With record temperatures this summer, many of us have been concerned with getting our bodies into beach-friendly shape.  Others have worked to fit into that wedding/bridesmaids dress, high school reunion outfit or Facebook profile photo.   Our reasons for becoming fit may be individual, however, goals based on temporary conditions will only give temporary results.

Survey results of the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index show that 63.1% of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese in 2009.  Although the increase was minimal, this number was up from 62.2% the previous year. These statistics were even larger with black women.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 80 percent of black women either are overweight or obese.

Putting Weight Concerns into Context

As many of you know, obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States.  On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by six to seven years.  A study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that obesity is believed to significantly reduce life expectancy, particularly among younger adults.  The maximum years of life lost (YLL) for a white person in their 20s with a seriously high body mass index (BMI) was thirteen for men and eight for women.   In comparison, for young black people who were morbidly obese, the maximum YLL for men was twenty and five for women.

Besides the health risk associated with obesity, it’s important to note what role your weight plays in other health concerns, such as heart disease and diabetes, in particular those of people of color.  For example:

• The heart-disease rate for Latino women compared with white women in the U.S. is double.
• The diabetes incidence among black men compared with white men is 69% greater.
• The diabetes incidence among Latino men compared with white men is 53% greater.

*Numbers taken from The Food Revolution by author John Robbins

If you’re one of those, “I’m going to die when it’s my time anyway” folks, then think about how your diet, or lack thereof, affects the economy.   Statistics taken from a study on obesity from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation indicate that the annual cost of managing obesity in the United States alone amounts to approximately $100 billion, of which approximately $52 billion are direct costs of healthcare.  These costs amount to approximately 5.7% of all US health expenditures.  The cost of lost productivity due to obesity is approximately $3.9 billion.  Another $33 billion is spent annually on weight-loss products and services.

How to know if  this could be referring to you.

As referred to previously, a formula called the body mass index (BMI) is used to calculate whether you are obese.  This index takes into account your height and weight and is an indicator of body fat to height.  A normal BMI is between an 18.5 and 25.  For instance, a BMI of 40 is considered extremely high.  Now for those of you who really want to know if you’re overweight, here are a few symptoms:

• Needing to unbutton your previously comfortably fitting pants before you even sit down to eat.
• Hearing yourself breathing heavily when you haven’t  been running or exercising.
• The “fat” person at work is asking whether you want to motivate one another for dieting.
• A parent/sibling is telling you you’re getting big.
• You can’t button your jacket/blazer all the way up.  I get that it’s fashionable to leave the bottom unbuttoned but you still should be able to button up if need be.
• All your t-shirts have become muscle shirts, etc.

Coming up with a strategy

Now that you understand the concerns of being overweight/obese and realize that you fit the description you need to come up with a plan which starts with a change in your thinking.  Fitness shouldn’t be a temporary fix, it should be a lifestyle.

Many times people refer to this as the age of technology but we have also transcended into the world of nutrition and fitness.  While some may get results from Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, and other weight loss programs, we now have other means of staying healthy.  From Nintendo’s Wii Fit to the Insanity work-out dvds, nutrition/weight training is very accessible.

Nobody wants to be that person at the reunion who gained all the weight.  Here’s a bonus tip, next time you want to sneak downstairs for that late night snack make sure you’re wearing that little black dress or nice button up.  Yeah it sounds stupid, but that’s the point.  So as you gear up and prepare to get your P90X on, remember it’s bigger than that social event, it’s your life.