Research is discovering new ideas about how and why we, as a nation, are so overweight. The consequences of carrying extra pounds affect our long-term health and well-being in ways doctors and scientists are only beginning to understand. In a very short time, America has become a country of citizens packing on too many pounds. Fast food diets and lack of exercise are the main culprits, but researchers are puzzled by how fast each generation has added so much weight to our bodies.

Children today are becoming obese at an alarming rate. Diabetes and high blood pressure are complications that being overweight can cause. These medical conditions result in premature death and increasing rates of illness and disability. Scientists are now studying plastics and external causes that might help explain the alarming statistics of a generation that has become so fat so fast. What can you do to keep obesity from changing your life? Look now at your weight and eating habits.

Study your diet and exercise routines and set goals to lose that weight now. As we get older, it becomes much harder to lose those pounds. Pay attention to the young ones in your family. Be determined that they will not suffer the fate of being so obese as an adult that they are affected by the medical conditions caused by being overweight.

As we learn more about the number one health issue facing our country, we must each be committed to changing those habits that contribute to and cause obesity. The time is now for each one of us to change our lives by addressing this one health care issue that affects us all. Use the resources that you have, and lose those pounds while you can. It will make all the difference in creating a happy, healthy and fulfilling life for you.