If everyone is an expert and every fitness product on the market will help you build muscle and lose fat then why is the United States ranked #31 in the world for overall health with an astounding 71% of all Americans being overweight?
Being lean and fit is clearly the desire of many people. Everywhere you turn, you see products and services aimed at helping people stay fit and healthy. We have gyms located everywhere, nutrition stores in every shopping center and designated health food isles in every grocery store. We are bombarded on television, the Internet and in magazines with various companies advertising their meal plans, fat burning pills and bogus supplements. The supplement industry alone is a 61 billion dollar industry! I just want everyone to know that you really need to do your own homework before spending your hard-earned money. For a point of reference, I spent about $225 a month on supplements when I first started and now I only spend around $90 per month. Everything I use has proven value.
In addition to all the supplement confusion out there, new fitness fads and exercise programs are touting their workout as being the latest and greatest, and every fitness expert has their own version. Most of the products being marketed as quick and easy solutions to weight loss simply do not work. Thousands of people try these products in the hope of seeing results because they are relatively easy. The amount of fitness products marketed is absolutely overwhelming and they are clearly not delivering the results people are looking for.
With all of the emphasis on health and fitness, why is 71% of the population in the U.S. either obese or overweight? That means almost 3 out of every 4 people we come across every day fall into this category. How can this be possible when we have the best medical professionals, best medicines and most disposable wealth? Is it possible that many people just feel normal and don’t consider themselves part of this growing epidemic? A lot of people are simply not educated on the health risks associated with being overweight or obese, so they do not feel compelled to do anything about it. Others make excuses about being overweight, while a lot of other people just give up after trying a quick fix or gimmick that doesn’t work.
Who’s Right When It Comes To Health and Fitness? The Purpose of This Article Is To:
- Provide hope to the obese and overweight.
- Provide education to help resolve the problem.
- Increase the awareness about bogus weight loss gimmicks that do not work.
- Provide a simple 3 step fitness solution that will help you lose weight and get fit.
The Silent Killer and #1 Preventable Health Issue in The U.S.
Not only do 300,000 to 400,000 people die every year due to obesity, but many other causes of death are actually caused by being obese or overweight. I do not think the public has any idea about the serious health implications that are caused from being overweight. If they did, more people would do something about it. After all, it is the #1 preventable cause of death in America!
Why does this silent killer get so little press? Recently, President Obama earmarked 6 billion dollars towards cancer research. Why don’t we spend money educating Americans about how to prevent it in the first place? By preventing illness, we can reduce needless suffering and take a big bite out of overall health costs which are clearly escalating with health care issues associated by being overweight or obese. Why isn’t the general media and the U.S. government more visible in promoting and educating America on the problem of obesity? Could it be because of all the money that they receive from pharmaceutical companies, the medical profession, food advertisers and the fast food industry? We will not make any inroads to the problem until the word gets out and America gets educated on the health implications of obesity and being overweight. The health and fitness industry and medical professionals need to do a better job providing awareness education as to how the general public can address their weight and health issues.
Back in the 19060’s and 1970’s, there was a tremendous awareness and media campaign aimed at educating people on the health issues associated with smoking. Educating Americans about smoking significantly reduced smoking which was then the number one preventable health care issue. To compare the health issues, only 1-5 adults in the U.S. now smoke, while 3 out of 4 adults are overweight. Today, the number one preventable health care issue is obesity.
Millions of Americans spend a tremendous amount of money to stay fit. Unfortunately, many look for the easy way, or the one-size-fits-all solution. Yes, many of the fitness professionals get caught up in this as well! It’s important to remember that everyone is different and there are no two people exactly alike. Everyone has different issues that may be causing their health and weight loss issues.
Causes of Being Overweight:
- Poor diet.
- Lack of physical fitness.
- Imbalance of hormones (low testosterone, high estrogen).
- Other medical issues (thyroid, etc).
Reasons Why You Can’t Give Up? If You Do, You Will Be:
- 42% more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.
- 60% more likely to die of a heart attack versus someone who is not overweight.
- 90% more likely to get type-2 diabetes.
- 14-20% more likely to get cancer.
- 24% higher risk of having a stroke.
- Overweight people have a 32% chance of getting high blood pressure where someone who is obese is 81% more likely to get high blood pressure.
- Hip and knee replacements are skyrocketing for the overweight and obese.
Obesity has quietly become the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the U.S. overtaking smoking. I believe there are many companies and individuals looking to cash in big time on America’s health epidemic!
Why People Fail in Their Fitness Endeavors:
- Lack of education as it relates to fitness.
- Unwillingness to invest in services and products to obtain proper instruction and knowledge. You really need to know what you’re doing in order to obtain results.
- Not utilizing medical professionals for help.
- Failure to utilize fitness professionals and trainers for help.
- Unwillingness to invest in their own body.
