Fat America
Discusses the obesity epidemic in the United States.
America is obsessed with weight. It is unfortunately an obsession
that has resulted in an obesity epidemic that is rapidly spreading.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 66 percent of
American adults are overweight. That is equivalent to 134 million
American adults and of those, 64 million are obese. That is a huge
problem.
Information Overload
We are bombarded with
weight loss information. Bookstores are overflowing with diet and
fitness books. Hundreds of magazines feature tips and tricks to lose
weight monthly. Not to mention advertisements on the internet,
billboards, buses, subways and even bathrooms pitching weight loss
plans, memberships, equipment, foods and drugs. And still we continue
to get fatter.
Are You Overweight but Do Not Have a Diabetes Diagnosis? You Are Lucky!
Obesity is becoming one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes in industrialized countries; obese people have a much higher risk to develop the disease -about 8 times higher- than people who have a normal weight.
Part I
Researchers don’t have to rack their brains to figure out the whys and wherefores of the high Type II Diabetes incidence that plagues us nowadays because the reason is quite obvious: our lifestyle. In general, our diet, our level of activity (none in many cases) and our size, have taken a turn for the worse and Type 2 Diabetes is the price many of us will end up paying for it.
How Is Inflammation Related To Insulin Resistance?
Chronic inflammation is on the forefront of medical investigation, with researchers trying to understand not only what causes the condition but also how it can be prevented.
Inflammation is the response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli. In the case of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) , Pre-Diabetes and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), this harmful stimuli is insulin.
Prolonged levels of elevated insulin contribute to inflammation. If left unchecked, this type of inflammation can lead to atherosclerosis and contribute to Insulin Resistance - the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin. PCOS has been characterized as a low-grade inflammatory state, which can be assessed by measuring CRP (C-Reactive Protein).
Deal of the day
