Like many people in Southlake, Texas this afternoon, I was reading the new edition of Southlake Style magazine that came in the mail today. After the usual local nonsense, I came across an article by Harold Wilson of Multisport Coaching Systems about weight loss exercise programs for truly obese people. He talked about the fact that most articles spend so much time talking about the overwhelming numbers associated with obesity and of course the associated health risks, but almost never spend much time on how an obese person can actually lose the obese tag.

 

Harold spent some time talking about the people in the news that have successfully lost the weight (Think “The Biggest Loser” or Jared of Subway…heck, he is even going to try to run the New York City Marathon next month!).

 

The meat of the article discussed the keys to successful weight loss: strategy + execution = success! Wow! Isn’t that the key to just about everything? But wait, maybe Harold is on to something. I have runners that get so caught up in planning their training program that they have little energy left to execute it. Same goes for weight loss programs. Many people spend all their available energy in the planning, so they never get around to executing it!

 

So, I will reiterate to you Harold’s tips for weight loss and you will see that they hold truth in all exercise programs!

 

1. Save most of your energy or effort level for execution

2.  Choose workouts that are smart and simple

3.  Build your day around your workout and plan ahead

4. Educate yourself on the science of nutrition

5. Remember these absolute truths: 

 

Discipline is necessary

 

Like many things in life, profoundly simple, yet simply profound! Thanks Harold!

 

PS. Since I shared with you Harold’s article, if you find yourself needing more advice you can find him at www.getfitgetfast.com or at the Southlake Larry North Fitness.

A recently published study predicted that the rate of diabetes in the US will double by 2034 while the rate of obesity will remain steady. Steady at a pathetic one third of the adult population! The discrepancy takes into account the aging population and how more fat Americans will become diabetic as they age. What does this mean for our country? It means a lot sicker, older population; and a trillion dollars in health care costs that we cannot afford as a country. Our only hope as a society is to start losing weight!

 

It has been estimated that while one third of the US adult population is obese (greater than 30 pounds over a healthy weight); almost 70% of the adult population is over weight (one to 29 pounds over a healthy weight). This means only 30% of the population is actually close to their ideal weight! Sadly our kids aren't fairing much better. The obesity rate in children is around 20%. This isn't changing much either because of the habits of most kids parents. Fat adults have fat kids. Like begets like.

 

So what can we do as a society to change this alarming trend? We need widespread lifestyle reform. We need to put the population not just on a quick fix diet, but on a life changing health regimen. Perhaps we should start by making all the kids walk to school. Oh yeah, there aren't enough sidewalks in many towns. Perhaps they can ride their bikes? Oh, same problem; no bike paths. How about increasing physical education in the schools? Darn, there isn't any money for that. And those standardized tests show kids need more classroom time. We've already tried improving the cafeteria food to much healthier choices, but most kids either won't eat it or bring junk food from home.

 

I've got it! How about an obesity tax that goes straight to public health initiatives? We can fund community health reform with a fat tax. Every time you buy a bag of potato chips or soda, you have to pay an extra sales tax. Maybe we can add a weight column on your income tax forms. No, most people would lie. I don't see the IRS going around weighing people. I think the junk food tax is our best bet. An extra little tax on everything from fast food hamburgers to candy bars. Then we can write a curriculum for adult education on healthy cooking, eating and exercise. Start a community walking program. Start a stress relief support group. Community health clinics focused on weight loss. A real health reform could sweep the nation.

 

Let's face it. The US cannot afford to continue to allow the majority of the population to be so fat! We spend most of our current health care dollars on chronic disease. Most of these diseases are caused by obesity and smoking. Think about what the US would look like if we lost weight and stopped smoking as a society? We wouldn't need this insane form of health care reform that Congress is trying to pass. The money would be so much better spent on real health reform!

 

I know we can come up with a plan to decrease the weight of the population. We have to! Our own overindulgence is killing us slowly but surely. Be part of the solution! Encourage better eating and exercise habits with your friends and families. Let's change America one family at a time. Remember that if we fail and this alarming trend continues, this will be the last generation that will have a life expectancy longer then their parents.

