Why Severe Weight Gain May Just Be Severely Over-rated

The website Red Orbit reported back in 2005 that for Americans, obesity was no longer the second most frequent cause of death as everyone was previously told.. It turned out that a study analyzing mortality rates and body-mass index (BMI) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, ranked obesity as the seventh most likely cause of preventable death, when stacked up against such culprits as motor vehicle accidents, plane crashes, and gunshot wounds. Now, I take it that this is supposed to be good news! I beg to differ.

I am not pessimistic, but I do have a point to make. Being severely overweight is classified as a preventable disease. I am not sure to what extent this is true, as there are people who will swear that they got their tendency for hugeness from their parents or some other person in their family line. Be that as it may, I think we can all agree that somewhere in the mix, the quality and quantity of what we eat play vital roles in any severe weight gain we may experience. To one degree or another, there is personal culpability here, and you and I can prevent or reduce severe weight gain by taking the right action.

The story does not end there though, as it goes on to state that up to three months prior to the release of this study, the estimated number of people dying annually from severe weight gain, was in the region of 365,000. This was the figure being quoted by the Centers for Disease Control in the USA, and which is a massive 14 times the newly released estimated figure of just under 26,000 people per year.

The uncertainty of how this figure is calculated is a problem for the CDC, it seams. Dr. Julie Gerberding, its director was reluctant to accept it, and so was Dr. JoAnn Manson, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The CDC, in the United States declares that the new information would not change much of what they do to fight obesity. The Center would not use the new figures, but would "they implied" continue to use the old figures.

Severe weight gain can increase your risk of dying prematurely from any number of related diseases. I believe we all need to have a good measure of weight to suit our frames, height, etc. The last thing I want to do is to promote an unhealthy attitude towards your health. It seems though, that as much as we welcome this news, even one death from overweight or obesity is one too many.

Though severe weight gain or excess fat is not my problem, it still leaves me with the annoying feeling that I have to get back on my treadmill and sweat a bit more. Ouch! But, look at the bright side. I am determined that not too long from now, I am going to wake up late every morning for two whole months, have a leisurely breakfast, go for walk or jog, and spend the rest of the day fooling around my wife. If a little sweat will help me do that, I am all for it. I certainly would like to be around to enjoy those days!