Is it Healthy to Be Overweight Or Obese?

It is no secret that the United States is one of the fattest nations in the world. Over 66% of Americans over 20 years old are overweight or obese. Most people look at the surface of what fat actually means, thinking that it is OK to look the way you want to look. Why should it matter?, they ask. Because, being overweight or obese means so much more than how a person looks.

Twenty years ago, whenever I saw a person parking in front of a handicap sign, it was because that person needed enough space to get a wheelchair out of vehicle. There were no more than one of these spaces at the end of each row of cars, and why they needed to be close to the door is obvious.

Today, I have had to forfeit the luxury of parking anywhere close to the front door of a store because there are at least 4 handicap spaces reserved. However, I do not see any more people in wheelchairs than I used to. What I see are people who are overweight or obese, and perfectly capable of driving their cars let alone walking through a store to shop.

Do I need to even get into how much health insurance increases every year because of obesity? Here is a good example. My friend who is 36 years old never goes to the doctor for anything, yet his bill to ensure his own health goes up and up and up. He runs at least 4 miles a day, exercises and eats healthy. What is his reward? Good health, absolutely! But now he has to pay extra for that right because other people do not eat properly or strive to maintain good health.

What this all means is that overweight or obesity affects everyone, not just the person who is overweight or obese. This is the first aspect of what it really means to be fat. The number of obese American adults doubled in the last 20 years and is on the increase. Instead of trying to solve the problem, doctors simply issue more handicap stickers. I suppose if nothing is done in the next 20 years, my friend will have to do his jogging over to the grocery store because healthy people will not have a place to park at all.

More importantly than how it affects other people, is the second aspect of what being overweight or obese means. It claims the lives of its victims snack by snack and meal by meal. Over the course of several months, a person's ideal weight can get totally lost underneath a flabby shell of fast food fat without a person ever being aware of it as it is happening.

Weight-related medical problems increase sharply for those who are overweight and obese. Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer, gall bladder disease, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems are only a few. Those who are obese have a 50% to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes. I do not think anyone was put on this earth to suffer in such ways, and it all comes from your own choices!

Speaking of suffering, the second reason obesity claims lives is because a person becomes someone else because of it. Ever hear of the saying "It Is Not The Destination But The Journey"? Take a close look at how the quality of a person's life deteriorates with every pound gained outside of their health. Loss of self esteem, depression, addiction to prescription drugs and the inability to live life to its fullest are all consequences of being overweight or obese.

Is it really your destiny to be so big that you cannot enjoy going to a movie theatre because you can no longer fit into a seat or pay two airfares because you take up two seats? Is it your all-time dream to someday park your car as close as you can to the stores where you shop? Unless your goal in life is to experience all of these things first hand, it is important to change your lifestyle habits if you need to lose weight.

Notice how I did not just say eating habits? That is because it takes more than choosing a carrot instead of a cookie to live a healthy life. That is a great place to start, no doubt about it. But a person needs to change several things in order to become truly well. Your short term goal should be losing weight, and your long term goal should be to experience wellness.

What is wellness? Wellness is living a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, proper nutrition and being active in things that give you a sense of well-being. People who combine all of these aspects do not have to worry about having an extra piece of dessert during the holidays or forfeit a hot dog at a baseball game. How? Because of the small choices they make to lead healthy lifestyles on a daily basis. They are not faced with the dangers of being overweight or obese.

I lost 70 pounds in four months and have kept it off for over 15 years. I struggled for years and years to lose weight before that, but nothing changed until I looked at the big picture and started making changes. I substituted big fatty breakfasts with a soy-based protein shake. I now drink green tea or ice water instead of soda pop. I make healthier choices for my meals. I spend 45 minutes every day riding my bicycle outside around my neighborhood. That's it!

Like I said before, it does not take much to reverse a trend. The most important thing you must have in order to live a healthy lifestyle, however, is the mindset of someone who does not want to be overweight or obese anymore. Once you have that, you can set new goals and reach them while striving to be the person you know you were meant to be.