Obesity – One of the Effects of Overeating

May 31, 2009 by Linda Jenkins  
Filed under Eating Disorders

If a person has a body mass index of 30 and above, he or she is considered to be suffering from a medical condition called Obesity. The percentage of people who are obese is very alarming due to its fast increase. Every country all over the world seems to be facing the rising problem of obesity. Obesity can have negative effects on the obese person. Not everyone will experience the same effects, but the risk is still there.

Low self-esteem is the first effect. It is common in individuals who are suffering from obesity. They feel that people will not accept them because of their physical appearance. Because of people scrutinising them, they gradually develop different moods. There are times that they just want be alone and hide from the world.

People who are obese have a hard time finding clothes that will fit. If you are able to extend your budget, you can buy clothes from special stores that offer large sizes. This can embarrass some people because they can’t shop in stores that don’t offer their size. Even if they like a certain dress, they are not able to buy it because of the limited sizes.

People who are obese might have chronic fatigue syndrome. Obesity can rob them of their vitality and make it exhausting to move. It may also affect their mental alertness, stamina and endurance. These people easily feel exhausted even if the distance that they covered is small. The fat impairs their ability to move freely and quickly.

Some obese people suffer from chronic conditions that may require medical treatment. Back problems are experience by obese people and they tend to endure it rather that talking to their doctor. They are afraid and embarrassed that they will be lectured not on the back problem but with their diet and daily activities.

Some individuals think that fat is a sign of being healthy, but that is not true. They eventually develop medical problems that can be a threat to their life. The most common disease that is associated with obesity is diabetes which makes them prone to heart disease too. They can also acquire liver disease when they take medications for additional health problems they develop.

Obesity is very common in women too and it can affect one’s fertility and pregnancy. Being obese reduces ovulation and creates a low response rate to fertility treatments. Birth defects and pregnancy hypertension can develop in a pregnant woman who is suffering from obesity. Such women can also experience post-pregnancy complications.

So you see that obesity can cause a person a reduction in their happiness and quality of life. They can acquire diseases that affect their health and decreases their life expectancy. It is one of the worst effects of overeating.

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Is Your Child On The Road to Obesity? 4 Mistakes You Can Fix Now

June 8, 2008 by Dorthy Weatherbush  
Filed under Childhood Obesity

by Dorthy Weatherbush

Take a quick look around and you’ll observe the costly obesity crisis that is slowly overtaking our nation. How bad has it become you may say? Consider the idea that we are now seeing individuals parking in handicap parking spots to avoid having to park just a few extra feet away from a building.

In all honesty, we can not totally place the blame for this on the individuals themselves. Several studies have shown that for a number of people, their chemical and genetic makeup aide in their body’s ability to process certain fats. Sure being 100 plus pounds over weight might have been good in the Ice Age but today this is simply not the case.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in looking at childhood obesity and nutrition. Nutritionists estimate that for every point of body mass index a child is overweight by before puberty, the adult that child will grow into will be three points overweight by the time they’re thirty. Type II diabetes, where body stress from overeating builds up resistance to insulin, is becoming more prevalent in teenagers.

At the ages of 12 – 16 is when most young girls and boys are self conscious about their bodies. Even “normal looking” kids get teased. If we allow our children to continue down a slippery slope toward obesity, we are setting them up for a very difficult childhood. Parents must be told that healthy eating habits and not Slimfast diet shakes or Medifast meals are the key to weight loss and a nutritious lifestyle.

On the positive side of things, I want to let you know that there is hope. There is an easy way to solve this downward trend.

Remember when you were a kid? You know, before video games like the Nintendo Wii. You actually had friends who played outside with you. You had energy and used it.

When you were thirsty, mostly you grabbed milk, sometimes orange juice, not sodas. Cookies were a treat, not a staple of your diet. Snacks were things like apple wedges or an orange, maybe some peeled carrots.

Contrary to the popular belief, it is possible to training children to eat healthy foods. Caffeine laced drinks are a prime example. Researchers have uncovered an alarming link between drinking diet sodas and consuming high fat luncheon meets with cases of certain brain cancers. If you gain nothing else from this article, at least follow this one tip, please, do not allow your kids to drink soft drinks. Remember, water first before any juices or milks.

As for snacks, limit their intake of high sugar and high fattening foods and increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. This may not be as hard as you think. Consider this, if you kids are not of driving age and do not have a job, the only reason they are eating the way they are is because you as the parent purchase the unhealthy food in your kitchen. Trust me, if you don’t buy it, they will immediately decrease their over consumption. Oh yeah, they’ll complain however it is up to you to be the parent.

