Helping People Enjoy Healthy Fulfilling Lives. 

Click for Reuters Story

Fat and getting fatter: U.S. obesity rates to soar by 2030″

“…..Using a model of population and other trends, a new report released on Tuesday by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation projects that half of U.S. adults will be obese by 2030 unless Americans change their ways.

But for the first time, the report builds on state-by-state data from the CDC to project obesity rates. In every state, that rate will reach at least 44 percent by 2030. In 13, that number would exceed 60 percent.

It projects as many as 7.9 million new cases of diabetes a year, compared with 1.9 million new cases in recent years. There could also be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases a year now.

That projection supports a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.”

For my dear friends and family in Mississippi, this is directly from the article.

“Many states projected to have the most obesity in 2030 do now, too. In 2011, 12 states had an adult-obesity rate above 30 percent, with Mississippi the highest at 34.9 percent.

The report projects that in 2030 in Mississippi, 66.7 percent of adults will be obese…..”  What are we doing?????  66.7%!  Let that number sink in for a moment.

I see this as a Call To Action!  Souring obesity rates affect us all.  Our country simply can’t afford this: “The increasing burden of illness will go right to the bottom line, adding $66 billion in annual obesity-related medical costs over and above today’s $147 billion to $210 billion. Total U.S. healthcare spending is estimated at $2.7 trillion. – That projection supports a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.”

The financial cost is significant.  And It’s a symptom of a much bigger problem.  I am passionate about childhood obesity.  Anyone who knows me know how strongly I feel about this.  Adults have choices.  They have the right to kill themselves with bad decisions if that’s what they want to do.   Kids depend on the adults in their lives to keep them healthy.  Kids don’t purchase their food.  They don’t stock the pantry.  They don’t make meal plans.  And they probobly don’t do a majority of the cooking.  (Yes, I know teens have more control over what they eat.  My kids are 23, 19, 18, 16, and 10.)

What can you do? 

-Get involved!  You don’t have to be a fitness coach or trainer to make a difference.

-Encourage your children to make healthy food choices most of the time.  The key is most of the time.   Fast food is fine once in a while.  But it should always be viewed as a treat and never the norm.

-Cook at home.  Eating out is expensive and usually unhealthy.

-Work out with your kids!  You set a great example when you make your own health a priority.  Kids learn what they live.  There is no exception to that rule.  Children that live with parents who make health and fitness are priority are learning to do the same themselves.  Can you coach a sports team?  Go for a short run with your kids?  Turn on a exercise video and work out?  Older kids can go to the gym with you!  Our gym has great programs for kids all the way from two to fourteen!

-Pack their school lunches.  School cafeterias are getting better.  But much of what they serve is still garbage.  You can’t control what your children eat when they go through that lunch line.  If you pack their lunches yourself, you control their food choices.

Beachbody has kids programs too! Just click here and search “kids” on My Site.

-Watch what you eat – your kids are watching.  You can’t expect to teach your children to limit their intake of Coke when you go through a six pack a day.  Model those good choices.  Let them see you drinking water and eating fruits and veggies for a snack.

-Talk to your kids about making healthy choices.  Demonstrate portion size.  Show them how to read the nutrition labels.  Talk about the dangers of too much salt.  Explain fat grams and why we need some fats in our diet.

-Don’t make it about weight.  Of course we want our kids to be a healthy weight.  The focus however, should be on fitness and nutrition.  A child who is exercising and eating right  is not going to be overweight.

I’m working  to help “end the trend” of obesity in our country.  Can you help? Get in touch with me if you want more information about different ways you can help.