Posted on 13 April 2012 by admin
A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reveals that by eliminating an average of only 64 calories per day, through diet, exercise or both, the U.S. may be able to achieve reduced childhood obesity rates by 2020.
Without the caloric reduction, children would be heavier by an average of four pounds, compared to a child of the same age only five years ago, increasing the childhood obesity rate to nearly 20 percent.
"Sixty-four calories may not sound like much individually, but it's quite a consequential number at the population level, and children at greatest risk for obesity face an even larger barrier," says Y. Claire Wang, M.D., and lead author of the study.
The study hopes to show the importance of closing the "energy gap," which is the difference between how many calories a child consumes and how many are expended through growth, bodily functions and exercise. Children with higher gaps have been shown to have the greatest risk of obesity.
The Mayo Clinic highlights how obesity is measured through body mass index (BMI) calculations and also offers advice for how to treat the complications associated with excess body fat, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and cancer.
It is possible to take control again. Make a treatment plan with realistic goals and try to follow it. Work closely with healthcare professionals and come up with a safe exercise plan and a healthy diet that includes an all natural herbal weight loss supplement into a daily regimen.
Tags | Diet and Weight Loss