Make 2014 time for a healthier you
It's a new year. Maybe you've decided to recommit to a healthier you by shedding a few pounds. Not with fad diets or excessive exercise programs, but with healthy eating and incorporating activity into your lifestyle.
We asked readers on our Facebook page if they're getting ready to wrestle weight loss in the new year. Not surprisingly, we received a few answers already earlier this week (even before the new year rang in).
Readers' answers included eating right and exercising, drinking lots of water, and incorporating fiber into their diets.
Obesity and overweight percentages in our state are worth taking note of, as shown by statistics from the state Department of Health (DOH).
Of Washington state adults, about 27 percent were obese in 2011. About 25 children ages 2-4 were obese in 2012. In high schools, about 23 percent of tenth-graders in Washington's public schools were overweight or obese (with about 10 percent being obese and 13 percent overweight).
Being overweight is classified as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9. Obesity is having a BMI of 30 or more.
Adult obesity trends may have started to level off over the past few years, according to the DOH's website. (To check your BMI, visit www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/Obesity.aspx).
Nationally more than one-third, or 35.7 percent, of U.S. adults were reported obese in 2009-10.
People considered overweight or obese have a higher risk for the following conditions: coronary or heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancers (endometrial, breast and colon), high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol or high levels or triglycerides), stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis and gynecological problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.If you decide to focus on your health this year, we would love to hear your strategy. When you feel the time's right, help inspire others and share your story about your fitness journey. We understand if you want to get a few weeks (or a month) under your belt before you report back.
Share your tactics, progress, and success stories on our Facebook page, or email details of your fitness goals to editor@columbiabasinherald.com.
What motivates you may work well for others and improve their quality of life.
Best of luck in your endeavors!
- Editorial Board