Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Is Obesity A Bigger Problem?

There are 10 jobs that can make us obese. That was the finding of a 2012 Harris Interactive study. Travel agent, attorney/judge, social worker, teacher, artist/designer/architect, administrative assistant, physician, protective services (police, firefighter), marketing/public relations professional, information technology professional – what these jobs have in common are high levels of stress and lack of movement. Forty-four percent of the surveyed workers gained weight at their job and more than half blamed it on sitting at a desk. Of course stress eating, regular take-out and office snacks also added to weight gain. Maybe these employees just need to "work their asses off".
The obesity epidemic affects everyone – even the homeless. A study published in the Journal of Urban Health included 5,632 homeless adults participating in the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Based on that 2012 study, 32.3% of the homeless are obese – 42.8% women and 29.7% men. Hunger causes the body to store calories as fat; high stress and lack of sleep also contribute to weight gain; and even if the homeless have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, they have no way to store and prepare them. Homelessness is another reason the U.S. obesity epidemic is so "widespread".
To fight obesity New York City is planning a 16-ounce limit on sugary drinks sold at restaurants, movie theaters, sports venues and street carts. However, the ban doesn't apply to drinks containing less than 25 calories per 8 ounces or are at least 50% milk. The ban is expected to go into effect in March 2013 and noncompliance would result in a $200 fine. Considering a 2006 study found sugary drinks are the largest drivers of obesity and considering more than 50% of NYC residents are overweight or obese, this ban is hoped to be more than "an ounce of prevention".
However, obesity alone doesn't increase risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a study of 22,000 middle-aged people published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, increased risk occurs when obesity is combined with abnormal blood pressure, blood sugar, HDL or C-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation in the body). Obese and non-obese participants with poor metabolic health had increased risk of dying from heart disease – 64% and 59% respectively. However, metabolically-healthy, obese participants were no likelier to die from heart disease than metabolically-healthy, non-obese participants. When it comes to obesity and heart disease, other factors have to be "weighed".
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/is-obesity-a-bigger-problem-5963967.html

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