Denton County Living Well Magazine November/December 2016 | Page 40

Obesity in America P By Joan Weems, RN ersons that are overweight do not like other people telling them they are overweight. I was one of those that always thought I was overweight whether I was or not. Well I’ve always struggled with being overweight. This year I got the courage to have a gastric sleeve and have lost 61 pounds. At work, we have the health insurance people saying, “You have got to get the weight of your people down or your rates for health insurance are going to be doubled.” So we try to have a “healthy business.” And after achieving that award, for several years, too many people still have high blood pressure due to being overweight. We have done the Biggest Loser Contest over and over in the past years, and someone always gets on the band wagon and loses an unreal amount 38 of weight only to gain it back––plus more––because there was no lifestyle change. We encourage walks on breaks, workouts at noon lunch break, and even when having meetings we serve healthy food and snacks. Life in America has become so fast that many people eat fast foods, most of which are unhealthy. We eat bigger food portions, and move less. As a result, the number of Americans who are overweight or obese (more than 20 pounds DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 overweight) has been rising. One in three American adults are obese, and another one-third are overweight. Being overweight or obese can have far-reaching health consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excess body weight increases a person’s risk for: • Heart disease • Type 2 diabetes • High blood pressure