Social Stigma And Obesity

For many people, being overweight carries a huge social burden. Society puts a lot of pressure on people to look good, be skinny, and fit a certain size. What people do not realize is that all this pressure is actually one of the causes of America’s growing waistline. The social stigma attached to overweight people is enough to send some into a depression, make others anxious, and cause some to be stressed. As if being overweight was not bad enough, adding these other maladies to the plate heightens the risk of heart disease in these individuals.

Overweight and obese people are subjected to an onslaught of burdens by society. Obesity itself is a medical condition, but the stigma that is attached is a psychological condition. People with weight issues are often the subject of torment, especially if they were larger growing up. Without knowing it, children can be incredibly mean.

They do not intend to hurt the individual, they are just brutally honest. A small child seeing an obese person walking down the street can ask their parent “why is that person so fat?” The parent tells the child to hush, but the overweight person has heard what was asked and the result is hurt feelings.

School children will make fun of those that are different while on the schoolyard. An overweight child oftentimes grows up to be an overweight adult because they have been told their entire lives that they are fat and lazy. People do not realize that words hurt. If repeated over the years, the words stick. This can lead to the obese person hating themselves, becoming depressed, becoming anxious, withdrawing from the world and remaining alone.

Overweight and obese people think badly enough of themselves without the rest of society telling them that they are, indeed, fat, lazy, ugly, will never find anyone to love them, will die young, have no will-power, and have no control over their own habits. By society constantly screaming this at them either directly or through television, movies, and magazines, they are just reinforcing these bad thoughts. Society is also more likely to discriminate against overweight people when it comes to hiring for new jobs and getting into colleges. This in turn leads to a stronger depression, anxiety, and more isolation.

People feel that if you are fat and depressed, there is an easy fix – just stop eating and you will feel better and the depression will go away. What they do not realize is that many obese people eat to fulfill some kind of emotional void. They eat because eating feels and tastes good so they feel slightly better. They begin to equate food with happiness and feel that by eating more, surely that will make them happier. What they do not realize is that they are actually self-defeating their own goals. It is a constant cycle between society and overweight individuals.

What people should do is realize that what they say and do affects others. It is like what your mother always said when you were young - “think before you speak”. If more people did that then we would live in a far kinder and peaceful world.

Obesity And Herbalism

Since obesity is higher than ever before, there is a larger demand for researchers to find óquick fixesô or concoctions to help combat this. Obesity often leads to heart disease so companies are looking more at ways to help people lose weight. One of the ideas they are looking at is herbalism and its remedies.

Herbalism is the practice of traditional medicine using plants and plant extracts. Herbalism also encompasses the use of bee and fungal products, as well as shells, certain minerals, and some animal products. An herbal remedy is a concoction of herbal ingredients used to treat sickness, disease, and even psychological disorders. Many of the medicines we use today, like aspirin, have a long history in herbalism.

Among the many remedies for weight loss is the newest on the market, the acai berry. Many ads claim the acai berry is successful for rapid weight loss. To date there are no studies to back this information up. Dr. Oz, Oprah Winfreyòs famous physician, has even suggested it but also recommends that people do research. The acai berry, harvested from the acai palm tree twice a year, is a good dietary supplement, but because there is no research to back up its exact benefits, one must use caution and moderation in consuming it.

One of the most commonly known herbs recommended for weight loss is ginseng. Ginseng is what is known as a food stimulant. What that means is that is helps speed up the way in which your body processes food. Ginseng also has the added benefit of boosting your energy which, in turn, could lead to more exercise and added weight loss.

The trumpet tree or Tabebuia impetiginosa has also recently been discovered as an herbal weight loss remedy. Extracts from this tree can actually delay the absorption of fat by the bodyòs cells in animals. The body still processes the good nutrients and more of the bad fat passes through into waste. BY doing this, it is also reducing the levels of triglycerides in our bodies, which is normally stored in fat cells. Lower levels of triglycerides leads to a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

One of the least known herbal remedy is honey. Few people realize the many benefits of honey. In weight loss, honey actually gets the extra fat moving along so it can be used up in energy. Honey has 22 amino acids and many minerals that are necessary for it to be metabolized by our bodies. These amino acids and minerals are what help prevent obesity. Many people believe that drinking a teaspoon of honey mixed with lemon juice helps to speed up your metabolism in the mornings and helps to prevent cellulite. One teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon dissolved in a cup of boiling water is also touted as helping with weight loss.

