Obesity is far too common here in the United States. All throughout the country, both children and adults alike are failing to live healthy lifestyles. And the problem is only going to become worse, with a projected half of the adult population of this country being classified as obese by the time that we reach the now not so far off year of 2030, now only just over a decade in the future. Currently, things are already bad enough, with up to 78 million adults classified as obese and more than 12 million children. There is no doubting the fact that we have an epidemic on our hands.
But why exactly has this become the case? For one thing, we aren’t getting proper nutrition far too frequently. This is in part thanks to the growth of the fast food industry. In comparison to the 1970s, now nearly a full half of a century in the past, the numbers of fast food restaurants seen throughout the country have doubled. And these fast food restaurants are nearly always providing food that is not only nutritionally deficient, but high in everything from sodium to added sugars to refined grains and sodium. Ultimately, this means that the convenience of getting fast food and its regular consumption have deep ties to the obesity crisis that we are facing.
But it’s not solely about diet, as important of a factor as diet is. In addition to diet, the living of a sedentary lifestyle has become more prevalent than ever as well. Unfortunately, recent statistics have showed that only around 5% – or even less – of the entire adult population is getting even just a mere half of an hour of exercise over the course of the typical day. In addition to this, less than half of this same population of adults is meeting weekly exercise guidelines as have been set out by numerous world or national health organizations.
And the problem doesn’t start in adulthood but instead, in the vast majority of all cases, stems from childhood. Again, this is backed up by the data that has been gathered and compiled on the subject. This data shows that instead of getting up and moving, the average child of today now spends up to seven and a half hours on a daily basis engaged in the use of electronic devices. Unfortunately, this and other factors have led to the jarring fact that only around one third of all children are getting even just an hour of exercise daily – the recommended amount. And these children need exercise not only to maintain a healthy weight, but in order to actually get proper brain development as well.
Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to fight back. For one thing, adding some more exercise into your day can do wonders for everything from your physical state to your mental one. Taking up a sport is one way to do this, as too can be putting your child in a number of physical activities and sports teams as well. After all, there is more likely than not going to be a sports store in your area, and all of the necessary tools and equipment are likely to be found at this sports store. Those who work at the sports store in question are even likely to be able to help you decide what you need and what should be purchased from this sports store. Ultimately, there might even be more than one sports store in the area where you can go to weigh your options for sporting equipment.
But perhaps sports aren’t really your thing – there are still many other ways to exercise and get into shape. After all, the average home fitness store will sell home fitness equipment very similar to the gym equipment that you’d find at your typical gym. Owning such equipment will make it easier than ever to work out, as you will no longer even have to go outside of your home to do so. For this reason, you might find yourself more motivated than ever.
