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Written by Dave Gluhareff

An Obese & Malnourished America!

• A blunt message from Fitness Trainer, Writer, & Sponsored Athlete Dave Gluhareff

"Most of America is Malnourished but Obese!!" / "Poor 3rd World starving countries are Malnourished but skinny!??" - My new article I'm working on and I'm really blunt, honest, & passionate about this! - We have kids & adults living off of pop tarts, sodas, candy, chips, fries, more sodas, fried nuggetts, sugary juices, processed everything, and Medicines galore!...where is the nourishment????? - Let me know what you all think?

I see kids as clients and their parents as clients all week, who allow this lifestyle: start their day with junk food (if they eat breakfast at all), then eat a high-fat fried and/or greasy lunch, then a huge junky fried/greasy/sugary/high flour/high calorie dinner, and top the night off with candy or more junk all being washed down their throats with sodas, high-sugar/high-fat coffee drinks, sweet tea, fruit (barely) juices, or instead of low-fat milk…fattening sugary chocolate milk…and that malnourished day was riddled with “in-activity”.  Most of the day was and is filled with video games, school, desk jobs, Internet, boring TV, etc.

Points systems, pre-packaged (fat-free, sugar-free, sodium-free, carb-free, flavor-free) food items mailed to your home, all protein diet companies, etc are just killing our America and most of us are malnourished if we follow their plans.

Many people want nutrition labels and facts out and readily available on fast food items…Why???  We should not be frequenting fast food places in the first place, except for maybe a cheat meal and do we really need the nutrition label to know what is healthy?  Come-on people do we not know a grilled chicken salad and water is better for us than a fried chicken, french fries, fried dessert pie, and soda meal?  Seriously?!

Gone should be the days of enabling Americans and any country for that matter about food choices and saying well it’s okay you can eat junk and be lazy, malnourished, sick, and pickled with medicines to treat all your illnesses and disabilities you get from you un-healthy lifestyle!?...and we will just make bigger clothes (“Plus-Size”) and tight flattering undergarments to hide the fact that you are obese… I don’t think so!  We have to take responsibility for our own actions and lack of self-control and discipline instead of being enabled and enabling those around us.  We cannot justify or rationalize being Obese anymore in this country or anywhere else in this world!

We are in a real crisis here in America and it’s spreading around the world as more and more non-nutritious processed foods and laziness hits other countries!

When you are aware, recognize and know you have a problem then you immediately try to understand the problem then look for a solution to fix it!

Dave Gluhareff’s Summary:

                Look, we have to acknowledge we have a problem and acknowledge we have solutions to fix it now!  No more putting our health on the back burner while we slowly pickle ourselves with medicines to prolong our sickly diseased and disabled malnourished lives.  Now is the time to make our health our priority and take back our America and our world from laziness, junk, and excessive consumption!

                Take a look at the statistics our government compiled and just look at our slow death and how we are becoming increasingly malnourished and Obese and diseased.  We are dying and no one can do anything to help us but ourselves.

YOU are Responsible for YOU, WE are responsible for ourselves and our children and we are charged with the responsibility to be good caretakers of our temple God gave us.

*Keep an eye on www.StrengthRunner.comand www.TrainWithDave.comto be making even more of a positive difference this year!

Now for “OUR” Scary and Boring Obesity statistics on Lost $Billions, Deaths, and Families…

October 2012

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention– “CDC 24/7: Saving Lives. Protecting People.”  

(CDC website statistics/info on Obesity/Overweight) http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

CDC –

“During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high.”

Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.

Definitions for Adults

For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.

• An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
• An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

See the following table for an example.

It is important to remember that although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat. For more information about BMI, visit Body Mass Index.

Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include measurements of skinfold thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Assessing Health Risks Associated with Overweight and Obesity

BMI is just one indicator of potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:

• The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
• Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

What causes overweight and obesity?

There are a variety of factors that play a role in obesity. This makes it a complex health issue to address. Behavior, environment, and genetic factors may have an effect in causing people to be overweight and obese.

