There is little doubt that modern American adults and children are facing a borderline epidemic of obesity, and being overweight or obese can have a number of adverse health effects on a person, regardless of age. A number of factors have been identified as the main causes of current rates of obesity, and similarly, many different methods for fighting obesity have been identified as well, and many weight loss programs can lead to a healthy lifestyle. What might a healthy lifestyle to lose weight look like? This will vary from person to person, but there are some common elements to most efforts to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lower a person’s BMI, or body mass index. What is more, modern surgery can help with losing a lot of weight, which may be a boon for those who cannot easily perform exercise, such as the elderly or those with serious back issues, or amputees. A healthy lifestyle does a lot of good to just about anyone, and a medical weight loss program may be necessary for those who would struggle with regular cardio or exercise. But healthy foods can also help out. How often are people today obese, and how can this be curbed?

Americans and Body Weight

A lot of labor is now automated, and many American adults have jobs that are not physically demanding. In fact, many desk and office jobs are sedentary, and in their free time, children and adults today are often sedentary rather than getting exercise at a park or a local gym, and avoiding this sort of healthy lifestyle is fueling obesity rates. Today, about one in three American adults is obese, and more are simply overweight, based on their BMI. What is causing this? Sedentary lifestyles, as mentioned before, are causing this, as people are not burning enough calories doing physical work or exercise programs, meaning that fat and calories rapidly build up in the body while not being burned back off. Many people young and old are using electronic screens for hours per day, and this is always a sedentary lifestyle that contributes to obesity rates.

Another problem is diet. Fast foods and highly processed foods are very common, and they are not only cheap but also have added fats, sugars, or even oils to strengthen their flavor and make them more appealing. The problem is that these added ingredients contain a lot of unhealthy fats and sugars, and this can quickly add a lot of body fat to a consumer. These foods often do not have the nutrition that person needs, and most American adults and children are not eating their daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. What can be done?

Get a Healthy Lifestyle

Adjusting one’s diet is one strong way to get a healthier lifestyle. A person can cut all fast foods and highly processed foods from their diet, and this will eliminate their intake of those excess sugars, fats, and calories. These foods can instead be replaced with whole, organic foods that meet a person’s dietary needs and don’t contain excess calories. Fruits and vegetables, or fresh produce in general, can go a long way towards this, and whole wheat grains help, too, as do proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs. Dairy like milk and cheese also play a role in such a diet. But before a person makes such a drastic change in their diet, they should first consult their doctor and/or a nutritionist to make sure that this transition will be healthy and beneficial.

For those interested, various surgical methods exist to help with weight loss, including surgically removing fat as well as modifying the stomach to reduce caloric intake. Some Americans who are trying to lose weight are hampered by poor discipline, so they sometimes turn to surgery to modify their body’s relationship with food. Gastric surgery can be done to reduce the size of the stomach, which means that a person needs to consume only a modest amount of food before they feel full, which limits caloric intake without causing diet-threatening hunger pangs. Often, hunger and not feeling full can sabotage a diet, and while many Americans try to diet, this can hamper their efforts. Therefore, some turn to surgery to help.