America is becoming fatter with each passing year and has the dubious honor of being listed in the top ten of the world’s heaviest countries (an overweight person is considered to be someone with a bodyfat percentage greater than 25 and obese is classified as greater than 30%). Obesity is now a worldwide epidemic and is linked to chronic diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It is also linked to high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, increased cholesterol levels, and strokes.
It’s hard to believe, but a full 30% of U.S. adults are considered to be obese and 16% of teenagers are considered to be overweight.

What are you waiting for people??? Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of all of the above mentioned health related problems.

A few of the reasons we have become a nation of poorly conditioned and grossly unhealthy individuals can be contributed to the following:

• We live in an automated world. Everything we do from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed has been made easier for us through technological advances. Basically, we have to move and work less to get the same results. Do you remember when you actually had to get off of the couch to change the tv channel?
• America’s workforce spends far too time being sedentary, whether it’s sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen or standing at a cash register waiting around for your next customer. Think of how many people spend an hour or more sitting in their cars commuting to work. In the DC area, it’s not uncommon for a commuter to spend up to 4 hours round trip in traffic.
• School physical education programs are being phased out due to budget restrictions. Today’s youth are simply not learning the health benefits of exercise and proper nutrition.
• Due to our sedentary lifestyles, low back pain has become extremely prevalent and affects approximately 80% of all adults. Dealing with this pain is bad enough, but trying to engage in an exercise program in addition to this pain seems inconceivable to many folks.

Now you can either become one of the statistics who lives with ongoing health related problems and runs the increased risk of heart related disease or you can choose to get up off of your butt and take action. Make a commitment right now to living a healthier lifestyle. You don’t need to change your life 180 degrees, but you do need to do something that will get you going in the right direction. Procrastination can kill you, so DO IT NOW!!!