Women: 40 vs. 15%. Men: 35 vs. 11%
Does that blog title grab your attention? Do you wonder what those numbers are referencing? Do you wonder which side of the %’s you may fall? Read on and see because our concern is that you may not be where you want to be!
Bottom line: this blog is very short and simple … and yet disturbing and aggravating. In our office and in others offering the Lifetime Metabolic Program we serve LOTS of women. Because of that, we recently began digging up some information as to why this is.
One might immediately think women engage more often in weight loss programs because they are more focused on “appearance” or are more self-conscious than men. Well, maybe that’s so. But the truth of the matter is that in the USA and world-wide there are more obese women. Sorry if that irritates you. Just bringing the facts here – which are shared below.
Yet, before those stats are shared, we must openly and bluntly share that we are talking about obesity and weight challenges from a HEALTH perspective here. This is NOT about vanity, appearance or “beauty”. No doubt, there are beautiful women of every age, race and size. But here’s our stance:
If we have our beauty and not our full and optimal health, then it’s time to pay attention and take action!
So, with that simple and straight forward introduction, it seems fitting to simply share some FACTS and STATS from an article we recently came across from cbsnews.com on June 7, 2016 and entitled “US Women Hit Milestone For Obesity”.
Geesh! Just that title alone is disturbing! Nobody wants to read that! That is NOT a milestone any of us want to be a part of! Sometimes, the thing that gets people to wake up, step up and create change is awareness. So, let me share some excerpts from the article.
It starts like this …
“The nation's obesity epidemic continues to grow, led by an alarming increase among women. For the first time, more than 4 in 10 U.S. women are obese, according to new government health statistics.
Obesity rates for men and women in the U.S. had been roughly the same for about a decade. But in recent years, women have surged ahead and now just over 40 percent of women are obese, compared to 35 percent of men.
The percentages were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in two articles published online Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The numbers are based on small government survey that is considered the best measure of the nation's obesity problem.”
So, these are accurate and good measures showing women to be passing up men in the obesity category in America. That’s no good! But, here was the more concerning statement in this article …
“The rate of obesity in women is also higher than in men across the world, although far lower overall than in the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, 15 percent of women worldwide and 11 percent of men are obese”.
So, when we combine these two sets of stats we learn that women have higher obesity rates than men world-wide. But even more concern is the comparison to the rest of the world. As the title summarizes:
Almost 3x the obesity rate in the USA!
Again, 3x as high for men in the USA!
I’m going to leave it at. Just a little stat sharing today. But as you finish reading this, please take a few minutes to ponder these questions:
- WHY is this?
- How does this make YOU feel? And. Maybe most importantly …
- What are you going to do to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem?
Suggestion: stay tuned in to our program. Contact our office. Get a computerized Body Composition Analysis. Have DNA testing done. Take action. Make it today!