Over the past 40 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in Canada. Between 1970 and 1998, the proportion of Canadian adults considered overweight or obese increased from 40 to 50.7 percent.  In 2004, approximately 6.8 million Canadians adults ages 20 to 64 were overweight, and an additional 4.5 million were obese. While 23% of Canadian adults were obese in 2004, the rate was nearly 30% south of the border.  Overweight and obesity rates were calculated using the body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared.  For adults, a BMI of 25 or more indicates overweight and an increased risk of developing health problems; 30 or more indicates obesity and a high to extremely high risk of developing health problems.

For example, an adult male who is 1.8 metres tall (five feet, 10 inches) and weighs 95 kg (210 pounds) would have a BMI of 30 and be considered obese. Similarly an adult female who is 1.6 metres tall (five feet, 4 inches) and weighs 80 kg (175 pounds) would have a BMI of 30 and also be considered obese.

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in Canada is not restricted to the adult population; data for children is a mirror image of the adult trend. BMI is calculated using the same formula for children and adolescents. However, the cut-points for being overweight and obese vary by the age and sex of the child. The most disturbing thing is that while all of the statistics point to ever increasing numbers of overweight people, and the message getting out to the public is loud and clear, a lot of people aren’t paying much heed.  And of course a huge industry has sprung up to help people who are looking for a quick fix to the problem.  We spend billions of dollars a year on memberships for gyms and weight-loss centres, or much more drastic remedies like liposuction and weight loss surgeries.  But as we all know, there is no magic bullet for weight loss.  That’s because there are several factors that contribute to obesity.Those factors are both external things that we don’t have any control over, and internal, those things that we can choose to do something about. 

External – genetic, metabolic, environmental, economic, and biological.

Internal – activity level; food choices; social activities, psychological and behavioral tendencies.

 The root cause of obesity in most cases is that a person consumes more food energy (calories) than is needed to provide for the day’s activities, including work and exercise.  The excess calories not used for energy will end up being stored as fat.  Over time this can result in obesity.  

Couch Potato Society

Activity Levels have significant impact on the body systems that control food storage and utilization of energy.  Low activity levels cause an increase the storage of excess calories as fat.  Therefore, the evidence points to overconsumption of food high in calories (and low in nutrition) and a lack of activity as the most significant contributor to obesity.

 As might be expected, the likelihood of being obese was related to diet and exercise. Adult men and women who ate fruit and vegetables less than three times a day were more likely to be obese than were those who consumed such foods five or more times a day.

So for many people, maintaining a healthy weight require dietary changes and getting adequate activity.  In order to help the body use more calories during the day, some supplements can promote fat burning to edge us toward success and make those needed lifestyle changes easier to manage.

Featured Products:

COLLATRIM PLUS POWDER, Stock Number: 3062-0

Collatrim Plus is designed to support weight management by utilizing high levels of protein and important amino acids contained in our premier source of collagen.

Solstic Slim   Stock Number : 6502-0

Formulated with the latest proven ingredients in herbal weight loss that help to suppress appetite, turn on your fat burning metabolism and increase physical and mental energy. 

Call today for more information or to book your consultation, a personalized program will always yield the best results for you!

Yours In Health
Charmain
www.gethealthinbalance.com