The Obesity Crisis: The High Cost of Gluttony

By Kat Fuschillo
Writer for FEP International

Obesity is costing governments around the world hundreds of millions of dollars each year, due to all of the additional health problems associated with the condition. Being overweight and obese makes you far more likely to suffer from a whole host of serious conditions in later life. Health care systems are currently struggling to keep up with the number of obesity cases, and it's only going to get worse. If you are heavily overweight or obese, it's important that you act now and lose weight, to ensure that you stay fit and healthy for longer.

How obesity is crippling the health systems...

Studies show that two thirds of Americans are now overweight, and a third are obese. This is a very worrying statistic, and a problem that is becoming a huge drain on the US government. Hospitals are already having to spend more and more each year to accommodate the increasing number of overweight patients. They're having to spend millions of dollars they don't have on larger wheelchairs, beds, and equipment to help them accommodate the largest of patients. But, it's not just these additional costs that are the main concern. It's the sharp increase of obesity related illnesses that hospitals are struggling to cope with. In years to come, the number of obesity related illnesses will grow at a significant rate, and health care professionals are worried that they just won't be able to cope [1-2].

The health risks associated with obesity...

Being overweight or clinically obese can have an extremely damaging effect on your health. In your everyday life you may experience the following:

- Breathlessness
- Aching and painful joints
- Sleep problems including snoring
- Severe back pain

But, in addition to these annoying symptoms, you are statistically more likely to suffer from these extremely serious life threatening conditions:
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
- Heart disease
- Cancer [3]

Do something about your obesity, before it's too late...

In order to reduce your risk of illness and lose weight, you just need to make three simple changes to your lifestyle.

1) Know about the foods you're eating. You need to learn about calories, and the contents of your food. Being able to differentiate between good and bad food is essential, if you want to learn to control your diet. Your food education will help you make informed choices about the foods you eat, and make it easier to maintain a balanced healthy daily diet.

2) Reducing the amount you eat each day. It's also equally important to know how much you should eat each day. It's likely that you'll need to drastically reduce your calorie intake, and an easy way to start is by counting calories. Make sure you also reduce your portion sizes and reduce snacking between meal times.

3) Exercising regularly. Being obese can make exercising difficult, but you have to make sure you stay active. You need to start with around 30 minutes of gentle exercise each day to ensure that you lose weight and stay fit and healthy.

These simple steps will help you lose weight, get back into shape and substantially reduce your risk of illness in your later years [3].

References

1. Obesity 'epidemic' turns global.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7057951.stm. Accessed Aug 16, 2009.

2. Hospitals Spend Seven Times More On Obesity.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Obesity-NHS-Hospitals-Spend-Seven-Times-More-On-Treating-Fat-People-Than-Three-Years-Ago/Article/200904215258553?lpos=UK_News_Article_Related_Content_Region_7&lid=ARTICLE_15258553_Obesity%3A_NHS_Hospitals_Spend_Seven_Times_More_On_Treating_Fat_People_Than_Three_Years_Ago. Accessed Aug 16, 2009.

3, Obesity in adults.
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/obesity_in_adults.html. Accessed Aug 16, 2009.

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