The cost of obesity in the US

Obesity — which affects one in every three Americans — and the illnesses associated with it cost the United States some 90.7 billion dollars a year in health care costs, a University of Pennsylvania researcher said Saturday.

Among developed countries, the United States has the most obese and overweight people, representing 66 percent of its overall population.

Costs tied to excess pounds (or kilograms) account for 5.04 percent of all US health care costs.

The calculations by Professor Adam Gilden Tsai of the University of Pennsylvania, presented at a conference on obesity here Saturday, are based on a comparison of 30 previous studies on the cost of obesity for the US health care system.

An obese person racks up an additional 1,034 dollars (or 40 percent) in health care costs for doctors’ visits, medications and medical procedures compared with a person of average weight.

For someone who is overweight but not yet obese, the medical bills amount to 273 dollars more a year, or 9.3 percent more than those of an average-weight person.

And obese patients over the age of 65 pay an additional 2,511 dollars in medical bills.

Obesity often leads to other conditions, such as arthritis, asthma, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Other studies sought to determine whether gastric bypass surgery and similar procedures were “a good investment for health plans.”

Such operations generally cost between 15,000 and 25,000 dollars and are not covered by most health insurance plans, according to Derek Brown of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.

Although the financial benefits of such procedures are less evident in the short term, Brown said, they are actually more economical over the course of seven years in terms of medical savings.

Skinny escapee gets 18 months more jail

A PRISONER who escaped from a Sydney jail after losing weight and slipping between the bars of his cell has been sentenced to a further one year and nine months in prison.

Robert Cole, 37, spent three days on the run from police after escaping from Sydney's Long Bay jail on January 18 this year.

The prisoner shed up to 14 kilograms - apparently with the help of laxatives - to fit his 56kg frame in a 15cm gap between the brickwork and steel bars of his hospital cell.

In the NSW District Court at Parramatta today, Judge Roger Dive handed Cole a non-parole period of one year and nine months, backdated to the date of his arrest on January 21.

Judge Dive said Cole's escape involved a considerable degree of planning.

"This is a serious offence of escape,'' Judge Dive told the court.

"It has involved some time consuming efforts and planning and preparation."

The court was told Cole spent three weeks scraping the brickwork in his cell with a butter knife and also made a blanket to assist him in scaling razor-wire fences.

Cole will be eligible for parole on October 20 next year.

Weight Loss Surgery Hang-Ups

BACKGROUND: For morbidly obese patients who have tried just about everything to lose weight, bariatric surgery, or gastric bypass surgery, may seem like the perfect solution. While the procedure is very effective in helping patients lose weight and overcome risk factors for heart disease, there are a lot of post-surgery factors to take into consideration. What once seemed like a solution is actually turning out to be the initial step in reshaping both bodies and attitudes.

Every year more than 100,000 Americans undergo gastric bypass surgery. But as more and more people go under the knife, experience reveals that gastric bypass is just the beginning of many more surgeries to come. After the first change of body image, losing the weight, many patients will need to undergo a second change, the process of body contouring surgery. Plastic surgeon, Christopher Prevel, M.D., from the Florida Plastic Surgery Institute says the most common procedures after bariatric surgery are body-contouring procedures. They often consist of a limited or extended abdominoplasty. The abdominoplasty is usually combined with a thigh and buttock lift, thus forming the phrase "lower body lift."

Not all of these procedures are medically necessary, however. "They are all elective in the sense that they are not emergency procedures," says Prevel. In some rarer cases, there are medically necessary procedures. Prevel adds, "Some body contouring procedures are because of chronic infections in the skin, or rashes, or the weight that extra skin from the abdominal wall causes to the groin or the thighs."

In addition to the common side effects of bariatric surgery, there are risks if a patient gains weight post-body contouring surgery. Adversely, If a patient gains back roughly more than 15 pounds, the skin can expand and they will lose the body contour they once had. Also, if a patient loses weight, their skin shifts and they may have to have what's called a revisionary procedure to achieve the result that they had beforehand. "I try to advise folks that surgery is a journey it's not a destination," Dr. Prevel says.

DOCTOR'S ORDERS: - Seek consultations with board certified plastic surgeons, American Board of Plastic Surgery, who are trained and qualified to do the procedure.

- Ask the number of procedures that the surgeon has performed to be certain that the surgeon has experience in performing that procedure.

