1) 65% of Americans are overweight; 30% are obese.
2) Obesity is defined Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 (one is considered overweight if his/her BMI falls within the range 25.0-29.9)
N.B. A quick way to estimate BMI is: [weight (lbs) x 703] / ht (in) / ht(in)
3) The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, ages 6 to 19, has more than tripled since the early 1960s.
4) There are four cancers directly related to obesity: colon, cervical, breast and prostate cancer.
5) The human body stores one pound of body fat for approximately every 3,500 calories ingested and not burned. To lose one pound per week you can either decrease food intake, or increase expenditure, by 500 calories per day.
6) Consumption of soda increased from 27 to 44 gallons per year from 1972 to 1992.
7) What we consider a standard serving of wine, which used to be 4oz, is now almost double that.
8) Type II Diabetes used to be known as Adult-Onset Diabetes. They’ve pretty much abandoned that terminology because of how many children are now afflicted by this.
9) The four main risk factors for Type II Diabetes are: family history, age greater than 40, sedentary lifestyle and (you guessed it!) being overweight.
10) Recommendations for a healthy body: Triglycerides less than 200 mg/dl, Cholesterol less than 200 mg/dl, LDL (bad cholesterol) less than 160 mg/dl and HDL (good cholesterol) greater than 40 mg/dl. My chiropractic recommendations: EAT WELL (increase intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids AND decrease intake of processed foods, salt, white sugar and trans fats as found in partially hydrogenated oils), ELIMINATE tobacco use, DECREASE alcohol consumption and EXERCISE!!! After all, Life is Motion!