The Oaks at Ojai
“It’s in my genes. It’s not my fault.” “Can’t help it. You should see both of my parents. We come from large stock.” “Women in my family are all fat.”
Have you ever heard these comments or perhaps said them yourself? You’re not alone. Sixty-four percent of American adults are overweight or obese. More than 300,000 deaths a year in the US alone are linked to obesity. And over $117 billion a year is drained from the US economy in the form of health care costs and other experiences associated with obesity say the experts who keep track of these statistics (“Medical Essay,” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2003).
Before you blame your plumpness on your parents or grandparents, consider these facts:
Genetics do play a role in the shape of you, from your health risks to your height. A family history of obesity should make you aware that you have the “potential” but you are not predestined to spent your life in the plus size section of the department store. Extra eating, unwise food choices and less than adequate activity levels contribute more to body size than our genes. So take heart. Because your relatives are fat, you don’t have to be.
Here are some fat facts to know as you decide about the comfortable size of your outside:
Age: As we age, we naturally become less active. Metabolism slows and muscle mass becomes less. These all attribute to fat gain.
Physical Inactivity: Lower levels of activity or inactivity do not cause excess fat, but people who are overweight are usually less active, therefore lower activity levels and eating a “normal” adult diet filled with super sized food portions do contribute to fatness.
Food Choices: Our bodies require fuel, in the form of calories found in food, to work effectively. If we give the body too little food, it doesn’t function well. Too much food, and the same things happens, however, in this way it’s cause by overloading the body. Making unhealthy food choices leads to obesity and in our society there are plenty of those around.
If you’ve lifted a Thanksgiving turkey into a roasting pan, you can easily imagine how it feels to weigh an extra ten to 30 pounds. As soon as placing the turkey in the pan, you feel lighter. That’s how much energy one often has after losing weight.
Cigarette Smoking: Using smoking as a way to stay slim (since nicotine raises the metabolic rate) is down right dangerous. It’s been determined that there’s a 6 to 8 pounds increase in weight after one kicks the habit. But before you decide that you must have another cigarette to keep trimmer, please realize that smoking affects tastes. Thus when they stop smoking and food has more flavors. Therefore, they eat more. So it’s not the cigarettes that are keeping them trim, for the most part, but the bad tastes of smoking.
Pregnancy: Most women experience an increase of 4 to 6 with each pregnancy. Typically the reason that the “baby fat” stays on is because of a change in lifestyle, fatigue and stress of parenthood and roles of women in our society.
Medical Problems: According to physicians, less than 2 percent of all obesity can be directly attributed to a metabolic disorder or hormone imbalance.
All that said, the usual excuses for why some struggle with unwanted body fat comes down to behavior modification. To reduce the amount of fat one must eat less and move more. All the fancy diet books, weight loss program, fitness crazes and the like say this. They just take more time and cost a lot more money than reading this column.
By losing just 5 to 10 pounds, one can usually reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, cut risk for joint problems and improve self esteem. Start today. Make your health a top priority and stay fit for life.
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