This is an excerpt of my Free Weight Loss Program, the Don’t Go Broke Weight Loss Plan.
The obesity epidemic is spreading across the United States. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 66 percent of American adults are overweight. That is equivalent to 145 million American adults and of those, 75 million are obese. That is a huge problem. Pun intended.
Even more alarming, this epidemic is now spreading to our children. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 17 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight or obese. That is 14 million children who are not at a healthy weight. Something has to be done.
Obesity-Related Diseases
The number of overweight and obese individuals is so alarming because carrying extra pounds increases the risks of developing many diseases including:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
- Certain types of cancer
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Metabolic syndrome
- Sleep apnea
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Gallbladder disease
- Liver disease
- Urinary incontinence
- Depression
Unhealthy and Expensive
Being overweight or obese does not just affect the person; it affects us all because of the financial burden it places on society. According to the CDC, during 2003 medical expenses attributed to people being overweight or obese were almost 75 billion dollars. That is a large sum of money, and is part of the reason why health care in the United States is so unaffordable.
Weight Loss Attempts
If Americans have such a large problem with their weight, why don’t they do something about it? They are trying. Market research firm, Marketdata, found that Americans spent 59 billion dollars on weight loss in 2008. All of that money spent and only 2 percent of the people who actually lose weight will be able to keep the weight off longer than 5 years.
Americans are trying to lose weight; they are just failing to do so. They are failing because in spite of seemingly having all the tools, they do not know how to lose weight.
The Weight Loss Formula
In order to lose weight you must create a calorie deficit. This means you must burn more calories than you eat. It is a very simple concept. So, Americans spend money on diet programs and exercise programs trying to lose weight. They buy the latest top selling diet book or weight loss pill. They join weight loss clubs, support groups or have meals delivered. They join gyms and health clubs or buy the newest weight loss equipment. They take all of these steps but cannot get and keep the weight off.
But Why?
Why can’t they get the weight off and keep it off? Is it because the fad diets, weight loss pills, weight loss clubs, gyms, and weight loss equipment do not work? Quite the contrary, most of those strategies can help you lose weight.
They can help you lose weight because most of them involve you either eating less or moving more, and those are the two activities you need in order to lose weight. All of the diet books and weight loss programs are reduced calorie plans designed to help you eat less. Gyms and weight loss equipment are designed to help you move more. They all should work.
Why don’t they work? They do not work because most of them do not adequately address the real reason most people are overweight. Most of the weight loss businesses attack what you put in your mouth and what you do with your muscles. It is not your mouth or your muscles that is preventing you from losing weight. It is your brain.
You can throw all the money you have at weight loss, but you will not have permanent weight loss unless you change and strengthen the organ between your ears.
Weight loss can be enhanced and better maintained with strength training. For more information on my favorite strength training tool, read my review of the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells.
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