Assalamu Alaikum

Statistics

USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions

· 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
· Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
· 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
· 25% completely Sedentary
· 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990

Obesity Related Diseases
· 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
· 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
· 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
· 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
· 26% of obese people having high blood pressure

Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
· 4% overweight 1982 | 16% overweight 1994
· 25% of all white children overweight 2001
· 33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
· Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)

Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks
· New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
· 60% already have one risk factor for heart disease

Surge in Childhood Diabetes
· Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
· Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
· Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated
· Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese

General Causes of Modern Obesity
The risk factors and contributory causes of obesity - a disease of excess body fat characterised by a body mass index of 30+ - include a range of well-documented genetic and environmental factors. But the relative effect of these causes on the development of obesity, remains unclear. Before examining possible causes, note that obesity, especially severe clinical obesity like morbid or malignant obesity, carries greater risks of morbidity and premature mortality than simple overweight.

Problem 1: Diagnosing Causes For Sudden Rise in Obesity Levels
Any explanation of the root causes of the current obesity epidemic must account for its sudden appearance. Six million American adults are now morbidly obese (BMI 40+), almost twice as high as 1980 severe obesity rates, while another 9.6 million have a BMI of 35-40. The percentage of overweight children 6-11 has nearly doubled since the early 1980's. (Source: US Census 2000; NHANES III data estimates). Thus genetic causes are unlikely to be significant. Because while a predisposition to obesity can be inherited, the fact that obesity has increased so much in the last few decades appears to discount genetics as a major main cause. Also, the fact that each succeeding generation is heavier than the last indicates that changes in our environment are playing the key role.

Problem 2: Separating Genetic Causes From Environmental Causes
Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. Yet families also share common dietary, physical exercise, attitude and lifestyle habits that may also contribute to obesity. Separating these from purely genetic factors is not an easy statistical or diagnostic task.

Environmental Causes of Obesity
In view of the sudden rise in weight levels - which is a worldwide trend as reflected in the new word "globesity" - environmental factors must be the prime cause of modern obesity.

Overconsumption - A Possible Root Cause
Eating too many calories for our enery needs must be a major candidate for the main cause of the modern obesity epidemic. According to Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University, US agribusiness now produces 3,800 calories of food a day for every American, 500 calories more than 30 years ago — but at much lower per-calorie costs. Increases in consumption of calorie-dense foods, as evidenced by the growth of fast-food chains and higher soft drink consumption, also point to a higher energy-intake.

Eating Too Many High-Fat or Refined Sugary Foods
The type of food eaten may also play an important role in the rise of obesity. Researchers continue to discover more metabolic and digestive disorders resulting from overconsumption of trans-fats and refined white flour carbohydrates, combined with low fiber intake. These eating patterns are known to interfere with food and energy metabolism in the body, and cause excessive fat storage. Associated health disorders include insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. Incidence of these "modern" diseases is increasing worldwide.

Reduced Energy Expenditure - A Possible Root Cause
People who eat more calories need to burn more calories, otherwise their calorie surplus is stored as fat. For example, if we eat 100 more food calories a day than we burn, we gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. Over two decades this energy surplus causes a weight gain of 200 pounds!

Assessing the contribution of lack of exercise to obesity is hampered by lack of research. According to existing surveys, only 20 percent of the population are frequent exercisers. In addition, only a small minority of children (1 in 5) regularly participate in after-school sports or extra-curricular physical activity. Since 1990, among adults there has been a per capita decline of 15 percent in frequent exercise activity (100+ days per year in any one activity). Among teenagers and adolescents aged 12-17, the plunge is 41 percent.

However, data on correlation between BMI and exercise frequency is almost non-existent, so we are unable to say exactly what effect lack of exercise has on obesity. What we do know is that severe clinical obesity leads to serious mobility problems caused by respiratory and musculoskeletal disorders. Thus the fitness capacity of obese individuals, especially those suffering from morbid obesity, is typically diminished.
Family Influence - A Major Contributory Cause to Obesity
Parental behavioral patterns concerning shopping, cooking, eating and exercise, have an important influence on a child's energy balance and ultimately their weight. Thus family diet and lifestyle are important contributory causes to modern child obesity, especially at a time of rising affluence. Since obese children and adolescents frequently grow up to become obese adults, it's clear that family influence also extends to adult obesity.