- Be certain the facility is an accredited facility at a state or a national level

Try dry wine for losing weight

You should try dry wine if you want to lose weight. You know dry wine is better than sweet wine. Sweet wines Contains large amount of sugar. But on the other hand, in dry wines most of this sugar has been fermented away. So from the weight point of view dry wines are much better than sweet wines.

Percentage of carbohydrates and proteins

You should keep 50 to 55% of your diet carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a ready source of energy and so 50 to 55% of your diet should be carbohydrates.

25 to 30% of your diet should be proteins. Various processes and activities are going on in our bodies. Things are broken down and being built up again. Resistance has to be built up, recovery from disease too is needed and for all this the body needs plenty of proteins so see to it that 25 to 30 % of your diet consists of proteins.

Weight loss supplements

One may wonder what is over weight. Overweight is the term used to denote people who are having more fat than what is required for the normal physiological functions of the body. Proper exercise and a combination of both are the orthodox way of losing the weight. Weight loss is also possible by weight loss supplements.

Overweight and obesity is on the rise all over the world. Nearly 64 % of the people in America are overweight and the number is increasing at alarming rate as the need for proper diet and benefits of physical exercise and usage of weight loss supplement are ignored by the people there by and large. Following diet and consuming weight loss supplement one must be sure that he or she is overweight.

All over the world body mass index is considered as the best tool to conclude that one is certainly overweight. In general person with body mass index between 25 -30 is considered as overweight and person with body mass index more than 30 is considered obese. Overweight has many health hazards but the dangers are little less when compared to the obese. Hence it is better to start consuming weight loss supplements and following good diet and exercise program as soon as one is diagnosed for overweight.

Coleus forskolii is one of the best weight loss supplements that are used by many people who want relief from obesity and over weight. There are commercial weight loss supplement preparations in the market in which the main component is coleus forskolii. Forskolin is the component that is available in the roots of coleus forskolii [weight loss supplement].

Don't Lose Hope Lose Weight

Recent surveys have indicated that almost 30% adults 20 years or more in age, in developed countries have shown tendency or are known to be obese. This alarming trend is extremely concerning as there will be a time when most of the population will be in the obese category. To add to the woes of the society, even the children are showing obese tendencies at a very early age.

People who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

If these statements concern you then you must make an effort to determine whether you are in the obese category. An easy indicator is the Body Mass Index (BMI) which is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

Calculating BMI is easy. The formula being: BMI = Weigh in kg / (Height in m)2 The resulting number is to be interpreted using the chart given below:

BMI <18.5 underweight
BMI 18.5 – 24.9 normal weight
BMI 25 – 29.9 overweight
BMI > 30 obese

If you are in the last two categories then it is the right time to take steps to remove the extra weight and get back into shape. Diet pills are a safe and effective means of loosing weight. These pills when combined with a diet-cum-exercise program have shown promising results.

Phentermine is one such, FDA approved, diet aid that has worked wonders on the obese people. This medication stimulates the central nervous system and decreases appetite thereby reducing the intake of calories. Your body then begins to utilize its fat stores to provide energy for your daily chores. The result is you loose weight effectively and evenly over a given period of time.

Before you begin on a course of Phentermine, consult your doctor to determine the exact dose and duration of use. Phentermine has been found safe to use in breast feeding mothers. The drug can be used in combination with a number of other prescription and non-prescription medicines.

Phentermine may have some mild allergic reactions which tend to disappear as you body gets used to the drug. At the time of withdrawing the drug, the process should be gradual, as Phentermine can be habit forming in some people.

Adrian Hal an associate editor to the website http://www.phenterminehome.com. The website offers complete Phentermine information through breaking news, personal views, and articles on weight loss. We also provide requisite information about the numerous weight loss pills Phentermine. So feedback comment and suggestions will be highly appreciated at adrianbry@gmail.com

Weight Loss Supplements

herbal weight loss supplements

As there is not strict law in US to check the quality of herbal weight loss supplements, it is the duty of the customer to see that the product he/she buys is indeed the original one and not anything spurious. Else it is not weight alone that is going to get affected, but one’s overall health as well. Hence make doubly sure that you are paying for the right dietary supplement. Good Luck! As there is not strict law in US to check the quality of herbal weight loss supplements, it is the duty of the customer to see that the product he/she buys is indeed the original one and not anything spurious. Else it is not weight alone that is going to get affected, but one’s overall health as well. Hence make doubly sure that you are paying for the right dietary supplement. Good Luck!

Overweight is a big problem for millions of people in this world. Statistics shows that around 70% of American population is victim of overweight, and the number is continuously on the rise. Further, overweight has been widely touted as the root cause for many critical illnesses like heart diseases, depression, and diabetes, and less critical ones such as osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.