The Caloric Balance Equation

• Overweight and obesity result from an energy imbalance. This involves eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.
• Body weight is the result of genes, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status.
• Behavior and environment play a large role causing people to be overweight and obese. These are the greatest areas for prevention and treatment actions.

Adapted from U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, 2001

For more, see Healthy Weight – Balancing Calories.

Environment

People may make decisions based on their environment or community. For example, a person may choose not to walk to the store or to work because of a lack of sidewalks. Community, home, child care, school, health care, and workplace settings can all influence people's health decisions. Therefore, it is important to create environments in these locations that make it easier to engage in physical activity and eat a healthy diet.

Watch The Obesity Epidemicto learn about the many environmental factors that have contributed to the obesity epidemic, as well as several community initiatives taking place to prevent and reduce obesity.

Genetics

How do genes affect obesity?

Science shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Genes can directly cause obesity in disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.

However genes do not always predict future health. Genes and behavior may both be needed for a person to be overweight. In some cases multiple genes may increase one's susceptibility for obesity and require outside factors; such as abundant food supply or little physical activity.

For more information on the genetics and obesity visit Obesity and Genomics.

Other Factors

Diseases and Drugs
Some illnesses may lead to obesity or weight gain. These may include Cushing's disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Drugs such as steroids and some antidepressants may also cause weight gain.

A doctor is the best source to tell you whether illnesses, medications, or psychological factors are contributing to weight gain or making weight loss hard.

What are the consequences of overweight and obesity?

Health Consequences

Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as "overweight" and "obesity,"* the risks for the following conditions also increases:¹

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

*Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher. For more, see Defining Obesity.

For more information about these and other health problems associated with overweight and obesity, visit Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.

Economic Consequences

Overweight and obesity and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system.²Medical costs associated with overweight and obesity may involve direct and indirect costs.^3,4Direct medical costs may include preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity. Indirect costs relate to morbidity and mortality costs. Morbidity costs are defined as the value of income lost from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, and bed days. Mortality costs are the value of future income lost by premature death.

National Estimated Cost of Obesity
The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering. In 2008 dollars, these costs totaled about $147 billion.⁵

Adult Obesity Facts:

Obesity is common, serious and costly

• More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese.
• Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. 
• In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. 

Obesity affects some groups more than others

• Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age-adjusted rates of obesity (49.5%) compared with Mexican Americans (40.4%), all Hispanics (39.1%) and non-Hispanic whites (34.3%) [See JAMA. 2012;307(5):491-497. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.39].

Obesity and socioeconomic status

• Among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men, those with higher incomes are more likely to be obese than those with low income.
• Higher income women are less likely to be obese than low-income women.
• There is no significant relationship between obesity and education among men. Among women, however, there is a trend—those with college degrees are less likely to be obese compared with less educated women.
• Between 1988–1994 and 2007–2008 the prevalence of obesity increased in adults at all income and education levels.

New baseline established in 2011 for state Obesity rates

• Changes to the CDC’s BRFSSand to exclusion criteria result in a new baseline for estimated state adult obesity prevalence starting with the 2011 data. Because of these changes, estimates of obesity prevalence from 2011 forward cannot be compared to estimates from previous years.
• Shifts in estimates from previous years may be the results of the new methods, rather than measurable changes in the percentages. The direction and magnitude of changes in each state varies. These variations may depend on the characteristics of the population.
• State prevalence of obesity remained high across the country in 2011.

Obesity prevalence in 2011 varies across states and regions

• By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi in 2011. No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. 39 states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states had a prevalence of 30% or more: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
• The South had the highest prevalence of obesity (29.5%), followed by the Midwest (29.0%), the Northeast (25.3%) and the West (24.3%).

The History of State Obesity Prevalence

• There was a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States from 1990 through 2010.
• State prevalence prior to 2011 is provided for historical information only. Historical rates should not be compared to 2011 state obesity prevalence due to changes in survey methods.
• No state met the nation's Healthy People 2010goal to lower obesity prevalence to 15%. Rather, in 2010, there were 12 states with an obesity prevalence of 30%. In 2000, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30% or more. [Read article]

How is childhood overweight and obesity measured?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to determine childhood overweight and obesity. It is calculated using a child's weight and height. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it is a reasonable indicator of body fatness for most children and teens.