Genetic Causes of Modern Obesity
Genes affect a number of weight-related processes in the body, such as metabolic rate, blood glucose metabolism, fat-storage, hormones, to name but a few. Also, some studies of adopted children indicate that adopted children tend to develop weight problems similar to their biological, rather than adoptive, parents. In addition, infants born to overweight mothers have been found to be less active and to gain more weight by the age of three months when compared with infants of normal weight mothers, suggesting a possible inborn drive to conserve energy. Research has also shown that normal-weight children of obese parents may have a lower metabolic rate than normal-weight children of non-obese parents, which can lead to weight problems in adulthood. All of this suggests that a predisposition to obesity can be inherited.

However, the fact that obesity has increased so much in the last few decades appears to discount genetics as the main cause. According to Stephen O'Rahilly, professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at Cambridge University, the influence of genetics on modern levels of obesity is insignificant:
"Nothing genetic explains the rise in obesity. We can't change our genes over 30 years."

Body Mass Index Formula in Pounds and Inches

***Click here to CALCULATE YOUR BMI (Body Mass Index) ***

The pounds/inches BMI formula, is:

Your Weight (in pounds) x 704.5 divided by Your Height (in inches) x Your Height (in inches) *or just use the link above*

How to Determine Whether Your weight is Healthy

If your BMI is in the range 19 to 24.9 you have a healthy weight.

If your BMI is in the range 25 to 29.9 you are considered to be overweight and may incur moderate health risks. For example, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are all linked to being overweight.

If your BMI is 30+ you are considered to be obese. Obesity is associated with increased risk of cancer, heart disease and other health problems. A BMI of 30 and over increases the risk of death from any cause by 50 to 150 percent, according to some estimates.

If your BMI is 35+ and you have a waist size of over 40 inches (men) and 35 inches (women) you are considered to be at especially high risk for health problems.

If your BMI is 40+ you are considered to be seriously obese and at a very serious risk of health problems.

Note: Above BMI 25, the higher the BMI, the greater the risk of developing additional health problems.

More Info on Losing Weight and Other Types of Calculations

Check this Thread Out-Managing Your Weight Through Sunnah (Managing Your Weight Through the Sunnah)

fi aman Allah
w'salaam

mashAllah for posting this .... that is great. but being the person i am i have to put my 2 cents. and another reason there is such obesity .. is the food aditives. the chemicles that no one is sure have effect on our body. and the stariods they put in the animals to BEEF them up and then we consume them. or they give the animal medcation and then we concume the milk . it might be a huge factor.

ooops so i take below 19 is under weight ....oh n just have to point out i have type one diabetes.....

jazakallah for sharing sis....

All of my family is over 50 bmi and we do have some that have JUSt got dibeties but most the people in my family have not had the health problems you speak of. I am over 50 bmi (dont want to be there and working on it LOL ) alhamduillah tho i dont have or any signs of dibeeties or heart issues. some of it can be gentic make up. and some of it is Allahs will. you can do what you can to change it and it stays the same. cus that is the way its suppose to be. I go for the natural aproche tho and try to get healthy . cus like the sister said she is under her bmi and still has dibeties. sorry my spelling is bad LOL. the Goal is to be healthy. and have less Helath problems.
Rena

I dont mean to burst your bubbles......but the BMI isnt that accurate for rating how healthy you are.

Take me for example, I am 5'8" and weigh 170 Pounds. According to that I am overweight Yet I am really athletic, workout, eat right and have a low Body-Fat-Percentage (BF%).

The problem with the BMI is that it doesnt take into consideration where that weight comes from (fat/muscle/bones...), so in my case the majority of my lbs come from muscle.

The best bet so see if your heathly or not is to try to get a BF% test done.

i agree with u

well as for me..
i am so skinny an am trying to put on weight

salam
my BMI is 20, so its ok, i think
wasalam

Salam
Wow, jazakallah khayr for posting that. Im ashamed of my BMI, its tooooooo low. Im seriously underweight (i think its better than being overweight or even obese)
Wassalam