If the trend continues as it has over the past 20 years, 90% of our children (and our children’s children) will be overweight by 2060, with all the consequences that entails. And to think that with an extra 10 minutes of walking around the block per day, we can turn the tide! We give you three pillars to stop the obesity epidemic.
Obesity is associated with many chronic conditions, including diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular disease, a number of types of cancer, disorders of the gallbladder and the musculoskeletal system and psychological and psychosocial problems such as loneliness, sadness, tension and depression. Overweight children have a high risk of glucose intolerance, increased blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia later in life, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a greater risk of low self-esteem and associated psychosocial problems.
THE NUMBER OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY PEOPLE HAS BEEN RISING FOR 70 YEARS
Overweight and obesity have increased significantly over the past thirty years, but overweight and obesity have been increasing every year for more than 70 years. Not only are the Dutch heavier, the Dutch belly has also become fatter. These increases in overweight and serious overweight are visible across all age groups and within all education levels. In 2019, 52% of adults are overweight.
Obesity among children has more than doubled in the last three decades. In 2018/2021, no fewer than 12 percent of children aged 2 to 12 years were overweight and 3 percent were obese (seriously overweight).
Decrease and reduce obesity by eating healthier and exercising more. Obesity is the result of a disturbed energy balance: too much energy intake (too much high-calorie food) with too little energy consumption (physical inactivity).
So we eat too much high-calorie food (particularly empty food, which means carbohydrate-containing food that does not contain enough fiber) and too little vegetables, raw vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruit. Moreover, we sit too much and an excess of stress throws an extra spanner in the works.
STOP THE INCREASE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY TOGETHER!
Reducing excess weight is a huge step, but slowing down or stopping weight gain is a less intensive step to take.
THE THREE PILLARS TO STOP THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC:
- Consume more by exercising at least 10 extra minutes every day and training your muscles twice a week to increase metabolism.
- Eating fewer empty calories by eating fiber-rich food or at least always combined with fiber-rich food. So more vegetables, fruit, raw vegetables, legumes and nuts.
- Take time every day to relax mentally, because stress is the number 1 cause of illness and taking time for breathing exercises a few times every day, for example, activates the recovery mechanism in our body, including the optimization of our fat burning.
If everyone who is slightly or much overweight were to take these steps, the increase will most likely stop, but in most cases they will lose weight.
Sources:
www.cbs.nl
www.vzinfo.nl
www.leefstijlclub.nl