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In the US people tend to put an emphasis on thinness over fitness. Being overweight is socially and medically unacceptable to most Americans. People who are overweight are considered unattractive and unhealthy. Now as more research is done, doctors and other experts are learning that fitness is more important to a person's well being than losing the weight.
Studies are now beginning to show that people who are thin, but yet physically unfit die three times earlier than those who are a few pounds over weight yet are physically fit. There are still people, who insist that weight is a more important issue than fitness, but body shape is a bigger indicator. People who carry the majority of their weight in their abdomen are at higher risk for cardiovascular trouble than people who carry the weight in their hips and thighs. Either way though, those who are morbidly obese are at a higher risk of many health problems. But when a person combines a healthy diet along with a fitness program, odds are the weight will naturally come down as a result, lowering the health risks.
The body is designed to move. Inactivity will only result in even more inactivity because when you don't move, muscles start to weaken and joints stiffen up over time causing movement to become more difficult. Women who are inactive and who have poor dietary habits run a higher risk of Osteoporosis in later life. It's important to exercise at least an hour per day. It doesn’t have to be all at once, it can be broken down into 10-minute sessions done throughout the day. In the beginning it's best to start off slow and work your way up. Make sure before you start anything to check with your Doctor. Make sure the activities you choose are something fun that you will want to stick to. It's not always wise to go out and spend money on expensive equipment or on a health club when the average person loses interest in it within a week. There are many activities that a person can do that cost little or no money. Walking is one of the best aerobic activities. For those who are able, there's jogging, swimming, cycling, skating, volleyball, tennis and other activities.
Anyone who has a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 35 or more is considered to be morbidly obese. This group of people is at the highest risk of sudden death, heart attack diabetes and numerous other health problems associated with this condition. For most people with this condition, exercise can be very painful due to the physical restrictions, and somewhat near impossible. There are ways to overcome this obstacle. To gain physical fitness the person will need to start off gradually and then increase activity as they get better able to. One of the best ways is with "Chair Aerobics." There are classes available for this. Here are some tips for doing some starter exercises for those who may be bound to a wheel chair or to bed.
1. Start off with leg lifts and abdominal crunches. Even if you can only tense up the muscles, it’s a start. 2. Slowly add repetitions and intensity, as the movement gets easier over time. 3. When mobility has increased and walking has become possible, walk for as long as you can. Even if it's a few steps, it's a start. Just do it every day and add more as it gets easier.
Starting off can seem like it's an eternity, but after sticking with it, mobility will return and eventually walking a mile will seem like nothing.
A healthy diet is important at any weight. Thin people who eat excessive amounts of saturated fat are going to be putting themselves at risk for cardiovascular disease, just as being overweight and eating saturated fat would be. Also a high fat, low fiber diet has been linked to various forms of cancer. Diet and inactivity result in 250,000 preventable deaths in the U.S. per year. Smoking is the number one cause at 300,000 per year. It's important to keep your daily fat intake at 30% of your total calories. Going fewer than 30% isn’t a good idea because the body needs a certain amount of fat each day in order to properly metabolize energy. That is way people who go on fat-free diets tend to not lose much weight. When choosing a diet make sure it's low in fat and high in fiber. It's also good to take a vitamin supplement when cutting calories to make sure to get the proper nutrition your body needs.
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