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The Obesity Epidemic Will Cost Billions By 2020!

What Can YOU Do About It? Make Changes In Your Life!

According to a recent essay in Harper's, by Greg Critser, James O. Hill, the dean of American obesity studies at the University of Colorado says that if obesity is left unchecked, one fifth of all Americans will be over-weight within a few generations.

Children are most at risk. At least 25 % of all Americans now under age nineteen are overweight or obese. In 1998 Dr. David Sarcher, the new U.S. surgeon general, was moved to declare childhood obesity to be epidemic. He considers young people seriously at risk of starting out obese and dooming themselves to the difficult task of overcoming a tough illness they must deal with for the rest of their lives. As William Dietz, the director of nutrition at the Centers for Disease Control, said last year, "This is an epidemic in the U.S. the likes of which we have not had before in chronic disease. The cost to the general public health budget by 2020 will run into the hundreds of billions, making HIV and AIDS look, economically, like a bad case of the flu."

There are several factors contributing to this problem of obesity: (1) Lack of activity - caused by the over use of the Boob Tube, computer and internet, game arcades, etc. (2)The fast-foods, high carbohydrate foods considered to be conventional foods and low fat foods that contain additional carbohydrates. (3) High caffeine and high sugar which tend to satisfy the person who needs a quick fix. (4) The over consumption of high caloric foods to satisfy immediate gratification.

Now consider the constant bombing of the pancreas by such a huge hits of sugars and high glycemic carbohydrates that can eventually wear out the organs insulin-producing islets, leading to diabetes and its inevitable dirge of woes: kidney, eye, and nerve damage; increased risk of heart disease, even stroke. The resulting sugar-induced hyperglycemia in many of the obese wreaks its own havoc in the form of glucose toxicity, further debilitating nerve endings and arterial walls. Some 16 million Americans suffer from Type 2 diabetes, a third of them unaware of their condition.

A blood test to help determine your blood sugar situation is the Glucose Tolerance Test (which should be at least 5 hours). Another test to determine if you may be suffering from Syndrome X is the C-Peptide Level Test which reveals insulin resistance of your cells.

Insulin Resistance or Syndrome X... A new medical disorder associated with both aging and poor lifestyle habits. Insulin resistance is marked by the gradual loss of sensitivity to insulin. As the peripheral tissues (for example, the muscles) increasingly resist the effects of insulin, many important functions do not occur. In fact, the body responds by producing even more insulin, which results in unnaturally high levels of insulin, glucose and unabsorbed nutrients circulating in the blood stream. Since high insulin levels hinder the conversion of glucose into energy, the results are stored as fat.

Obesity and Insulin - Why the Fat Grow Fatter... More than a third of American adults are obese, yet the major cause of obesity, insulin resistance, remains largely overlooked by the medical community. What is thought to be compulsivity or a behavioral problem is really an insulin predicament. This is one explanation why most diets don't work. High insulin levels prevent fat loss. To compound the problem, there is evidence that high insulin levels trigger the hypothalamus (the "master gland") to send out hunger signals. As a result, the insulin resistant person not only feels hungry more often, but produces and deposits fat far more readily than do healthy individuals.

Low Blood Sugar or Hypoglycemia is a precursor to diabetes. It is a condition in which the pancreas regularly overacts to repeated high sugar intake by producing too much insulin. Excess insulin results in lowering blood sugar too much as the body strives to achieve proper glucose/insulin balance. This is particularly harmful to the brain, the most sensitive organ to blood sugar levels, which requires glucose as an energy source to think clearly.

Hypoglycemia causes a change in the way the brain functions. Small fluctuations disturb one's feeling of well-being. Large fluctuations cause feelings of depression, anxiety, mood swings, fatigue and even aggressive behavior. Proper sugar balance is also needed for muscle contractions, the digestive system and nerve health. Additional symptoms are: restlessness, insomnia, dizziness, general shakiness and trembling, ravenous hunger and craving for sweets, heart problems, nausea, blurry vision, and frequent headaches or migraines.

