Weight Loss at Fitness Universe

Obesity has been called the number one public health problem in America. America is the fattest country in the world and getting fatter. Currently, over 70% of Americans are overweight and over 33% are obese. 1 in 40 women and 1 in 100 men are greater than 100 pounds overweight. As if this weren’t bad enough, the average patient, if left untreated, will continue to gain weight at 2% per year. Therefore, if you weigh 200 pounds today your projected weight, if untreated, could approach 240 pounds in 10 years.

The diseases which are attributable to obesity are very serious and can be life threatening. Diabetes is up to 50 times more common in patients who are overweight and has increased three fold over the last twenty years from approximately 1% of the population to 3%. Up to 70% of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and strokes, has been attributed to obesity in some studies. Over 60% of new onset of high blood pressure in middle aged Americans can be traced to obesity. Gallstones and high cholesterol can be linked to being overweight also. Some authors have attributed up to 40% of cancer to being overweight including breast cancer, colon, prostrate and uterine cancer. Many of these diseases can improve with even a modest weight loss of 7 or 8 pounds. On occasion, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol have been shown to be totally corrected by weight loss.

In the past the treatment for obesity has been very discouraging, but recent developments have greatly improved the outlook. In particular, the addition of appetite suppressant medications such as Phentermine has added a whole new dimension to medically supervised weight loss. When added to traditional treatments such as behavior modification, exercise and special medically supervised diets, these new treatments have been shown to be even more effective.
Our editors have compiled a comprehensive set of articles, calculators and references to help you start a weight loss plan straight away, monitor and improve your progress and ensure that it stays off.

Articles from Fitness Universe

The true affects of Caffeine on our bodies Caffeine is found in everything from face creams to coffee. But its effects aren't yet fully known, reports Joanna Bounds.We're a nation of drug users. We take our first hit in the morning and many of us continue throughout our working day. More ... The facts about the Atkins Diet and 10 untruths Low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins have always been controversial, but with the recent wave of new research and publicity, the controversy is now raging hotter than ever. More ... Lift Weights To Lose Fat Most people believe that if your goal is fat loss, you should start with aerobic workouts and lose the body fat first before adding weight training More ...

Exercise: The key to weight loss As we grow older it seems that we are in a constant battle with our waistline, The older we get the harder it is to lose weight. Many of us have tried various fad diets which may take the weight off in the short run but undoubtedly it comes right back. More ... The facts about the Atkins Diet and 10 untruths Low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins have always been controversial, but with the recent wave of new research and publicity, the controversy is now raging hotter than ever. More ... Five common weight loss mistakes Most people fix their calorie intake to a given number and expect to lose weight at the same constant rate over a period of weeks More ...

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