americans have been steadily gaining weight over the years, apparently most predominately in the south. we are eating approximately 300 more calories per day.
obesity, as defined by the centers for disease control and prevention:
according to the most recent study, 25% of new yorkers are obese. and 28.1% of texans. and holy moly, 32% of mississippians. but, there has been an early release of new information.For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.
- An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
- An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
the rates of diabetes are rising in correspondence with rates of obesity. already, 7.8% of americans are diabetic. 1/4 of them do not know about it. AND there has been no change in the amount of physical activity that people are doing.
ergh. almost all foods include processed sugars and fats. it's actually pretty gross. we eat foods that are not foods, foods that LOOK like foods, foods that are modified to SEEM like food, but are lacking in vitamins and nutrients. it's more expensive to buy water and apples than soda and french fries and pork rinds. it's infuriating and frustrating and people are seemingly lacking in information about food.
and, on that note, how is possible that manufacturers do not have to label when food is modified? or where it comes from? i am so agitated this morning.
3 comments:
the cdc is full of crap when it comes to bmi (although the cdc is pretty great when it comes to other things). you can't properly calculate bmi on the basis of height & weight alone and have it be meaningful. what about people with lots of muscle? they're going to have an "obese" bmi. also, the cdc fixes these cut-off points (obese, overweight, normal, underweight) somewhat arbitrarily & without taking individual body structure into account.
with that out of my system, i do buy the population-level figures. we eat too much and too crappy. maybe you should run for office on a food justice platform. i'd vote for you.
Did you see this today?
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/07/food.safety.eggs/index.html
well, the cdc's understanding of obesity seems to be similar to all the other ones i found. or maybe they just use the cdc. it's unsure.
and, obviously, there will be an eventual run for office. apparently, we elect idiots for state offices here. i can certainly do better.
oh. and the eggs. that is a blog post just waiting to happen. thanks, elanna.
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