Uncle Bud has been on an extended trip and the coffee club has not been the same. The entire group was excited to see him coming through the door this morning. The group is just not the same without him. We wanted to hear about his trip but he was more interested in finding out if we had stuck to our exercise programs and healthy eating. Most of us had and the rest of us kept quite. He wasted no time starting on his lecture for the week.
He starts out by telling us that society has become obsessed with how people look. These days so many people feel being overweight is an appearance issue but the fact is being overweight can seriously affect a person’s health so we should see view it as a medical concern.
Most people know that being overweight can cause health problems like diabetes and heart disease. But we fail to realize it can affect a person’s joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels. Actually being overweight impacts a person’s entire quality life.
Uncle Bud reminds us that people become overweight when they eat more calories than they burn off. He takes a quick look at our plates and laughingly announces that a few members of the coffee club will need to add at least fifteen extra minutes to their workout today. He continues by telling us that a couple of extra pound of body fat is not a health risk. However, the risk comes when they develop a habit of eating more calories than they burn.
Eventually, the body gets to a point where the amount of body fat can have a negative effect on a person’s health. Doctors use the terms “overweight” or “obese” to describe when someone is at greatest risk of developing weight-related health problems. Have you heard the term “obesity epidemic”? Some health experts are using this term because more people are overweight these days than ever before. It is really sad to note that one third of all kids between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight or obese. Some of these young people are developing health problems that used to be considered “adult health problems”. It should concern us to see children developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes when it could have been avoided by them having healthy eating habits.
It is easier to put weight on that it is to take weight off. Some people have more trouble losing weight than others because obesity tends to run in families. You may have a genetic tendency to gain weight easily because your body burns calories more slowly. Do not let this discourage you. Just know that you may have to plan your intake of food a little better and exercise a little harder than someone else.
While genes influence body type and size Uncle Bud points out the environment plays a big role people becoming overweight. Some of us today may be gaining weight because of unhealthy food choices. Family habits play a big part in our eating habits. Let’s face it, it is easier to grab a high-calorie, low nutrient snack than it is to plan healthy snack. This along with less-active lifestyles adds to the “obesity epidemic”.
As we begin to leave Sam points out that sometimes people turn to food when they feel upset, anxious, sad, stressed, or bored. We all agree to try not to eat for any of these reasons. Uncle Bud reminds us that exercise can help relieve all these emotions and be better for us than over eating. Even with that remark it is so good to have him back.