There was a time, when I was much younger that there was no one like me. I was the only kid in school who was morbidly obese, so I was the one who was teased, tormented and bullied the most. As a teen, when I hit high school, I was still only one out of a sea of students who were all “normal” size. Obesity just wasn’t an issue then. But now…fast forward from the 1970’s and 1980’s to just a few weeks away from 2015 and obesity is a pretty big problem right now. It’s not just some small blip on the radar, it is HUGE as a matter of fact, no pun intended.

Here are some worrisome statistics:

• Since 1998, obesity has increased at alarming rates. 39 states have seen an increase in obesity of between 50- 80%. WOW!
• Since 1995, obesity rates in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee have gone up the fastest.
• Washington, D.C., Colorado, and Connecticut have seen obesity rise the least.
• Ten years ago there were no states with an obesity rate above 24%, now 43 states have higher obesity rates than the highest in 2000.
• Diabetes rates have increased in ten states by 200% in the past 15 years.
• Hypertension has increased from 22 – 26% in the last 15 years.
• In 1980 less than 50% of Americans were overweight; today that number is more than 65% and growing.
• 1/3 of all children today will eventually suffer from diabetes.
• It is estimated that by 2020, half of all Americans will have chronic disease.
• Hypertension has increased from 22 – 26% in the last 15 years.
• Obese individuals are at greater risk of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a liver disease which can lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is permanently damaged and no longer able to work properly.
• Obesity is a known risk factor for the development and progression of osteoarthritis of the knee and possibly of other joints. Obese adults are up to four times more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee than healthy-weight adults.
• Approximately 20 percent of cancer cases among women and 15 percent of cancer cases among men is attributable to obesity.
• People who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and high LDL (bad cholesterol), which are all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
•

This doesn’t have to happen, when 80% of preventable disease risk factors are influenced by positive behaviors, such as:
• Regular exercise. For every pound of body weight lost, there is a 4 percent reduction in knee joint stress among overweight and obese people with osteoarthritis of the knee
• Increased physical activity could prevent nearly 100,000 cases of breast and colon cancer each year in the United States.
• Physical activity can reduce a person’s risk for a number of types of cancer, including colon cancer by 30 percent to 40 percent, breast cancer by at least 20 percent, endometrial (uterine) cancer by 20 percent to 40 percent, and lung cancer by approximately 20 percent
• Quit smoking
• Good nutritional habits
• Limit alcohol consumption
•

How can something so simple be so devastating? Well, it is not easy BUT IT IS POSSIBLE. Start making changes now!

Start making your own changes, and teach your kids about making healthy choices! Be an example to your friends, families and loved ones. You can’t MAKE anyone change, they have to WANT to change, but you can LEAD by example and show what is possible with hard work, focus and determination.

As a Life Coach and Weight Loss Expert, I m here are you support system, your accountability partner, your consultant, your work-out partner and more. All you need to do is is want it and then reach out to me and let’s get started! 2015 is upon us, but there’s no need to wait until New Year’s Eve to make a commitment to change your life. I am also available for speaking engagements to large or small groups to talk about healthy, fitness, wellness and how it is possible to lose weight the smart, healthy way, without resorting to drastic weight loss surgery.

I’m ready, are you? Click the “contact” button on the left side of your screen and let’s get started today, or call me at 406-27-COACH