A child's weight status is determined using an age- and sex-specific percentile for BMI rather than the BMI categories used for adults because children's body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls.

CDC Growth Chartsare used to determine the corresponding BMI-for-age and sex percentile. For children and adolescents (aged 2—19 years):

• Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.¹
• Obesityis defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.¹

What are the consequences of childhood obesity?

Health risks now

• Childhood obesity can have a harmful effect on the body in a variety of ways. Obese children are more likely to have–
  • High blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In one study, 70% of obese children had at least one CVD risk factor, and 39% had two or more.²
  • Increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.³
  • Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea, and asthma.^4,5
  • Joint problems and musculoskeletal discomfort.^4,6
  • Fatty liver disease, gallstones, and gastro-esophageal reflux (i.e., heartburn).^3,4
  • Obese children and adolescents have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood.^3,7,8

Health risks later

• Obese children are more likely to become obese adults.^{9, 10, 11}Adult obesity is associated with a number of serious health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.¹²
• If children are overweight, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.¹³

Obesity rates among all children in the United States

(Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)

[Read article]

• Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.
• Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled.
• There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in obesity prevalence among U.S. children and adolescents. In 2007—2008, Hispanic boys, aged 2 to 19 years,were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white boys, and non-Hispanic black girls were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white girls.

Obesity rates among low-income preschool children

(Data from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System)

• 1 of 7 low-income, preschool-aged children is obese. [Check out this Fact Sheet to learn more (PDF-1.5Mb)]
• County obesity rates are variable within states. Even states with the lowest prevalence of obesity have counties where many low-income children are obese and at risk for chronic disease.

2011 State Prevalence Among Low-Income Children Aged 2 to 4 Years

Virginia is Greater than (>20 %)

What causes childhood obesity?

Childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.

Why focus on food and physical activity environments?

There are a variety of environmental factors that determine whether or not the healthy choice is the easy choice for children and their parents. American society has become characterized by environments that promote increased consumption of less healthy food and physical inactivity. It can be difficult for children to make healthy food choices and get enough physical activity when they are exposed to environments in their home, child care center, school, or community that are influenced by–

• Sugar drinks and less healthy foods on school campuses.About 55 million school-aged children are enrolled in schools across the United States,¹and many eat and drink meals and snacks there. Yet, more than half of U.S. middle and high schools still offer sugar drinks and less healthy foods for purchase.²Students have access to sugar drinks and less healthy foods at school throughout the day from vending machines and school canteens and at fundraising events, school parties, and sporting events.

• Advertising of less healthy foods. Nearly half of U.S. middle and high schools allow advertising of less healthy foods,²which impacts students' ability to make healthy food choices. In addition, foods high in total calories, sugars, salt, and fat, and low in nutrients are highly advertised and marketed through media targeted to children and adolescents,³while advertising for healthier foods is almost nonexistent in comparison.

• Variation in licensure regulations among child care centers.More than 12 million children regularly spend time in child care arrangements outside the home.⁴However, not all states use licensing regulations to ensure that child care facilities encourage more healthful eating and physical activity.⁵

• Lack of daily, quality physical activity in all schools.Most adolescents fall short of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americansrecommendation of at least 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day, as only 18% of students in grades 9—12 met this recommendation in 2007.⁶Daily, quality physical education in school can help students meet the Guidelines. However, in 2009 only 33% attended daily physical education classes.⁷

• No safe and appealing place, in many communities, to play or be active. Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active. For some families, getting to parks and recreation centers may be difficult, and public transportation may not be available. For many children, safe routes for walking or biking to school or play may not exist. Half of the children in the United States do not have a park, community center, and sidewalk in their neighborhood. Only 27 states have policies directing community-scale design.⁸

• Limited access to healthy affordable foods. Some people have less access to stores and supermarkets that sell healthy, affordable food such as fruits and vegetables, especially in rural, minority, and lower-income neighborhoods.⁹Supermarket access is associated with a reduced risk for obesity.⁹Choosing healthy foods is difficult for parents who live in areas with an overabundance of food retailers that tend to sell less healthy food, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants.

