Apparently, excess fat does more than prevent obese people from seeing their toes.
In a 2000-2002 survey (and why does it take almost a decade for the results of these studies to make the light of day?) more than two thousand obese adults in the Dallas area, an overwhelming majority believed they had nothing to lose. Literally and medically.
The survey, conducted as part of the Dallas Heart Study by Dr. Tiffany M. Powell and colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, found that 14 percent of the obese African Americans and 11 percent of obese Hispanics felt they should trim down the pounds. More shocking was the result for white obese individuals – just 2 percent felt they were overweight.
Some other shocking stats from the study:
- Half of these individuals actually thought they were healthier than most people their age
- 44 % had not seen a doctor at all in the past year (compared to 25% of people who correctly perceived their weight
- Education played no role (both highly-educated and non-educated people were as prone to these misperceptions)
The mind is an amazing thing, and a positive attitude does work toward keeping people happy and healthy. But a positive mindset can’t will away gravity if you’ve fallen off a cliff, and it won’t prevent obesity from killing you if you don’t know you’re overweight.
There are hundreds of online calculators to help you instantly assess whether you’re underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Here’s one. All you need is your height and weight. If your BMI is 25 or more, see a doctor, start exercising and start looking closely at what you’re putting into your body each day (start a food journal). If your BMI is 30-plus, don’t kid yourself. Get to a doctor right away. Your life depends on it!
And speaking of kids… If the parents aren’t aware they have an obesity problem, it’s possible that their children may be heading toward a life of obesity themselves. Here’s a BMI Calculator for children and teenagers from the CDC.
Many Obese People See No Need to Lose Weight.
Hmmm.
There’s a lot of research that points to the fact that children believe that food that is wrapped in brightly colored fun packaging tastes better than the same food in a plain wrapper. Fast food companies have known this for years, going so far as to entice kids with toys in their “happy meals.” Tobacco companies were banned from using cartoon characters to advertise cigarettes, out of fear that children would be attracted to the packaging.
Could it be that this weapon of mass-marketing bad stuff to children could actually be used to market healthy food to them? Could be. GYMB4 workouts are based on time-tested exercise calisthenics that have been around for over 50 years. Yet, these activities weren’t cool until GYMB4 came along and packaged them with bright colors, animations and hip music that kids love. We’ve turned calisthenics into pop culture. The result is that, in every school where GYMB4 is used, the children LOVE GYMB4, and it gets them to want to do a workout routine that no one’s been able to force kids to do over several generations.
I think this campaign by Bolthouse Farms and the baby carrot producers could work. The only question is, what kind of toy surprise will they put inside?
Baby carrots: the next pop culture fad? | Blog | Ode Magazine.
Slouching and hunching over is more than a bad habit. It’s a by-product of the way our children spend their free time, writes Fitness Columnist Lenny Bernstein.
Kids no longer do exercises to work out their core – the muscles in their upper back, shoulders and lower back – that help them maintain proper posture. Today’s activities, including computer keyboards, homework, and video games, actually encourage poor posture and stresses your neck, shoulders and also your lower back. The result is that, without activities to strengthen the core, our kids are at risk of growing up hunched over and in constant pain from posture-related injury.
GYMB4 workouts do more than get kids moving and increase aerobic activity. They also include fun exercises that help kids work out the muscles that improve core stability. By doing these workouts in the classroom – in just 5 or 10 minutes a day – teachers can give students a break that will not only keep them healthy and help them stay on task, but also improve their posture.
Lenny Bernstein’s article is a good read. Check it out:
Lenny Bernstein – To help kids maintain good posture, make it fun.