No Excuses

If you're a woman who's pregnant, don't let your weight slide. Sure you'll have a big belly and you need to eat more but make sure that you're not eating more than is recommended. Help out the demographic and you can be the one that lowers the percentage of morbidly obese pregnant woman. Check out the New York Times article for more information.

Too Fat and Pregnant
By Annie Murphy Paul 13 June 2008

The offices of Dr. Mark Chames, an obstetrician at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, are outfitted with some special equipment. The blood-pressure cuffs used on patients’ arms are actually thigh cuffs, originally designed to strap around a leg. Standard scales, which measure up to 350 pounds, have been supplemented by ones that accommodate 880 pounds. Before the new scales arrived, some patients were weighed at the hospital loading dock.

After decades in which the obesity epidemic spread to every demographic group in the nation, it has also ended up here: the maternity ward. One in five women who give birth in the U.S. is obese, according to Susan Chu, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And doctors are seeing more pregnant women who are morbidly obese, weighing 400, 500, even 600 pounds. More...

Weight Loss Blues

Have you ever tried losing a couple pounds? Whenever I've tried, I lose the pounds but they seem to slip right back! Read through this article to see why we can't seem to keep the waistlines we want. (Blame it on physiology.)

Why It's Hard to Maintain Weight Loss
By Shari Roan June 2, 2008

IN HER 39 years, Claudia Hallblom has, by her own estimation, lost and regained about 1,000 pounds.

Her success at losing weight was always driven by a goal, such as looking nice for her graduation or wedding. Her tactics usually included strict calorie-counting. But success on the scales was always fleeting. Sooner or later, she would revert to her old habits and no longer feel motivated to change.

"I didn't know how to lose weight and keep it off," the Downey woman says.

Most people can lose weight. But few can maintain their new weight for long.
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An Obesity Report Card?

At school, some kids get an academic report card which is already nerve-racking. On top of that, they get an obesity report card. That's so not cool. Kids have different emotions on this and the report cards can be confusing! It has even resulted in a girl not eating! Check out this video slide show about some kids and their obesity report card.

The link is http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/us/20070107_OBESITY_FEATURE/blocker.html

Are We All At Risk?

Why does it seem like in everything we do, we are all at risk in becoming obese? It seems as if now days people are getting too comfortable with their lifestyles of just sitting on the couch. Once you sit down in your familiar spot, it's hard to get back off it but you yourself need to do something about fighting off the extra pounds. Change your bad example into a good one so that exercise will become a natural part of your your life and your offspring's.

STATISTICS ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

From How to Teach Nutrition to Kids by Connie Liakos Evers, MS, RD:

In 2002, data showed that 15% of children and teens are considered overweight, a tripling since 1980. An additional 15% of kids and teens are considered "at risk" for becoming overweight.

"This epidemic increase in childhood overweight is particularly prevalent among African American and Hispanic children, with more than 21% of these groups meeting the classification of overweight. It is estimated that about half of overweight school-agers and 70% of overweight teens will remain obese into adulthood."

"While the CDC and other organizations recommend that children participate in physical activity a minimum of an hour daily, kids are actually engaging in less physical activity, particularly as they approach adolescence."

"More than 75% of children ages 6-11 do not eat the minimum of 3 servings of vegetables or 2 servings of fruit daily."

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