Supersize Me………….NOT!!

Hopefully I’m not breaking any copyright laws using the title from a recent movie but it seemed appropriate for my topic this month.

Not only are we the wealthiest country in the world, we are also the most obese. Now THAT’S NOT something to be proud of.! We have long been known as the Land of Plenty, but when is “Plenty” too much?

Here are some statistics that may get your attention as they did mine:

Ø      In 2000, for the first time, the number of overweight people in the world rose to match the number who were underweight and starving: 1.2 billion!

Ø      In the U.S., 65% of adults and 19% of children ages 6 to 19 are overweight, and the fastest growing group of obese people are 100 pounds or more overweight; between 1986 and 2000, their numbers quadrupled, from 1 in 200 to 4 in 200.

Ø      An Indiana company that used to sell one “triple-wide” coffin a year now sells 4 or 5 a month; each one can hold a 700pound corpse!

Ø      Wisconsin ranks as the 17^th most obese state in the U.S.

Ø      The obesity rate in Wisconsin adults has increased by 91% from 1990-2002

Ø      24% of Wisconsin high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

Obesity can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the complications of which are far-reaching and life altering. Metabolic syndrome which is considered a pre-cursor to diabetes is identified by the presence of 3 or more of these components: Abdominal obesity – waist circumference  - men – greater than 40 inches; women- greater than 35 inches; fasting blood triglycerides greater than or equal to 150mg/dl; blood HDL (good) cholesterol : men less than 40 mg/dl; women less than 50 mg/dl; blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 and fasting glucose greater than 110 mg/dl.

OK, that’s the bad news. Now the good news, there are six major changeable risk factors that YOU have control over: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, being over weight and not exercising enough.

The most important thing is you have to be motivated to change. If and when you are ready, simple small changes are the way to start. Weight loss starts with portion control – read the labels of the foods you eat;. ½ cup is often the serving size for a food product, how often do we have 1 or even 2 cups as a “serving”? Eating foods high in fiber also help with weight loss as they fill us up with fewer calories usually and form bulk so that our intestinal tract stays regular. This helps us maintain a healthy weight, helps absorb the proper nutrients and even reduces our risk of colon cancer. Once we start eating healthier foods in smaller portions we will begin to see some weight loss. Then if we add in some form of exercise it accelerates and maintains the weight loss. Walking is something almost all of us can do on a regular basis. This time of year is a great time to get started and we live in one of the most beautiful areas in which to walk. Find a friend to go with you, it’s easier to stay committed if you have someone else you’re accountable to. 30 min. a day, 3-5 days a week, of some type of exercise has long-lasting benefits and will help you maintain your weight loss. These 30 minutes can be broken up into smaller time slots, 5 or 10 minutes at a time several times a day have been shown to be as beneficial as 30 consecutive minutes of exercise and are often easier to fit into our busy schedules.

Here are a couple of simple suggestions to build exercise into your day: if you watch 2 hours of TV a day and do physical exercise during all the commercials, you will exercise for 30 minutes! ; try walking up the stairs more often – use the upstairs bathroom instead of one on the main floor; park your car in the farthest spot at the store; take 2 trips or 3 trips up the stairs or into the house with groceries; dance with your Grandchildren; walk your dog 3 times instead of 2. Come up with your own ways to increase your activity level without paying thousands of dollars to belong to a gym you may go to twice!

I will address the health risks associated with smoking in an article later in the Fall this year, so I haven’t overlooked that changeable risk factor.

Next time you see me ask me about the wonderful changes in my health that have occurred in the year since I started co-leading the faith-based weight loss program with Lori Hartz, the other Parish Nurse in Lake Geneva, I’ll be happy to share them with you.

Eat healthy, exercise regularly, but first of all pray every day. We have much to be thankful for. Putting God first in our lives brings everything else into place. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”.

God’s richest blessings and my love and prayers,

Maureen Redmer, RN, Parish Nurse

Aurora Parish Nurse Program