Whatever route one decides to take in trying to lose weight, research is always advised. Following ads on television, the internet, or magazines is never recommend without knowing what you are getting in to. Many of these herbal remedies are new and so little is known about them scientifically. Do your research, find something you like, and then speak with your doctor.

Obesity And Cardiomyopathy

Obesity can lead to many types of heart disease. The largest branch of the heart disease tree is called cardiomyopathy. In its simplest of meanings, it is the disease of the heart muscle - cardio refers to heart, myo refers to muscle, and pathy refers to disease. The heart muscle swells and does not work the way it should.

Primary cardiomyopathy does not have a specific root; it could be the cumulative effects of various causes such as drinking alcohol, smoking, high blood pressure, bad eating habits, or valve defects. Secondary cardiomyopathy does have specific causes, such as previously mentioned.

There are 2 main types of cardiomyopathy: Intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic means that the causes come from within the heart muscle itself; whereas extrinsic means the causes come from outside the heart muscle.

Intrinsic cardiomyopathy has four branches. An inflamed left ventricle that stops pumping blood properly is known as dilated cardiomyopathy. There is a genetic disorder that affects the thickness of the heart muscle which in turn affects the pumping of the blood. This is called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. When the right ventricle is affected by an electrical interruption that causes the muscle to turn in to scar tissue, it is called Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is when the walls of the heart become stiff and it cannot fill with blood the way it should.

Extrinsic cardiomyopathy can be divided into five branches. People that abuse alcohol can develop a thinning of the heart muscle resulting in the reduced efficiency of pumped blood known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is when the sufferer has a history of congenital heart disease, angina, heart attacks, high blood pressure which is the result of the walls of the heart’s arteries thickening and almost closing off. Continued and uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause what is called hypertensive cardiomyopathy. Valvular cardiomyopathy is when there is something wrong with one of the heart’s valves, usually the mitral valve. Inflammatory cardiomyopathy is an inflammation of the heart itself as well as the surrounding tissue.

Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart condition that can be recognized by the following symptoms: feeling tired all the time, becoming breathless after light physical activity, not being able to do as much physically as you used to, swelling of the hands, feet, legs and sometimes stomach area, lightheadedness, chest pain, and fluttering of the heart (also known as arrhythmia). If you suffer from any of these symptoms, it is extremely important for you to seek out your doctor’s advice. They can recommend specific tests that can firmly diagnose whether you have cardiomyopathy or not.  

Treatment can include changes to your lifestyle. Knowing is half the battle in this case. Once you know you have cardiomyopathy, then you can take steps to start eating right, exercising properly, reducing stress, sleeping properly, not smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption. There are also medications that can help in light to moderate cases. In severe cases, surgery is often the only answer.  In the most extreme cases, a full heart transplant may be necessary.

Obese Children-Stop The Epidemic

It’s estimated that obese children make up between 5 and 25 percent of all children in the United States. That’s a staggering number of severely overweight kids. And it’s frightening, consider that the number of obese children keeps rising.

Obese children are unfortunately at a higher risk for illness and disease than kids who aren’t overweight. While an obese child close weight and grow up to be a normal weight adult, the likelihood of obese kids growing up to be overweight and obese adults is pretty high.

Being obese as a kid raises the risk of developing Type II diabetes, which in most cases is preventable with a healthy diet and good exercise habits. It also increases the risk of adult heart disease, joint problems and high blood pressure.

There’s even a special type of high blood pressure heavy kids get. It’s referred to as pediatric hypertension. This is when a child’s blood pressure is too high, and it’s usually caused by the child being obese.

