is the cause of so many health concerns, why don’t people just eat healthier?

One in three American adults is considered to be obese.  Ultimately, obesity can be life-threatening.  Annually in the U.S., more than 300,000 deaths are linked to obesity.  With these types of numbers, don’t you think that certain foods should come with a warning label?

Obesity involves having an abnormally high proportion of body fat.  Doctors define obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher and overweight as having a BMI of 25 or higher.

Weight is largely determined by how you balance your intake of calories from food with the energy you use in everyday activities.  If you consume more calories than you use, you gain weight.  Your body stores calories that you don’t need for energy as fat.

Fat is not only important for storing energy, it helps insulate your body.  And while the human body can handle carrying some extra fat, after a certain point, body fat can begin to interfere with your health.

The good news is that losing even modest amounts of weight can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, improve glucose control in diabetes, improve signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea, and lower your risk of cancer.

To lose weight and keep it off, eat moderate amounts of nutrient-rich, low-fat, low-calorie foods.  Follow these fundamentals of healthy eating:

• Choose healthy foods.  Healthy foods include vegetables, fruits, grains, and lean sources of protein, including beans, fish, low-fat dairy products and lean meats.
• Choose the right carbohydrates.  Nutrition experts generally agree that 45 percent to 65 percent of  your total daily calories should come from carbohydrates.  But be choosy.  Steer away from simple carbohydrates, such as table sugar and other sweeteners, and limit fruit juice, which is a type of carbohydrate concentrated in calories.  Instead, try to eat plenty of complex, high-fiber carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread and pasta, brown rice, and other grains, such as oatmeal.
• Cut back on sweets.  Better choices include angel food cake, vanilla wafers, fig-bar cookies, low-fat frozen yogurt, sorbet or sherbet.
  Reduce fat.  Foods high in fact include most fast foods, pastries, red meats, full-fat dairy products, oils, margarine, butter, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.
• Watch portion sizes.  Serving sizes may be smaller than you think.  A single 2 ½-ounce serving of fish or poultry, for example, is about the size of a deck of cards.
• Count calories.  Read food labels.  Foods that are low in fat can sometimes be very high in calories.  Processed foods – most products other than fresh foods – often have hidden fat and sugar.  Cut back on sugary soft drinks.

Dealing with obesity may mean taking a hard look at how you live and making some tough changes.  It may just save your life!

Healthy Aging can help rev up the metabolism and get that weight loss started!