Can Americans Be Motivated to Combat Rising Obesity Rates?

For some incomprehensible reason, nothing seems to shock us into compliance when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. As a people, Americans continue to grow, despite education, law making, and support programs. What will it take for us to take control of this problem?

Below are a few statistics and thoughts that demonstrate just how disturbing the obesity crisis is. They shock me into action regularly. I hope they'll motivate you to get off your duff, move a bit, and eat more mindfully.

1. Obesity rates just keep rising, at a shocking level. Only one state in the country, Colorado, has an obesity rate less than 20%:

2. Military leaders recently deemed the obesity epidemic a national security threat, because our young people are too fat to defend the country. 27% of potential recruits are rejected because of weight issues

3. Over 64% of all Americans are considered either overweight or obese, according to the Obesity Society

4. A doctor was recently quoted in The New York Times, saying she counsels all residents to calculate patient BMIs, because we are so accustomed to seeing fat people that we can't spy a fat person with the naked eye anymore

5. The US spends 1.5 billion annually on healthcare costs related to obesity

6. Hospitals are now purchasing sturdier hospital beds, because they fear fat patients will break the ones they have

7. Business is booming for those who make oversized caskets. Goliath Casket owner Keith Davis says his caskets get 10-20% larger every year. He makes one that is the size of a compact car.

8. Maternity wards across the country need more powerful sonogram machines, as they are unable to properly monitor unborn children of obese mothers with the equipment they currently have.

9. According to the CDC 11% of toddlers are obese. 20% of children aged 6-11 years old are obese. 19% of adolescents are obese.

I just read that 56% of New Jersey residents are at risk of health complications due to obesity. 37% of residents are considered overweight. 22% are obese. The scary thing about these statistics is that compared to the national average, they aren't so bad. Two-thirds of all Americans are considered either overweight or obese.

10. 31% of the American diet consists of processed foods. We eat more processed foods than almost any other nation.

Protect Yourself from the Summer Sun

Summer is upon us, which means lazy afternoons, trips to the beach, swimming lessons, bike rides, and BBQ's with the kids. Sounds alluring, relaxing, and just what you could use right now, right?

Personally, I can't wait for the day trips to the shore and the afternoons at the pool, as the warm weather season allows the family to come out of hibernation. It is a nice contrast to being shuttered inside with the kids, just trying to come up with one more way to keep them busy that doesn't destroy the house.

But I was reminded of the perils of the season this week as I lay on the dermatologist's examining table while she scraped out a suspect mole: the fifth one I have had removed in the last 4 years. While a welcome pleasure to me just about every day, the sun produces rays that are classified as known carcinogens by the federal government. You don't mess around with the sun. (Ask my husband, who scoffed at my sun paranoia until being diagnosed with melanoma himself last year).

The incidence of skin cancer has increased dramatically over the last three decades, and its prevalence continues to rise. Though the survival rate is high for those that detect the disease early, there is no proven treatment for late stage melanoma.

There is some good news, though. This week there was some exciting news shared on the cancer front, most notably with melanoma. Research published by The New England Journal of Medicine shared advances with a drug, ipilimumab, that is nearly 30 years in the making. It is a drug that essentially copies human antibodies in order to ward off cancer. Experts consider it a major breakthrough.

Of course, preventing skin damage should be anyone's first course of action. Enjoy the outdoors, but do it only after protecting yourself and your children. Wear hats, UPF clothing and sunscreen. Then revel in those short months when being outside is as delicious as curling up underneath a blanket will be come winter.

Photo by manuere.

Berries!

There is nothing I love more about summer than watching the blood red juice of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries streaming down my son's face. The otherwise insanely picky eater gets some anti-oxidants, some extra vitamins and minerals and the pure, unadulterated joy of eating fresh fruit.

Another thing I love? Desserts become light, juicy, delicious, and actually have some nutritional value.

My all time favorite berry recipe is berry focaccia. It is super easy, which is one of my specialties, and people have compared it to fruit tarts their grandmothers made. (No, I didn't tell them that I spent about 10 minutes making it, and I'm sure their grandmothers would not be happy that they'd made such comparisons, may they rest in peace).

Without further delay, here is the recipe. Enjoy, and share yours if you have a favorite:

Very Berry Focaccia:

1. Spray a 13x9 pyrex pan with cooking spray
2. Roll out a 1 lb bag of fresh pizza dough and line the pan with it. To make it healthier, try whole wheat or multi-grain dough.
3. Place 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 3 TBS of butter in a food processor. Combine
4. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture over the dough
5. Top with 1 pint blueberries, 6 oz. raspberries, and 6 oz. blackberries
6. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on top
7. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or until dough is brown and berries are bubbling.

Photo by Clarita