According to an article about the fattest countries in the world, the U.S. weighs in at #9. The article from Forbes.com was posted by Yahoo Finance in 2010 and states that in the U.S., about 74% of those over 15 years of age are considered to be overweight. That is staggering when you see that only about 1 out of 4 people living in the U.S. are at or below their recommended weight. These numbers can probably be widely debated, yet the fact remains that people are not living healthy lifestyles that promote consistently good fitness and health habits.
So, there must be a reason for the lack of focus on nutrition fitness health and other diet and exercise related activities. Many changes have taken place in society that would cause people to become distracted from fitness and health related activities. Some of those are listed here:
The Internet – Since the onset and surge of the internet, millions of people that did not own computers before, do now. Hours upon hours are spent in front of a small screen causing eye strain, fatigue, and poor posture. Not to mention the time this takes away from physical exercise.
Video Games – Many children are restricted to indoor activities due to safety concerns of their parents. It used to be fine to send the kids out to play and they would be outdoors for hours upon hours. Now, it is the other way around.
Electronic Devices – Every kid wants to be “connected” these days. It started with email, then cell phones, next came the ability to text your messages, and now there are online social networks to keep kids distracted from exercise for hours upon days and more hours and hours.
Busy Lifestyles – It is common now for both parents in a household to work. Many work at least 8 hours a day or longer and then commute for many more hours. Anxiety and fatigue are common side effects of a busy lifestyle. Diet has become fast food and exercise is walking to and from the car.
Something must give. What has suffered is our health. Common health conditions like stroke, high blood pressure, bowel disease, and people having trouble sleeping are all symptomatic of a society letting itself go. What must happen now is a complete shift in focus. Our parents used to say, “everything can be done in moderation”. So consider that you can do all of the things you do now, just less of them…..and do more of the things you are not currently doing.
One of the first things you can do is set goals for fitness and health, such as a good lose weight diet plan to get you started. This can be as simple as setting a limit on the number of sodas you drink in a day. Establish a routine and set aside 20 minutes a day for 5 days a week to get your heart rate going. Eat a small breakfast, even if it is just a dry piece of toast and glass of juice on the way out the door. Your metabolism will kick in and you can actually lose weight from eating something in the morning.
Next, set aside some time to relax some. Your body needs to rest emotionally, so find something quiet to do each day for 15 to 20 minutes. Also, try to cook at home as much as possible. Eating out a lot is not a smart health fitness nutrition strategy.
So let us review. Changes do not have to be radical, just work gradually into developing a healthy lifestyle. Remember that fitness and health related exercise are essential for good physical and mental health. Diet and nutrition are critical, so eat more foods with high nutritional value like vegetables, lean meat, fruit, nuts, and grains. And finally, get educated on everything about nutrition fitness and health conditions. Learn how to recognize the symptoms of serious health problems so you can stay healthy.
So, the next time you hear people talking about nutrition fitness and health related conditions, just remember to share us with them.
Jennifer Clark is a successful publisher for iHealthFitness.com, a website specializing in health fitness nutrition related topics. The site offers a full range of information about health conditions such as ADHD, stroke, high blood pressure, and even the new lose weight diet, cellulite mesotherapy, along with other fitness and health related topics.