- Not having a fitness plan outlining goals and the specific diet and workout steps needed to achieve goals.
- Not being humble. People they think they know how to succeed, but they actually don’t.
- Lack of initiative in learning what they need to do to lose weight and become healthy.
- Looking for the easy way versus the right way.
- Inconsistency.
- Laziness.
- Focusing on the wrong issues.
- Not getting blood tests completed to evaluate testosterone and estrogen levels. I’d estimate that 80-90% of middle-aged people have not had this step.
- Overestimating the impact of working out when trying to lose weight and not paying attention to nutrition which is even more important than exercise.
Successful Traits of Individuals Who Become Fit and Stay Fit:
- Open to education and learning more about fitness.
- Willing to invest financially in personal trainers along with the right fitness services and products.
- Being disciplined.
- Being motivated.
- Being humble and appreciative about how they succeeded and their desire to improve.
Resources To Help You Become Fit and Healthy
Some of these items might cost a few bucks, but you can’t put a price tag on good health. An unhealthy, overweight person spends thousands of extra dollars on medical expenses versus someone of normal weight. The amount clearly becomes much greater if you experience a catastrophic health issue such as a heart attack. In the long-term, a healthy and fit person will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars less in medical expenses versus someone who is overweight and unhealthy. I will use myself as an example. When I first started, I invested in a certified personal trainer and clearly would not have obtained the knowledge and results without that help. We all know what happens to people who go to the gym and do not get results. They simply quit working out because they don’t see the value in what they’re doing! A few key areas to invest in are:
- Personal Trainers – Competent trainers can help design a fitness and diet plan for you. This can help you achieve your fitness goals and provide you with instructions about proper exercise technique and many other factors. Using a trainer will safely allow you to shorten your learning curve and improve the likelihood of reaching and maintaining your fitness goals.
- Nutritionist – You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight and be healthy. A nutritionist or dietitian can help design a diet plan that is right for you.
- Internet – Fitness websites like ShapeFit.com provide ongoing education with a professional group of fitness writers that cover a wide variety of topics. You will have access to tons of nutritional information, fitness calculators, exercise guides and much more. This content is a great source of knowledge and will help motivate you to stay on track.
- Other People in the Gym – Get to know the fit people in your local gym. Most are flattered when people ask them questions, so don’t be shy. To this day, I look at everyone I see in the gym as a potential resource.
- Doctors – Ask your medical doctor about weight loss solutions that are right for you.
Solutions To The Health and Fitness Roller Coaster
Each person will have a slightly different solution due to varying levels of fitness, different fitness goals and potential health limitations due to injuries. I can’t emphasize enough about how important it is to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Here are a few tips to help you:
Medical – Always get medical clearance from your doctor prior to exercising. If you are middle-aged, get your blood tested to ensure your testosterone and estrogen levels are balanced. Being balanced can make all the difference in the world when it comes to achieving your fitness and weight loss goals. That is the reason that I have visiting your doctor listed as the first thing on this list.
- Proper Nutrition – You are what you eat! If you maintain a poor diet and consume lots of processed sugars such as candies, ice cream, sodas, pastas, cookies and white flour, you’re going to have difficulty losing weight. To the drinkers out there, it’s important to remember that consistent consumption of alcoholic beverages slows down your metabolism and decreases your testosterone production. Common sense and moderation are key. This gets worse as you get older and gain even more weight with a slowing metabolism. The good news is that a healthy diet can not only help you lose weight, but can also help speed up your metabolism. Stay away from those fad diets or starvation diets since they don’t work and can cause considerable harm to your body. A quality diet plan can be maintained over the long haul and it will better serve you in getting the results you want.
- Fitness Activities – Choose the right fitness activity based on your fitness goals. If your goals are centered around weight loss and toning up then you need to have a balanced workout involving core, cardio and weight lifting exercises using your entire body. For beginners, or people who are struggling to achieve results, having a personal trainer help design a custom workout plan for you is well worth the money. You only have one life and one body, and if you aren’t successful in dropping those unwanted pounds and developing lean muscle to improve body mobility and functionality, your body will slowly start breaking down. It’s only a matter of time! Why let this happen when you can clearly do something about it right now? With the help of a qualified personal trainer, you can’t go wrong. The only way you can fail is if you don’t execute your diet or workout plan. The only clients that I’ve worked with that didn’t get results were the ones that didn’t follow their workout program or diet plan consistently. With a little hard work and some discipline, you too can get amazing results!
The benefits of being healthy and fit are well worth the effort! You too can join the many people of all ages that enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle.
Motivating Factors For Good Health:
- Live longer.
- Less likely to experience medical issues associated with being overweight.
- It’s much cheaper financially to be healthy than unhealthy and 20% of a catastrophic health issue could ruin you and your family financially.
- More energy.
- Feel better.
- Look Better.
- Increase in quality of life.
- Sleep better.
- Be around longer for your family.