• Greater availability of high-energy-dense foods and sugar drinks.High-energy-dense foods are ones that have a lot of calories in each bite. A recent study among children showed that a high-energy-dense diet is associated with a higher risk for excess body fat during childhood.^10,11Sugar drinks are the largest source of added sugar and an important contributor of calories in the diets of children in the United States.¹²High consumption of sugar drinks, which have few, if any, nutrients, has been associated with obesity.¹³On a typical day, 80% of youth drink sugar drinks.¹⁴
• Increasing portion sizes.Portion sizes of less healthy foods and beverages have increased over time in restaurants, grocery stores, and vending machines. Research shows that children eat more without realizing it if they are served larger portions.^15,16This can mean they are consuming a lot of extra calories, especially when eating high-calorie foods.

• Lack of breastfeeding support.Breastfeeding protects against childhood overweight and obesity.^17,18However, in the United States, while 75% of mothers start out breastfeeding, only 13% of babies are exclusively breastfed at the end of 6 months. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers, and policymakers.

• Television and media. Children 8—18 years of age spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including TV, computers, video games, cell phones, and movies. Of those 7.5 hours, about 4.5 hours is dedicated to viewing TV.¹⁹Eighty-three percent of children from 6 months to less than 6 years of age view TV or videos about 1 hour and 57 minutes a day.²⁰TV viewing is a contributing factor to childhood obesity because it may take away from the time children spend in physical activities; lead to increased energy intake through snacking and eating meals in front of the TV; and, influence children to make unhealthy food choices through exposure to food advertisements.^21,22

There is no single or simple solution to the childhood obesity epidemic, but learn what states, communities, and parents can do to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for children, adolescents, and their families.

States and communities can–

• Assess their retail food environment to better understand the current landscape and differences in accessibility to healthier foods.
  See Healthier Food Retail: Beginning the Assessment Process in Your State or Community [PDF-522k].
• Provide incentives to existing supermarkets and farmers' markets to establish their businesses in low-income areas or to sell healthier foods.
  See Improving Access to Healthy Food – PolicyLinkand The Food Trust.
• Expand programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools.
  See National Farm to School Network.
• Put salad bars in schools.
  See Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools.
• Adopt standards for child care licensing that reduce the availability of less healthy foods and sugar drinks, and limit screen time.
  See Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and Education Programs [PDF-4.71Mb].
• Enroll elementary, middle, and high schools in USDA's Team Nutrition program and apply for certification through the HealthierUS School Challenge.
  See USDA Team Nutrition and HealthierUS School Challenge.
• Increase access to free drinking water and limit the sale of sugar drinks in schools by establishing school wellness and nutrition policies.
  See Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schoolsand Water in Schools.
• Support breastfeeding in hospitals and the workplace.
  See Breastfeeding Promotion & Supportto find out how Health Careand Employmentcan support breastfeeding.
• Create and maintain safe neighborhoods for physical activity and improve access to parks and playgrounds.
  See National Center for Safe Routes to Schooland National Recreation and Parks Association.
• Support quality daily physical education in schools and daily physical activity in child care facilities.
  See Working with Schools to Increase Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents in Physical Education Classesand SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids).

Parents can–

• Follow the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and limit media time for kids to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day whether at home, school or child care.
  See AAP Recommendation on Television Time for Children and Adolescents.
• Visit the child care centers to see if they serve healthier foods and drinks, and limit TV and video time.
  See National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.
• Work with schools to limit foods and drinks with added sugar, fat and salt that can be purchased outside the school lunch program.
  See Recommended Nutrition Standards for Foods Outside of School Meal Programs [PDF-1.5Mb].
• Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables, limit foods high in fat and sugar, and prepare healthier foods at family meals.
  See 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americansand Healthy Recipes.
• Serve your family water instead of sugar drinks.
  See Rethink Your Drink.
• Make sure your child gets physical activity each day.
  See How much physical activity do children need?