In the United States, there is no denying the fact that we are in the midst of an obesity crisis, one that is greatly impacting the lives of children and adults alike. As a matter of fact, the data that has been gathered on the subject more than backs up this claim, showing, after all, that up to 78 million adults in this country alone are obese. The obese adolescent population is also quite high, with up to 12.5 million children considered by medical standards to be obese as well. If we don’t do anything, this problem will only worsen with time, with more than half of all adults in the United States becoming classified as obese by the time that we reach the year of 2030, which is now not so far off in the future at all.

There are a number of reasons that obesity has become the problem that it is today. For one thing, people have greater access to and motivation to eat unhealthy foods than ever before. Since the 1970s, now nearly a full half of a century in the past, the number of fast foods establishments found throughout the country has increased immensely, even doubling. These fast food restaurants can certainly be quite alluring, offering cheap foods for little effort, something that can easily seem hugely ideal for someone who is tired after a long day of work and doesn’t want to invest the time into cooking a healthy and nutritious meal – and one that tastes good at that. With little nutritional content but high levels of everything from saturated fats to sodium to refined sugars, it’s no doubt that fast food consumption has contributed to unhealthy weight gain in many a person all throughout the United States – and throughout much else of the world as well.

But diet is far from the only problem when it comes to obesity and even just being overweight. A lack of exercise among children and adults alike has also become hugely problematic here in the United States, and is something that a great deal of data has also backed up. Unfortunately, children are less active than ever before, with only about a third of children actually getting up and moving in a meaningful way on a daily basis, though it is recommended that they participate in at least an hour of physical activity in this same span of time. Much of this can be attributed to the use of technology and rampant screen time, as the average child will actually spend as many as seven and a half hours out of their day using screens.

The problem of physical inactivity and leading a sedentary lifestyle is certainly not confined to children, however. Too many adults are largely sedentary as well, with only about 5% of the total adult population of this country getting up and moving for even just a mere half of an hour out of the day. In addition to this, less than half of all adults (around one third, to be more specific) will actually meet the weekly recommended exercise levels on a regular basis. Fortunately, however, there are steps that every adult can take to change their habits and lifestyle choices and reverse some – if not all – of the damage that being overweight or obese has already done.

For instance, a sports store can help just about any adult find the premium fitness equipment that is right for them. For while gym memberships can certainly be beneficial for many people, others will feel hugely self conscious about attending a gym and will prefer to use exercise equipment to work out from their very own home. Fortunately, such exercise equipment can be found at a local sports store, and said sports store is likely to have a good variety of equipment too. A sports store will carry recreational sports equipment as well, something that many find find an interest in after visiting a sports store. At the end of the day, going to a sports store can help to get you set up for working out and beginning a better and healthier future.