Staying physically active is an absolute necessity. Children are usually mirror images of their parents. If you as a parent live a sedentary life, the chances of your child duplicating your example are very high. If you have little league teams in your town, encourage your children to participate. Not all kids are athletic but all kids need to be active. In addition, set aside at least one day in the week where the entire family is physically active together. It could be a walk in the park or playing tag in the backyard.

The key to providing life long health for your kids is inculcating these habits early in life, so they become habits. Explain why you’re doing it when they ask, but don’t preach. Your kids will adopt the behaviors they see you doing – you’re their parent, their role model, and these are the habits they’ll stick with as they get older.

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Eating Disorders – Binge Eating Is On The Increase

June 7, 2008 by kerris samson  
Filed under Eating Disorders

by kerris samson

It is only been in the last few years that the medical community has begun to recognize binge eating as an eating disorder. Although many people are familiar with bulimia, which is recognized when a person binge eats and then purges their system afterwards. With eating disorders like binge eating the pattern of actually trying to get rid of what they have eaten is completely removed from the equation and so makes it a completely different condition altogether.

In fact it is because the person seems to be eating that many people often do not realize that the sufferer is actually having a problem. In fact for many what they see is that they have the choice about what food they eat as well as having control over their bodies.

Although with binging a person is eating even if large amounts on an irregular basis they do not realize that they are actually placing their health at risk. In fact just as if they choose to starve or purge their body through vomiting or taking laxatives they are still placing strain on their body in the same way.

For those who chose to binge eat they will not only be placing considerable amounts of strain on their body including the digestive system. But they also place considerable amounts of strain on to their heart as well. Where as with those who are bulimic or anorexic someone who binges is more prone to gain weight rather than lose it and will just be as unhealthy as those that suffer from the other eating disorders mentioned here.

One of the biggest problems that those that binge eaters have is actually recognizing that they have a problem in the first place. In many cases a binge eater will hide the problem by either eating more food in secret or by consuming far more food than they should really. The reason why they do this is simply because they feel they have control over their life and the situation they are in.

In fact in most cases of eating disorders today the biggest challenge a person will face suffer from these conditions is actually failing to recognize that they have a problem. Simply because they fail to recognize that they have no control over what they are doing in their lives.

Although we all sometimes eat more than we should this is completely different from what a person does when they are binge eating. Unfortunately for a binge eater they just do not have any control over how much food they actually eat along with when and what they actually do eat.

With binge eating their are problems associated with the person’s health including weight gain, they will also be faced with psychological problems. Certainly with any types of eating disorders, including binge eating it is the psychological problems which can prevent a person from them improving and curing the problem they are faced with. In many cases they feel that they have the situation under control and it is their choice.

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Could You Be At Risk For An Eating Disorder?

May 14, 2008 by Kim Archer  
Filed under Eating Disorders

by Kim Archer

Some girls are perfectly content with their bodies, but there are others who are never satisfied. There is much more to it than self-loathing; there are many reasons someone might be more likely to have an eating disorder.

A common factor in eating disorders is your gender. But even though more females than males experience this illness, there’s a disturbing increase in the number of young men who are inclined to be bulimic or anorexic. It’s not just a women’s problem anymore.

Age may be a factor but not necessarily the only determinant. Anyone can suffer from an eating disorder, and they can arise in middle-aged people. Most victims can trace the roots of their disorder to their teens or early twenties.

Another factor is having someone who is close to you who has an eating disorder. For instance, if a family member or a close friend suffers from an eating disorder, your risk rises. This is counter intuitive but has been shown by studies to be the case.

A person who has a mental disorder such as an OCD can also suffer an eating disorder, as controlling food and eating is another way to control the world around them. Similarly, there is an increased rate of eating disorders in women suffering from depression or anxiety.

Another risk factor is having a fixation with exercise. If you’re overdoing it at the gym or you participate in competitive athletics, then you could be more likely to develop an eating disorder because you incorrectly think that depriving your body of food will improve your performance.

And let’s not forget the peer influences that shape the way we think about ourselves. Many body-wrecking eating disorders started with a parent or sibling half jokingly stating that the person in question needed to go on a diet.

If you think you fit into any of these scenarios, you’ll need to stop yourself before you go any further towards an eating disorder. Visit your physician and talk to her about the problem. Get the facts on what a healthy weight and calorie intake is for you.

Don’t pay attention to the negative voices that try to sway you. Develop your self confidence and hang out with upbeat people who don’t constantly belittle you.

Don’t get caught up in the fantasy of looking like a supermodel off the cover of Vogue magazine; it is far better to focus on becoming a beautiful person on the inside. Advances in technology allow the editors to remove imperfections from these beautiful models (who are, understandably, grateful).

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