Here we’ll see about the need for weight loss supplements, some popular dietary supplements and a piece of advice on selecting the right supplement from the store near you. Here we go!

As there is not strict law in US to check the quality of herbal weight loss supplements, it is the duty of the customer to see that the product he/she buys is indeed the original one and not anything spurious. Else it is not weight alone that is going to get affected, but one’s overall health as well. Hence make doubly sure that you are paying for the right dietary supplement. Good Luck!

The easiest way that comes to one’s mind for shedding weight is to do the opposite of the action that in fact puts up weight – to skip meals. It is better to follow a balanced dietary program with necessary dietary supplements consumed to backup the losing minerals and vitamins. And while selecting dietary supplements or diet weight loss supplements, better prefer herbal nutritional diet vitamin supplements over pharmaceutical ones.

Weight Loss with Phentermine

Quick Weight Loss with Phentermine

Losing weight is a dream come true for overweight people. I too used to be fatty earlier, but everything changed when my doctor told me about Phentermine. That was a turning point of my life. Now, I too enjoy life to the fullest like others, thanks to Phentermine.

Phentermine is a weight loss drug that helps obese people in losing weight within a small span of time. Phentermine diet pills are also known as “anorectic drugs”. It is difficult to control one’s appetite which is found to be one of the reasons behind weight gain. But this is what phentermine help you in by playing the role of appetite suppressant.

Different weight loss drug work differently. It is available in different colors in tablets as well as capsule form. Phentermine diet pills are available in three strengths namely Phentermine 15mg, Phentermine 30mg as well as Phentermine 37.5mg.

Combine the intake of Phentermine diet pills with healthy nutritious diet and regular exercise to get the best results out of Phentermine diet pills. Just take few minutes out of your daily busy schedule to do some exercise and taking regular dose of Phentermine will work wonders for you, helping you in losing weight quickly.

Phentermine diet pills come in two forms - immediate release pill and time-release capsules. Immediate release pill works by entering into the blood stream as soon as one takes them. While on the other hand, time-release capsules release the medication into one’s body over an extended period of time, which lasts for about 8 to 12 hours.

Consult your doctor before taking Phentermine. Follow the prescription that he tells you otherwise you may have to face its adverse effect. In case you miss a dose, don’t panic, resume the dose as prescribed for the rest of the day, and never take an overdose as it may affect leave negative impacts.

Internet has opened up a new avenue. Now, you can buy phentermine online. More and more pharmacists are going online to give complete convenience to the buyer. Phentermine diet pills seeker now just needs to fill an online form and can get a faster access to their desired amount. Important feature of online pharmacies is that they offer you cheap phentermine diet pill saving your hard earned money. But to get the best one, you need to a bit of hardship. Collect catalogue of different suppliers of phentermine and choose the one that fits your need and budget to the best.

Weight loss may seem impossible to you. But, for quick weight loss phentermine diet pills will work as an effective alternative. Shop around and look for the dealer who can offer you cheap phentermine helping you lose those extra pounds of weight without spending much pounds out of your pocket.

Joseph Jones received training as a healthcare scientist. He has been working in the same field and writes informative articles for weight loss subject.To find Buy Phentermine, cheap phentermine, weight loss diet pills, discount phentermine visit http://www.onlinephentermine.net

My weight loss story (Bill Herren)

DDR Dance Dance Revolution and Weight Loss - Play a Game and Lose Weight?

What is dance dance revolution?

It is a game played using a television, a game console, the DDR software, and a dance pad.
The ddr game is played on a mat or platform with 4 arrows pointing in each direction (up, down, left, right) and four arrows on your tv screen that will scroll or overlap. When they overlap then you hit the corresponding arrow on the mat with your feet all while listening to lively music.

Dance dance revolution was started in video arcades but I feel the real weight loss benefits are going to be achieved now that it can be played in the privacy of your own home.

How expensive is DDR?

That is one of the beauties of dance dance revolution for home. You probably already own a TV and maybe even a playstation or similar game console. But even if you don't own a playstation everything you need can be purchased for approximately $300.00! This is much cheaper than many stationary bikes or elliptical machines.

How did you learn about dance dance revolution?

As part of my job here at weightloss-articles.com I subscribe to many newsletters and breaking news alerts, read many magazines, and research everything weight loss related. In one weeks time I received two breaking emails about weight loss studies with ddr and also came across one article and many many weight loss testimonials. This lead me to start researching to bring this information to our readers.

