It is no secret that the American population is going through an obesity epidemic, and many adolescents and adults alike are overweight or obese. A number of causes have been identified, as have the consequences to Americans’ heath. Obesity is more than just increased body size; it includes increased risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis and joint pain, diabetes, and worse. The good news is that it is never too late for Americans to start a weight loss program if they are overweight, and losing weight today does not have to be a chore; in fact, if done right, it can be a total transformation of someone’s lifestyle, and it can be very rewarding and fun. A person can take great pride in the slimmer, trimmer body they will have by the time they reach their weight loss goal, and home fitness is the key to this transformation. If a person incorporates healthy living into their everyday life, they can lose weight and keep it off, too. How can home fitness and a better diet curb the rates of obesity the nation is seeing today?
Why Are Americans Obese?
A number of factors will be involved in why a person is the weight that they are, but two general trends have been identified as causing the current obesity rates. One of them is a lack of exertion among children and adults today. Put simply, Americans are not getting the rates of cardio that various health organizations recommend for daily and weekly life, and this adds up. Only about 53% of adults age 18 and over meet the CDC’s guideline for aerobic physical activity, and a mere 23.5% of adults age 18 and over meet guidelines for both aerobics and muscle-strengthening routines. Often, among kids, 7.5 hours per day are spent using electronic screens such as a handheld game console, a television, or a home computer, and this is time spent sitting down instead of playing sports or playing outside in the yard or in a park. Teenagers spend hours using screens for recreational activities even on school days, and all this adds up to a very sedentary lifestyle. Adults are often no better, working 9-5 jobs and not going to a gym or doing home fitness.
The other problem is Americans’ diets. A lot of fast food and highly processed food are consumed per day or week, and these foods have added sugars and fats designed to make them more appealing, but these are a lot of unhealthy calories that simply add a lot of pounds and body fat to those who eat them. Conversely, organic and whole foods like wheat grains, fruits, and vegetables are not eaten often.
Home Fitness and More
Any able-bodies teenager or adult can turn this around when they start a home fitness program and combine it with a better diet to control the number and quality of the calories they consume. Home fitness can start by getting fitness equipment at a local retailer that will have everything a person needs. Ab wheels, jump ropes, chin-up bars, medicine balls, dumbbells, and the right clothing (it should be stretchy and breathe well) and the right shoes and weight-lifting gloves can all be found there. If a person does not know where to find their local fitness store, they can search online such as “exercise equipment in San Francisco” or “home fitness supplies Boston” to locate a retailer and then go visit. Similarly, a sports store offers the equipment and clothes for sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, and more. Sports not only burn calories and work out many muscle groups, but they can be great fun as a hobby and give a person a sense of belonging.
Fitness stores give a person the gear they need, but a good diet is the other half of this transformation. Fast foods and processed foods can be phased out of a person’s diet and replaced with whole and organic foods like wheat, fruits and vegetables, lean meat like chicken and fish, and other proteins like beans. A person may also want to consult their doctor before starting a home fitness regimen or new diet to make sure that the regimen is safe and practical for them try out.