 

 

 

There's a childhood obesity crisis in the country, virtually any expert will tell you, and there is no shortage of reasons: increasingly sedentary lifestyles driven by video games, television and computers; a fast-food society in which soda machines and greasy cafeteria food are ubiquitous in kids' lives; and dwindling opportunities for exercise, particularly during the school day.

 

Put simply, at a time when every penny is being pinched by every school in every district in every county in every state, physical education is taking a beating. The experts and educators say there is no doubt that the erosion of P.E. has been a major contributor to the skyrocketing obesity rates.

 

And, of course, the more kids are unhealthy, the less they can exercise. This is their circle of life.

 

The National Association for Sport & Physical Education -- a non-profit organization made up of P.E. teachers, coaches, athletic directors and other professionals advocating for physical activity -- says students should receive 150 minutes of P.E. per week.

 

How many schools actually meet this standard….almost none!

 

For the entire article and video click here.

 

Take home message: we cannot rely on our schools to provide physical activity for our children. As parents, we need to turn off the TV, video games, and computers. Make our children go outside and play. Make healthy play a family tradition. On cold, rainy days teach your children stretching, yoga, or get small dumbbells and do a strength workout with them. Make it fun and most of all…share it with them! This will make family time a healthy time! Memories are made of this and your child will thank you when they are a healthy adult sharing the same kind of family time with their children!

 

Obesity causes kidney disease, liver disease and several types of cancer, but the most common way it kills is by causing stroke and, most importantly, heart disease. Obesity causes heart disease by elevating blood pressure, by interfering with blood cholesterol levels, and by bringing on diabetes.

 

BMI is a calculation that expresses a relationship between height and weight. People are considered underweight if their BMI is less than 18.5, normal weight when the BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, overweight when BMI is between 25 and 29.9, and obese when BMI is 30 or more, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

 

People who are moderately obese with a BMI (body mass index) in the 30 to 35 range reduced their life span by two and four years. For those who are severely obese with BMIs between 40 and 45, their life span was reduced by eight to 10 years. That's very similar to the effects of smoking.

 

Of course, I would think that this a is a no-brainer! The fatter you are, the more likely you will die from chronic disease. This is common sense, but for all those peolpe in complete denial in the drive through at McDonalds, here is your wake up call!

 

This blog is a discussion of the recently published guidelines for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Opinions are mine but the quotes are taken from published paper. The complete published guideline can be read at Medscape.

 

The Endocrine Society has issued practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity and has published them in the September 9 Online First issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The guidelines were cosponsored by the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society.

 

"The Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee of The Endocrine Society identified pediatric obesity as a priority area requiring practice guidelines and appointed a Task Force to formulate evidence-based recommendations," write Gilbert P. August, from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and colleagues. "Accordingly, the purpose of these guidelines is to summarize information concerning the seriousness of pediatric obesity and overweight; the diagnostic criteria; the available treatments and when to apply them; and the available measures to prevent overweight and obesity.”

 

As part of the recommendation, there are a few really important points that should be emphasized when treating these patients:

 

I know I’m preaching to the choir, but think of how just these two little changes would make such a big difference in our society. This would be landmark in our little part of Texas! My kids at this point only get 2 physical education classes a week! And they can’t ride their bikes to school because there are no sidewalks! Safe walking? I almost got run over just walking across the street last week!

 

"The objective of interventions in overweight and obese children and adolescents is the prevention or amelioration of obesity-related co-morbidities, e.g., glucose intolerance and T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus], metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and hypertension," the authors of the guidelines write. "We suggest that pharmacotherapy (in combination with lifestyle modification) be considered if a formal program of intensive lifestyle modification has failed to limit weight gain or to mollify comorbidities in obese children. Overweight children should not be treated with pharmacotherapeutic agents unless significant, severe co-morbidities persist despite intensive lifestyle modification."

 

Bottom line: Better food choices and regular exercise! How novel?

 

Get your kids running with you and make the first step towards a better, leaner society. Encourage your kids to bike, swim, and do regular exercise every day!

 

Run Happy! And with your children!