Fast Facts On Obesity„„

Since the early 1960s, the prevalence of obesity among adults more than doubled, increasing from 13.4 to 35.7 percent in U.S. adults age 20 and older. Currently, 68.8% of all adults in the United States are either overweight or obese!

The rate of rise of obesity, unfortunately, correlates with the misguided recommendations from the USDA in the form of the now withdrawn and failed food pyramid. Although the intention of the food pyramid was to promote healthy eating and weight loss, it in fact, did the opposite of what it intended to do by contributing to a new problem – insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.  Before we look at how this happened, let’s take a look at the staggering Obesity Numbers.

Alarming Statistics Of Obesity

More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or
obese.

„„More than 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese„„

More than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity

„„About one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be overweight or obese„„

More than 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be obese.

• More than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obes

e.„„

More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese.„„

More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity.„„Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese.„„

The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)   „„

About 8 percent of women are considered to have extreme obesity.

Source: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010 2,3

What really caused this enormous rise of Obesity?

While the Government might want to make you believe it is your fault you are overweight or obese, as a physician trained in Obesity Medicine, I will show you the contribution by the Government to this problem. Obviously, there are multiple reasons for Obesity but here are the most important in my opinion.

In 1992, The USDA made a nice looking food Pyramid.

In May 2011, the USDA released a graphic called “My Plate” to help people choose what foods to eat. This new guideline is meant to replace the old “Food Pyramid” that many people grew up with. Remember the triangle shape with the bread, cereal, and rice at the bottom and the fats and oils to be “used sparingly” at the top? This useless and misleading food pyramid, which has been confusing consumers for over 25 years, has advocated a philosophy of eating more grains and other less “fatty” foods.

What the Food Pyramid failed to do was to differentiate simple versus complex sugars. It also placed undue importance on grain-based products. Grain-based “simple carbohydrates” such as breads, potatoes, rice, cereal and pasta, although often low in fat, also rate high on the glycemic index. That means that they break down quickly in the body, overwhelming the blood with sugars and potentially leading to a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” 

Affecting up to one in every three Americans, insulin resistance is very common and can lead to difficulty losing weight, pre-diabetes, or type II diabetes, heart disease and other long-term health problems associated with obesity. With the new “My Plate” guidelines and some other tips, more Americans may be able to avoid these unhealthy complications. Learn more on insulin resistance…