This Thursday I am off to Manhattan for my yearly Fitness Convention.
In honor of that I am declaring this week Fitness Week!
Today's Topic:
Obesity.

FYI:

The CDC has declared Obesity to be a PANDEMIC proportions.
Pandemic proportions.
Just to put that into perspective some other notable pandemics have been;
The Bubonic Plague which killed approximately 20-30 millions Europeans
and
The Asian Flu outbreak of 1957-1958 which killed 70,000 people in the US
To put it plainly, Obesity is killing people.


This is the first generation of children in over 100 years that may not outlive their parents BECAUSE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY!!!


What is obesity?
Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 30 though waist size needs to be taken into account. Women with a waist size higher than 35 inches and men with a waist size higher than 40 are also at a risk for obesity.To calculate you BMI click here.
FYI: WHO states that a BMI of 25 makes you overweight.
Before I became a fitness instructor I had a BMI of 32.
32.
I wasn't buying clothes in a special store, in fact I was still in the single digits size wise, yet I was considered OBESE and unhealthy.
I LOOKED fine but I wasn't.
Why am I telling you this?
Because when we think of obesity we need to not only think of the person who may need to purchase an extra airline seat because of their size but also the person who may look OK but is maybe punching an extra hole in their belt.
You may need to look at yourself or a loved one.
I'm asking you to check your BMI AND your children's BMI.
Being overweight puts you at a risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure as well as some types of cancers.


If you check and you think your BMI puts you or someone you love in the danger zone SEE YOUR DOCTOR.

How to prevent Obesity?

If you're concerned about your BMI and want to make changes every professional is going to tell you 3 things;

Lower your calorie intake.

On average, women need 10–11 calories per pound per day to stay at their current weight. Men need 12–14 calories per pound per day.

Increase your level of movement.

To maintain your current body weight a person should exercise 30 miuntes a day 3 days a week.

That means to burn fat you need to move more!

FYI: On average people exercise 30 minutes one day a week.

Make Lifestyle Changes.

What does this mean? Making healthy food choices, eating non healthy foods in moderation and making time to move EVERY DAY.

So eat less, move more and make changes in the way you live.

Sounds so simple but I know it isn't.

If you think you need help with any of this you probably do so see a professional, a Doctor, a nutritionistand/or a trusted and certified trainer.

This is not about fitting into a "box". It's not about being perfect or being "model thin" this is about your health and your children's healthy.

Please remeber that I am not an expert, I'm just someone who is passionate about helping and keeping people fit and healthy. If you suspect that you or someone you care about is obese see a Doctor!