Common Causes: Poor diet or excess sugar consumption of diet, poor pancreas function, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, prolonged fasting or dieting for weight loss, food allergies, caffeine or nicotine, stress, exhausted adrenals, kidney failure or liver damage, and low thyroid.

A Solution To Both Hypoglycemia and Obesity Is The Low-Carb Anti Aging (LCAA) Diet! If followed properly the Low-Carb Anti Aging Diet can reduce elevated insulin levels, balance blood sugar, produce rapid fat loss, profoundly enhance mental clarity, improve muscle tone, reduce serum cholesterol, increase mental alertness, lower blood pressure and promote a longer, healthier life.

Foods that make up the LCAA Diet include healthy proteins, fats and low starch vegetables that do not cause sharp rises in insulin. This approach to eating allows the following changes to occur: (1) Burning off of excess glycogen stores. (2) Accessing alternative fuel sources, including protein and fat, and the body's own fat (ketosis). (3) Reversing of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hyperinsulinism (elevated insulin levels), insulin resistance, premature aging and Syndrome X. (4) Rapid weight loss, fat loss, mental clarity and physical well-being.

Low Carbohydrate Anti Aging Diet Supplements Are:

(1) A broad spectrum vitamin-mineral containing a complete formula of antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, and a macro-mineral formula, complete with calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, manganese, and potassium (Super Nutrition's Men's or Women's Blend).

(2) drhealth Glucose Support which contains Chromium, Gymnema sylvestre, Bitter melon, Vanadyl sulfate, Milk thistle, Alpha lipoic acid, Ginkgo biloba, Jerusalem Artichoke, etc.

(3) drhealth Essential Fatty Acids... They are termed as "essential" because the body cannot make them, yet they are critical to every cell of the body. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are the two most frequently referenced types of Omega Fatty acids. The vegetable sources of Omega 3 are primarily flaxseed and wheat germ oils. The vegan form of Omega 3 is Alpha linolenic (ALA) which must be supplemented or supplied through the diet as it cannot be synthesized by the body. Animal sources of Omega 3 are the Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) forms, primarily from fish oil. Omega 6 or GLA is derived mainly from evening primrose seed oil, borage oil and/or black currant seed oil.

EFAs are the building blocks of an entire class of hormones called prostaglandin's. These prostaglandins coordinate many aspects of tissue-level defense to injuries involving oxidative stress (wounds, bruises, burns, abrasion). In addition, EFAs reduce levels of substances that could impair immunity. They also assist blood vessels in dilation, which can decrease pain due to poor circulation and inflammation. Most importantly, they lower blood levels of triglycerides. EFAs can reduce hostility and stress, improve symptoms of chronic fatigue, improve mood and enhance learning and memory.

A key factor to the low carb diet and weight loss is the regular consumption of EFAs. They also enhance mental functioning, improve energy production and promote overall health; yet an estimated 80 percent of our population do not get enough.

What Is The Cost Of Obesity To America?

The medical costs resulting from overweight and obesity in America could be as high as $93 billion annually, with the government paying about half the amount, according to a recent study.

The estimate, which includes direct medical costs only, not indirect costs such as missed work, is even higher than the annual medical bill for smoking, which a few years ago was estimated at about $76 billion.

Close to 65 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses.

In the study, researchers compared medical costs for overweight and obese people with the costs for people of normal weight. Overweight is defined as being 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight, while obesity is 30 or more pounds over.

Findings indicated that annual medical costs for an obese person are about 37.7 percent more, or $732 higher, than the costs for a person of normal weight.

Further, an obese person on Medicare costs $1,486 more a year, and an obese person on Medicaid costs $864 more than a person of healthy weight on the same program.

Each year, medical spending for overweight and obesity make up about 9.1 percent of the nation's medical costs. Comparatively, spending attributable to smoking makes up from 6.5 percent to 14.4 percent of costs.

There is ongoing controversy over whether obesity is an individual's responsibility or a problem for society. According to researchers, since government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as taxpayers, are financing many of the medical costs, obesity is increasingly becoming an issue for society.

Moreover, others point out that obesity is still on the rise and if the problem isn't addressed now, the government will be faced with even higher medical costs for obesity in the future.