Search

How Can We Help You?

Video

Quick Info:

Find a Doctor Locations Nearby (800) 213-3284

More on LifestyleBack

American Cultures Effect on Obesity

| Date Posted: 5/18/2012 | Author: Mandy McCue

I’m sure you’ve heard by now about obesity rates in America and how they’ve been growing at an alarming rate.  In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, obesity rates for adults and children ages 6-19 have almost doubled in the last fifteen years making the United States the most overweight country in the world.

Several factors in our modern US society can be blamed for helping to increase the waist line of America.  The first and most obvious factor is fast food restaurants.  Did you know that there are over 200,000 fast food restaurants?  That averages out to be almost one restaurant per 1,000 people in the country.  Most of these restaurants offer a strong mix of fatty and fried foods and very limited offerings of fruits and vegetables.  Secondly, we have celebrity cooks teaching us how to cook everything with butter, and which restaurants have the best eating contests, which leads to another cultural factor, portion sizes at restaurants.  Which, according to David Zinczenko, the Editor-in-Chief at Men’s Health Magazine and the author of “Eat This Not That”, are 2-5 times larger than the recommended serving size.

Solutions:

For kids: Michelle Obama’s “Let’s move” campaign is targeting childhood obesity.  It is an initiative geared toward sharing knowledge and teaching good lifestyle choices at an early age so the kids that are born today will grow up healthier.

For adults: Eating right and exercise is the healthiest way to lose weight, but sometimes that’s not enough.  Certain cases of obesity are eligible for bariatric surgery.  Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss surgery performed on people who are obese.  There are a few different weight-loss procedures available at FirstHealth such as Roux-en Y Divided Gastric Bypass, Adjustable Gastric Band, and Gastric sleeve procedures.  To see if you are a candidate for weight-loss surgery click here.

If you are a candidate, you can attend one of our free bi-monthly bariatric surgery seminars on the first Thursday and the third Monday of every month.  Register for this free weight-loss surgery seminar today! FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical has all the resources you need when it comes to weight loss and weight loss surgery.  Our comprehensive Bariatric Surgical Program serves patients in the Pinehurst, Sanford, Raeford, Laurinburg, Lumberton, Troy and Rockingham regions of North Carolina and beyond.  Call (800) 213-3284 with questions or for more information.

Related Content

Healthy Living Programs
Fitness Programs
Community Tour

FirstHealth Magazine Subscription

To receive FirstHealth Magazine via email, please complete the information below.

1. Browse Our Free Printed Magazines
2. Subscribe to FirstHealth Magazine

How would you like to receive the magazine?

Cancel
FirstHealth Newsletter Sign-Up