Fat Financials – The Truth in Numbers
According to The Australian News, obesity costs Australia over $20 billion per year. In fact an Access Economics report released in 2008 estimated that obesity cost Australia $58 billion! I have even seen quotes that Australians spend $1,000,000 a day on the weight industry. During the recession the weight industry was reported as one of the few industries that did not suffer financially. And why? Well, we just keep coming back. We keep on going on and off those diets. Basically, we never give up trying to find the panacea for weight loss success!
To see how fat the world has become just click on the following link to view an international graph on global obesity statistics:
A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Weight of the Nation Conference (2009) in Washington, DC. reported that two-thirds of US Adults and one-fifth of US Children are obese or overweight. In Australia, one in four of our children are overweight or obese. In the 24 years between 1980 and 2004 obesity prevalence figures doubled.
Not surprisingly, the cost to the economy in lost working days and extra healthcare costs is staggering, in fact, something in the vicinity of  $45 billion a year. This study showed that obesity related issues now contribute more to healthcare costs than smoking or alcohol-related problems.
During the same conference, author Eric Fickelstein, director, RTI Public Health Economics Program in Research Triangle Park, N.C.  quoted  “A normal-weight individual will spend about $3,400 per year in medical expenditures and that number rises to about $4,870 if that individual is obese. For people on Medicare, average expenses for a normal-weight person average about $4,700 a year, while costs for an obese person range about $6,400 annually”. “The biggest driver of these excess costs are prescription drugs”, Finkelstein said.” Among the normal-weight population, prescription drug costs average about $700 a year, but among those who are obese the cost rises to about $1,300 a year, an 80 percent increase”.
In the UK, the rate of obesity related surgery continue to rise. The direct cost of obesity to the NHS is ÂŁ0.5billion or $0.9 billion US, while the indirect cost to the UK economy is at least ÂŁ2 billion, according to Liam Donaldson, Englandâs chief medical officer.
The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. These trends, of course, will generate more weight-related health problems.
So what is the fate of being fat?
Ignoring fat will almost certainly impact on your life, and in some cases can be âdeadlyâ.
Be informed, obesity is a risk factor for:
* diabetes
* high blood pressure
* high cholesterol and triglycerides
* arthritis
* gall bladder disease
* gynaecological problems
* some forms of cancer
Now, how do we achieve freedom from fat?
As unfortunate and unexciting as it may sound, THERE IS NO SECRET TO WEIGHT LOSS.
Weight loss is a very simple maths equation â less in, more out, and your body will be forced to burn your fat sources for energy.
Forget fad diets and one off quick fixes with drink mixes & meal replacements. Youâll never stick to them long term. Similarly, forget fat wobbling machines and creams to dissolve cellulite. They donât work. And, save yourself some money buying magazines and books promising to give you âsecrets to weight lossâ. There is no secret. Be warned, Iâve just spent thousands on learning about internet marketing and they constantly encourage us to use the word âsecretâ because it sucks you in!
The cold hard facts are, unless you do something surgically drastic, self-discipline is the super highway to permanent weight loss. Self-discipline develops you on a personal level and is a lot cheaper and less risky than surgery.
So, roll up your sleeves and get serious. You want to change your life, and that includes your body, then change your minds, literally! There is a lot to be said for the practice of self-discipline.
Make a decision to stick to the weight loss maths equation (eating less and doing more), and review your motivation daily.
Motivation is like bathing, you need to attend to it daily.
And, never forget that your history is a good predictor of the future. If your âdietingâ didnât work in the past it is unlikely to work in the future. Itâs not the diet that doesnât work. Itâs YOU.
To lose weight permanently you need to make lifestyle changes rather than just temporary changes, and you need to master your mind!
Some proactive activities for you to do could include:
1. Setting the Right Goals
Effective goals are:
* specific
* attainable and
* forgiving
An example of an effective goal is “I will walk 30 minutes, five days each week”. This goal is specific, attainable, and forgiving. Forgiving infers that if you miss a day, you still have six more up your sleeve! Giving in and giving up CANNOT BE AN OPTION.
2. Build on Little Successes
Select a series of short-term goals that get you closer and closer to the ultimate goal. The Japanese call it Kaizen. Look at how they used kaizen to transform from a reputation of only making junk to becoming recognised for their technological achievements. Little by little, and without undue fan fare they worked towards their goal and proved the turtle wins the race, not the hare. The hare starts and stops. Keep going because persistence pays. Persistence and self-discipline are good friends to hang out with when you are losing weight and becoming physically active.
3. Reward Yourself
To keep your goals going, ensure you give yourself ongoing and non-food related rewards! Remember, weight loss is a maths equation that works best with a few psychological extras like persistence and self-discipline.
Increase exercise and activity and decrease food intake on an ongoing basis, and add a daily dose of motivation.
Photo Credit: sxc.hu