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Diet Pills Health Risks
Diet pills and aids are a multi-billion dollar industry. But the promises of pills are usually empty, and the dangers of addiction or other health problems may far outweigh any benefits for the users.
People who suffer from weight...
Diet Tips For A Beautiful Female Figure
In this article, you will discover diet tips about making and keeping your figure beautiful. It's something many of diet experts know and almost every woman would love to know. These diet tips have the power to build up and fill out your figure.
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Dietary Fats Are Not Created Equal
Copyright 2005 Kristy Haugen
Understanding the different types of fats can be difficult for
the consumer. Since not all fats are created equal in health, it
is important to understand the differences in dietary fats;
healthy versus...
Stay focused on your diet!
Who hasn’t been on a diet before? Probably, at a certain point in time all of us have. Surprisingly, only some of us got what we expected after weeks or months of severe diet. The question is why does it not work for everybody? What does it take to...
Why the Low GI Diet is the Key to Your Weight Loss Goals!
Losing weight is one of the hardest goals Americans annually seek to accomplish. The weight loss industry is huge and incorporates every type of fad diet, pill, cream, and lotion possible. Instead of falling prey to one of these "lose weight...
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Obesity - The American Epidemic
Obesity – What is it?
Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960’s.
But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that’s not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there’s a difference in percentage.
It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It’s
important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.
With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.
A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!
About the Author
Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer. Sign up today for her free Exercise Advice Journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com.
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