Obese kids face serious health consequences from their heavy childhoods. So what can be done to prevent and reverse childhood obesity? To learn how to stop it, it can help for you to see what causes it in the first place.

A child’s risk of becoming obese is greatly elevated if he or she has obese parents. If both parents are obese the risk is very high. With one obese parent the risk is elevated but not as high as if both parents are very heavy.

This is a factor because of the obvious eating patterns within the family. If both parents are obese, they’re probably not setting a good example as far as nutrition and exercises. And since the child will be served the meals that the adults eat, it’s easy to see how it could be easy for a child to gain weight.

And heredity does play a role. While heredity can’t in itself make a child fat, if many family members had weight issues it can show a natural predisposition toward gaining weight and having those related health problems.

Obese children also spend a lot of hours each week doing passive activities instead of actively playing and getting exercise. Watching television seems to be the biggest offender with heavy kids often spending several hours each day just watching television.

Factor in time spent playing video games and on the Internet, and there’s not much time left for physical activities. The new breed of video games that get people up and moving around may help, but it’s hard to counteract several hours of sitting still watching television each day.

For obese kids, the best thing parents can do is set good examples. Serving healthy, nutritious meals while watching things like calories and carbs is important. Scheduling family activities that keep everyone physically active and making fitness priority can set the stage for healthier kids. Obese children need adult guidance to help them make healthier lifestyle choices and lose weight to protect their future health and happiness.

Childhood Obesity

It is estimated that 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in America today are suffering from obesity. Obesity among children is on the rise. More and more children and teenagers are becoming obese. While it is well known that obese infants do not always remain obese into childhood and not all obese children remain obese into adulthood, obesity is increasing with age. This means that there is a much higher risk of remaining obese throughout your lifetime if you are obese as a child.

Secondary Problems of Childhood Obesity

There are many problems that are created for children secondary to obesity. Besides the obvious risk of obesity in adulthood, obesity in a child is the most common cause for pediatric hypertension. Childhood obesity is also linked to Type II diabetes mellitus.

In addition there is an increased risk of having coronary artery disease. There is undue stress placed on all of the weight bearing joints. Obese children also have lower self esteem and poor relationships with their peers. Some specialists have said that the most substantial impact on a child related to obesity is social and psychological problems.

 Causes of Childhood Obesity:

• improper balance between energy that is taken in and energy that is put out
• genetic factors

Hereditary factors play a role in the development of obesity in children. Infants that are born to overweight mothers have been shown to be less active and to weigh significantly more than babies that were born to mothers with a normal weight by the time they were three months old. It would seem that there is a hereditary, inborn trait that causes babies to want to conserve energy and do less physical activity, thus gaining more weight.

Additional Causes of Childhood Obesity:

• lack of physical exercise
• over indulgence in “junk food”
• improper dietary training

Do not be fooled into thinking these are the only reasons for overweight children today. It is quite possible there may be hidden physical and psychological causes for the child being overweight. Therefore it is imperative and strongly recommended that a professional health care provider be consulted for proper diagnoses and treatment.

Treatment for Overweight Children:

There are a variety of treatments available for childhood obesity. These treatments and programs are most often not associated with weight loss. Instead, the plan is to slow or stop weight gain so that the child has the ability to grow into their body weight over a period of time.

It has been proven that proper and early intervention is the best way to start modifying obesity issues. Studies have shown that it is easier to change a child’s eating and exercise habits than it is to change an adults.

Treatments such as;

• physical activity and exercise There will also be
• management of the child’s diet involved There may also be a need for a
• behavior modification plan

Often the easiest way to correct a problem is to change the thinking and the learned behaviors of the child.

Make no mistake, that cute overweight baby can develop lifetime health problems, if proper steps are not taken early on.

Aerobic Exercise For Teenagers

Aerobic exercise for teenagers can be defined as any exercise that involves increasing the heart rate by using the large muscle groups in the body. Activities like running, walking, swimming, jumping rope, bicycling, skating and many of the things that teenagers do already. It is a short jump to get teenagers to participate in a regular exercise program that will help them develop a lifelong habit that will fight off obesity and the problems of excess weight.

