Many people seem to be unable to differentiate between being overweight and being obese. It is normal either for someone who is overweight to think that they are obese and you’ll find them reading articles on how to beat obesity or you’ll find them trying every product in the market that promises to make them lighter. On the other hand, there are obese people who are in denial of their condition and tend to refer to themselves as being slightly overweight. Looks can be quite deceiving because you can find someone who looks really on the upper side of the scale being overweight while another who just looks a bit chubby being clinically obese. So how do you know whether or not you’re obese?

Ever heard of the body fat percentage? Well that is the measure that determines the ratio of body fat to your mass and can therefore tell whether you’re obese or just overweight. The body fat percentage for an overweight person ranges between15% to 20%. Anything higher than that is what we now refer to as obesity. More than 60% of the American adult population is obese while more than 15% of American children are obese. This is quite an alarming statistic. Obesity is a very serious condition that has taken millions of lives. It causes hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disorders and even cancer. You need to know that this is a condition that you can’t simply ignore. It’s not just another flu that will go all by itself with time. No matter how hard you’ve tried before to get healthier, the fact that you are still breathing means that you still have a lot of hope working on your side. So what does cause obesity?

The main cause of obesity is the eating habits that a person generates. We live in a day and time when everything can be gotten instantly. Only the people living in the country afford the pleasure of eating from their very own farms. In the urban areas, the grocery store is the only access you have to the farm side of life. Barely do people have time to make a full balanced diet, so what is the fastest option? Fast food. Fast food and junk can take you from healthy, to slightly overweight and hen to clinically obese within no time. Over processed food which as the name suggests is junk to your body! They have very little of vitamins and minerals if indeed they are present. Smoking and consumption of alcohol is the secret ingredient to getting really unhealthy, really fast.

Lack of physical exercise is also another key factor. I doubt whether you will find a football couch that is battling obesity. If you’re a computer genius who simply sits in front of a computer the whole day and orders fast food the whole day it’s no wonder you probably have weight issues. Take the stairs for a start.

Simply eat healthy not junky and it’s about time you started working out. Don’t give up, your life is on the line.

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