After all the Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, many of us may be tempted to cover our eyes before we step on the scale today. And we should be concerned about our weight. But even here, worldview matters.
According to Harvard University’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, America has a weight problem. “Nationwide, roughly two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three is obese (36 percent).” To say the least, these are alarming numbers.
Being obese is defined as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher; being overweight as having a BMI of at least 25. For example, the National Institutes of Health says if you are five feet six and weigh 155 pounds, you have a BMI of 25—classified as overweight. If you weigh 186 pounds at that same height, you are considered obese.
And being obese is much more than an issue of appearance. Obesity-related medical conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer that are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
The obesity epidemic has sparked public relations campaigns, high-profile weight-loss programs, and no shortage of fantastic claims about so-called “super foods” and diet pills—and yet our waistlines continue to grow.
Now, there are many factors about weight we may not have much control over. But there are a lot of things we do have control over. No doubt our sedentary lifestyles, aging population, and—let’s face it—habitual overindulgence, have all contributed.
And yes, there are ways to combat obesity. But it matters not just how we want to lose weight, but why.
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Eric Metaxas and Stan Guthrie
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