What are some of the claimed weight loss achievements?

In researching dance dance revolution weight loss achievements I came across testimonials from users claiming anywhere from 5 to 95 pounds of fat loss! I am a skeptic, especially when I read a claim on a site that is selling products, however, when I find message boards full of real people claiming weight loss I tend to believe it more. It just makes sense – if you enjoy it and do it on a daily basis you will burn more calories!

Who is DDR for?

DDR is for people who want to lose weight but who have not found a cardiovascular exercise they enjoy enough to stick with. Overweight children who love video games will benefit greatly from ddr. Dance dance revolution is for the people who enjoy dancing, music, moving, and a good challenge. DDR is also for anyone who is bored to tears with a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical machine. Most importantly it is for people healthy enough for exercise and who have been cleared by their doctor.

Conclusion

I believe that if your exercise and eating routines incorporate something you enjoy then you will more than likely succeed in your goals. My cardiovascular exercise of choice and a great passion in my life is mountain biking therefore I find it easy to do and want to go ride anytime I get an opportunity. When I heard of dance dance revolution or ddr I became very excited because I know many people will benefit from this and achieve their weight loss and fitness goals simply because they will feel the same way about ddr that I feel about mountain biking. If you think it is something you will enjoy, can do on a regular basis, and will stick with then by all means give it a try. DDR is creating a craze and a community of people willing to share stories, success, and experiences. Let us know if you have a dance dance revolution weight loss story you would like to share with us.

As always, I wish for you the best of health,

Bill Herren is the webmaster for http://www.weightloss-articles.com Top weight loss site! Weight loss articles, success stories, product reviews and much more! Every thing you need to reach your weight loss goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Herren

Think Thin to Lose Weight

Your battle with weight might have begun in your childhood, as you attempted to find out how many cookies you can eat in one sitting. Or maybe it occurred around the time you step foot on college campus for the first time. Those late nights of studying might have led you to late-night binge eating sessions. Or maybe you gained a good amount of weight after the birth of your first child, and seemed to be stuck with it ever since. Regardless of the cause, weight gain is a serious matter. It affects your energy levels, your stamina, and your overall health. Obesity has been linked to numerous diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Once you determine that you are overweight, the first step to a thinner you is to make a commitment to bring your weight under control. This can be a daunting venture. In essence, you have conditioned your mind to think like a fat person, rather than a thin person. In order to reverse this mindset, you need to learn to think like a thin person.

What exactly does this mean? How does a thin person think? To begin, it means that you must abandon your preconceived ideas about food and eating. Eating might have become a social event for you, and as a result you'll need to learn to become sociable without food. This is the same struggle that alcoholics face as they learn to socialize without beer or liquor. This lesson is tough, and yes it can be difficult, but try it and see the results for yourself.

Thinking thin or rather thinking like a thin person also means that you need to develop new coping strategies. You might be viewing food as your friend, the one you turn to when things aren't going well. You might also be eating in secret, because feelings of shame arise as to the amounts of food you eat. You need to sync your public persona with your private persona, and your diet should do so as well.

A significant number of thin people exercise without even noticing it. Activity is a normal part of their day. The same thing needs to be true of you. You need to exercise as much as possible; let it become second nature to you. Don't allow it to become a chore, let it be the fun part of your week. Take an inventory of your preferences. Whether you like tennis, bowling, badminton, or running, choose the activity that best represents your style. Then exercise diligently, preferably six times per week. This will boost your metabolism so that you burn fat at a faster rate.

Also, if you have any fear of exercising, overcome it! As an overweight person, you might find exercise to be frustrating, and you might fear what other people will think of you as they watch you exercise. You should realize that chances are no one is paying attention to your exercise routine. Don't let fear get in the way of progress.

Thinking thin also means controlling portion sizes. This can be difficult, especially when eating out. However, the key to effective weight loss often lies in limiting the amount of food you intake, and the first step is portion control. Consider using smaller plates in order to control your food portions, and to ensure that food portions are not too large. Also realize that thinking thin does not happen overnight. It can take a long time to develop your thought patterns and changing them can be a challenge. The important thing to remember is to take one step at a time and keep in mind that your weight loss will not happen instantly. It will sometimes take months of hard work to reach your ideal weight. However, the good news is that once you get into the habit of thinking thin, it's a trait you can benefit from throughout your life. The difference between a fat person and a thin person is not just a matter of the body, but of mind as well. Once you realize that, you will be well on your way to accomplishing your weight loss goals, short term and long term.