Obesity Facts You May Not Know About

Obesity is a worldwide health problem that has been increasing dramatically. Better understanding of body weight issues is important for a healthy life. Here are some facts about obesity that you may not know before.

• The incidence of obesity in the world has doubled in the past three decades.
• Obesity and overweight are the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
• More than10 per cent of the world's population are obese.
• Two in three Americans are either overweight or obese.
• Obesity is a leading cause of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and sleep apnea.
• About 45 per cent of the type 2 diabetes cases are due to excessive body weight.
• More than half of the obese people have obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and road traffic accidents.
• Being overweight can increase the chance of getting certain types of cancer.
• Accumulation of extra fat in the belly region is more hazardous than fat in the buttocks and thighs. In other words, pear shape body is better than apple shape body. 
• Faulty eating habits is the number one cause of excess body fat.
• Fast foods play a major role in the development of overweight. Many people love junk food because they are convenient, tasty and cheap. However, these convenient foods have lots of calories.
• Over-consumption of sugar and other sweets is linked to too much weight gain in many cases.
• Soda and other calorie containing beverages such as energy drinks can make you to put on excess body weight.
• You may not know the fact that what we eat regularly is more important than occasional party foods.
• Eating an ice cream in a birthday party is less harmful than drinking a can of Pepsi everyday.
• Majority of people in the developed countries spend more money on meals purchased in fast food outlets.
• Soda is cheaper than bottled water in many supermarkets and vending machines.Soda can make you gain weight.
• One glass of beer contain approximately 80 calories. Drinking two glasses of beer daily can make you gain 20 pounds in a year.
• Lack of sleep is a well recognized cause of obesity. People who sleep for 8 hours a day have less chance of putting on weight than people who sleep for 6 hours a day.
• Too much stress in your life can make you gain excess weight.
• Less than half of the people in the US have adequate level of physical activity which is important to maintain a healthy weight.
• One in four Americans do not do any physical activities in their leisure times.
• Incidence of childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades.
• More than 75 per cent of fat children will also be fat in their early adulthood.
• In general, academic performance of overweight children is less than that of normal weight children.
• Many overweight children are bullied by their peers at school. This may be the cause of learning difficulties among them.
• Children with extra body fat have more chance of getting problems in their joints.
• Fat kids usually have low self esteem.
• Kids need more than an hour of physical activity each day. Nowadays, many children are comfortable with television and computers. They spend long hours of time in front of the screen. They do not like outdoor play.
• Watching television for longer periods of time is a significant contributor of obesity in children.
• If both parents are obese, there is up to 80 per cent chance that their children become obese.