There are a number of components to getting yourself in the best health possible, ranging from high levels of physical fitness to following a diet that is healthy, at least overall (after all, eating junk food or unhealthy foods once in awhile is not going to be hugely detrimental to your health). Unfortunately, the United States is currently facing a huge crisis of health, seeing skyrocketing levels of obesity in children and in adults alike. In fact, obesity can be diagnosed in up to one third of all adults in this country alone, and in children we see even more cases. And another one third of the adult population is overweight, even though they are not yet obese.

There are many contributing factors to what is often referred to as the obesity epidemic, such as a lack of exercise, Unfortunately, only around five percent of all adults are getting the daily thirty minutes of recommended exercise, with only about one third of this same population exercising and getting physical movement as much as they need to throughout the course of a single week. And the same is holding true for children – or at least very similar.

Recent data gathered backs this up, showing that a scant one third of children get significant physical activity on a daily basis. In addition to this, more screen time is being spent, up to seven and a half hours of it in just one day for children up through their adult years. While screen time is not necessarily a back thing in moderation, it can be hugely detrimental when it gets in the way of physical activity, as physical activity does not just help to keep children at a healthy weight and in good physical condition but also helps to grow their brains as well, especially in the area of fine and gross motor skills.

On top of this, the diet of all too many is far from satisfactory, with fresh cooked meals using quality and healthful ingredients falling more out of favor than ever before, something that can very much be attributed to the spread of fast food restaurants throughout the entirety of the country. In fact, they have as much as doubled, if not even more than that, since the 1970s, showing a marked increase in the inclusion of unhealthy foods containing saturated fats, refined grains, sodium, and more in the diets of many people all throughout the United States.

The consequence of this is great. Not only does being drastically obese put a great deal of physical strain on your body simply because of all the extra weight that it is being forced to carry, but it also stresses your organs themselves as well. Your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes skyrockets and this condition can become very serious if it is not treated. Risk of heart disease and stroke also climb significantly and those who are morbidly obese often find that they are looking at a significantly shorter lifespan than their more in shape counterparts of the same age.

However, there are steps that we can take to mitigate the impact of obesity. Even Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through diet and exercise and we could potentially lessen the amount of people who currently have it – around one third of this country – by pushing these things as important. Exercise equipment is not even necessary, though exercise equipment can certainly be helpful for beginners. If you don’t have access to exercise equipment on a regular basis, simply just walking, just getting moving, can be hugely beneficial.

If you’re looking for exercise equipment, however, you’ll likely be able to find it at sports stores and fitness stores all throughout the country. Exercise equipment comes in all shapes and sizes. Exercise equipment includes larger machines like treadmills but in many cases exercise equipment simply means using free weights or a yoga mat. No matter what, there is more likely than not the exercise equipment out there that is right for you.

Obesity is a problem all throughout the United States, but there are definitive steps that we can take to rectify and reduce this problem.