Obese women are 80% more likely to be disease riddled and die sooner than non-obese women

There have been a number of articles and studies published recently pointing to the fact that overweight and obese people die sooner and have higher disease rates. Other similar studies show that regular exercise helps people lose weight, feel better and live longer.  The Calgary Herald ran a story this morning on Obesity in middle age women which stated that women who are obese in middle age lower the chance of living past 70 and being free of chronic diseases by 80%.

For most people this is nothing new. In fact if you were surprised by these facts I would be worried!  The funny thing is that they called this a “landmark” Health Study by U.S. Nurses. While the actual numbers may be new and that it was done only on women (previous studies focused on men), the basic principle is so simple and has been demonstrated in virtually every study ever done on obesity and health.  To summarize decades of research in one sentence…the fatter you get, the shorter your life will be and the more aches, pains, ailments, and diseases you will have…all of which will cost you and the healthcare system (read “taxpayer”) bucketloads of money!

So why are so many of these seemingly redundant studies still being conducted?

Part of the reason is that people don’t believe that the solution to obesity and the costs of our broken medical system can be so simple.  To keep things simple again, eat modest amounts of high QUALITY food, exercise regularly, get to bed on time, and have some fun!  How does that sound as a cure to our health issues.  In fact, if every person did this, we could virtually eliminate the national debt, dramatically lower taxes, and have a vibrant  and healthy culture within a couple decades.

While the solution to actually get people to accept this solution rather than continue searching for the elusive “quick fix” or “magic pill” is a little more complicated, the reality is that the “magic pill” already exists, just not in the form that most people want to accept.  My “magic pill” doesn’t cost anything and is available to everyone.  Consider these factors…

• Exercise is free
• It doesn’t require any equipment
• It can be done anywhere
• You have to eat anyway, you choose every day whether to eat crap or choose healthier nutritional options
• Those choices ARE available AND they don’t have to cost more
• The knowledge to correctly implement these factors is readily available and can EASILY be learned by anyone

What are you doing to take control of your health?  Are you really serious about it or just going through the motions?  Which statistical category do you want to be a part of?  The choice is yours and you’ve been making it every day of your life!  Are you happy with where you are and where your choices have led you?

I will continue to add my thoughts on studies and current events, but would like to know what you think about this post.  Please add your comments below and what you think about how the media portrays health, fitness, weight loss, obesity and other related topics.

Yours in Health,

Tim