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5OCTOBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSWhereforeseeingwealsoarecom-passedaboutwithsogreatacloudofwitnessesletuslayasideeveryweightandthesinwhichdothsoeasilybesetusandletusrunwithpatiencetheracethatissetbeforeus.Hebrews121IamcertainthattheApostlePauldidnothaveweightcontrolinmindwhenhewrotethetextquotedabove.Howeverweneedtojustfocusourattentiononthistopicnowasitisasig-nificantpublichealthissueinAmericatoday.YoumightbeshockedtolearnthatinAmericaalmost70ofadults20yearsofageorolderareobeseoroverweight.Inadditionabout18ofchildrenandadolescentshavesignifi-cantweightissues.WhyisthisimportantItisbecausebeingsignificantlyoverweightisariskfactorforahostofseriousandevenpotentiallylifethreateningconditionssuchasthefollowingcoronaryarterydiseaseheartdiseasetype2diabe-tescertaincancerssuchasuterinebreastandcoloncancerhypertensionelevatedcholesterollevelsstrokeliverandgallbladderdiseasesleepapneaandotherbreathingproblemsandosteoarthritispainandinflammationespeciallyofweightbearingjoints.Thisisanimposingarrayofailments.Thesehealthconditionscanproducepre-maturedeathpermanentdisabilityattimesandmuchpreventablesuffering.Obesitycanbedefinedasabodymassindex30orgreaterandover-weightasaBMI25orgreater.YoucandeterminewhereyoufitinaccordingtothemeasurementbyusingyourheightandweightandlookingataBMIchart--easytofindbylookingataBMIchartonyourcomputeroryourmedicalprovidercanhelpyoumakeadetermi-nation.Thereisasimplerwaytolookatyoursituationhowever.Ithasbeendeterminedthatabdominalobesitycanbedefinedasawaistcircumferenceinawomanthatisgreaterthan35inchesorinamangreaterthan40inches.Sojustmeasuringyourwaistsizeishelpful.BeforeweconsiderstrategiesforweightmanagementletslookatsomecausesormajorfactorsthatplayaroleinmakingusoverweightANINACTIVELIFESTYLEThismayincludespendinghoursinfrontofaTVsetorcomputer.Orusingcarsforevenshortdistancesinsteadofwalk-ing.Fewphysicaldemandsatworklackofphysicaleducationinschools.Wemayjustdecidethatwedonotwanttodoanyexercisedespitetherisk.ENVIRONMENTWemayliveinaplacewherethereisalackofside-walksorsafeplacesforrecreationlackofparksandaffordablegyms.Thesemakeithardtobeasphysicallyactiveasweshouldbe.FOODCHOICESWemaymakefoodchoicesdependingonhowweeatathomeandthismaystarteveninchildhood.Wemayliveinanareawherethereisashortageofplacestobuyhealthierfoodssuchasfruitsandvegetablesasapposedtopro-cessedfoodsandfastfoods.Wemaybecomeaccustomedtoeatinglargeportionsathomeandinplacessuchasrestaurantsmovietheatersandsupermarkets.Attimeswemayeatalotbecauseeveryonearounduseatsalot.AdvertisingplaysaroleasTVadsforanexamplerarelyenticeustoeathealthyfoods.TheseadseventargetourchildrenGENESFAMILYHISTORYGenesmayhaveastronginfluenceonapersonsweight.Overweightandobesitytendstoruninfamilies.Yourchancesaregreaterifoneorbothofyourparentsareoverweightorobese.Theriskisreducedifallormostofthefamilyadoptshealtheatinghabitsandexercise.Youcaninfactovercomeyourfamilyhistory.HEALTHCONDITIONSThesemayincludeconditionssuchasanunderactivethyroidandothercondi-tionsandevensomemedicationseveniftheyareessential.Thatiswhyshoulddiscussyoursituationwithyourmedi-calprovider.Weshouldalsorememberwemaygainweightaswegetolder.EMOTIONALFACTORSWemayeatmoreandsnackifweareboredangryorstressed.Seekmedicalhelpforthisifneeded.SMOKINGWemayexperienceweightgainwhenwetrytoquitsmok-ing.Thisrequiressomeadviceandassistancefromyourmedicalprovider.PREGNANCYThisisatimewhensomeweightgainisinevitablebutweneedhelpiftheweightdoesnotdeclineasitshouldafterdelivery.LACKOFSLEEPThismayincreasetheriskofobesityespeciallyifitisachronicproblem.Wehavemuchmoretosayasweneedtodiscussinterventionsforweightloss.Wewilllookatthisinafuturearticlenextmonth.MayGodblessyouandkeepyouuntilthen.LayAsideTheWeightDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.Beingsignificantlyoverweightisariskfactorforahostofseriousandevenpotentiallylifethreateningconditions.HEALTH