Teens seem to have a great deal of energy anyway and this is a great resource to tap into when you are looking for aerobic exercise for teenagers.

Even though teens have all this energy, they should still make sure that they build up their exercise slowly to avoid injury. Over time the intensity of the exercise routine can be increased. It is important that teenagers do not try to overexert themselves when they are just beginning their aerobic exercise for teenagers. Increasing the intensity too soon could cause injury. The body will need a little time to recover from an intense exercise routine.

Just like anyone else, it is important to start an exercise routine slowly and gradually work up to a more intense workout. Brisk walking is a good way to start aerobic exercise for teenagers just as it would be for anyone who is starting out with an exercise routine. Swimming is a great exercise for anyone who is just starting out.

Teenagers should be encouraged to include aerobic exercise in their daily schedule. It is an important lesson that they can carry with them all through their life. Let them get together with their friends and work out. It is a fun hobby that you can encourage your teens to take part in.  Exercise for teenagers is a great way to make sure that they grow into healthy adults.

If more teenagers understood the benefit of exercise for their health and learned to appreciate it, there would be far fewer overweight or obese adults. It is one of the most important lessons that parents can teach to their children. Along with exercise for teenagers, there should be some lessons in how to eat a well balanced diet. With these tools, your teenagers will be fully prepared to live a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition is an important part of the equation when you are teaching children about their long term health. They should not only learn about exercise for teenagers, but they should have a full grasp on nutrition and the importance of diet in their exercise plans. Without the proper amount of nutrition, the exercises will be difficult to do.

Once your children become accustomed to exercises in their daily routine, it will become second nature as they grow up. Your children will be healthier, live a fuller life, suffer from less health consequences and look younger for a longer period of time. It is a great gift to pass down to your children. Why not exercise with them and discover all of the pleasures of exercising for fun.

Adding Aerobic Exercise To Your Day

Aerobic exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  If you are looking to include exercise in your life to improve your health, lose weight and prevent disease, you should seek an exercise program that is enjoyable and fun for you.  The key to exercise and its positive benefits is consistency.  You should seek an exercise that you could do every day for the greatest benefits to your health.

Many people find that including a variety of aerobic exercise in their daily routine is also a great way to stay motivated and interested.  For many people finding one type  of exercise that they enjoy is enough to keep them going day after day, but others may become bored and need something new to spice things up a little bit.  Finding a good selection of exercise types will help overcome this problem.

An aerobic exercise must increase your heart rate for at least twenty minutes to be considered beneficial.  Brisk walking can be included as long as it increases your heart rate and you are able to sustain it for twenty minutes or longer.  Running is a sure fire way to get your heart rate up to aerobic levels, but it can be difficult for some to do if they have not exercised for a while.  Starting off with a brisk walk is a good way to gradually build into a plan that includes running or jogging.  Many people decide to stick with the walking because it is less stressful on the joints.

Bicycling is an excellent aerobic exercise that is very enjoyable for many people. You should be sure that you are following a difficult enough route to be sure that you reach the correct heart rate during this type of exercise. Coasting on your bike will not increase your heart rate and could cause it to decline while you are working out.

A stationary bike or a treadmill is one way that you can keep track of your heart rate while you are exercising.  Many of these home aerobic exercise machines will monitor your heart rate, calories burned and miles completed during the workout.  For those who are looking for improvement in their workout, these machines are a great way to see your improvement over time.

The key to gaining all of the health benefits that you can achieve with exercise is consistency.  Health conditions that respond well to the introduction of exercise include heart disease, diabetes, obesity and many more.  Your body will look better and more importantly you will feel better.

Exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, is a great way to increase your energy levels during the day.  If you find that you get tired halfway through your workday, take a walk at lunch or start off your day with a brisk walk to get your day off to a great start. Eating a healthy diet along with exercise is the one true fountain of youth.  It can help you look and feel younger for a longer period of time and it is never to late to get started on your exercise routine.