July 21, 2000

We have turned into a society of overweight couch potatoes. Skinny people have actually become the minority in California, according to the recent Behavioral Risk Surveillance Survey System, which reports that nearly 53 percent of the adult population in this state are classified as obese.

According to Dr. Mitch Cohen, a lot of it has to do with the lifestyle that many Californians lead.

"We have turned into a sedentary society," said Cohen. "A lot of people don't like to cook, so they go to fast food. They don't get a lot of exercise because of a lot of the new technology like computers, video games and remote controls."

This sedentary lifestyle is especially prevalent in college, the origin of the storied "Freshman 15," the myth that all freshman inevitably gain 15 pounds when they go to colege. While this is just a myth, there is some truth to it. Many students do gain weight when they go to college due to a relaxed lifestyle with little exercise.

Obesity can be caused by a variety of things besides a person's lifestyle. There are several health problems that can lead to obesity, such as thyroid problems, diabetes and prolonged illnesses and injuries that prevent a person from exercising on a regular basis.

There is some evidence that obesity runs in the family, but Phoebe Leung, a registered dietitian and the director of health promotion and employee wellness at the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, feels that a lot of obesity is preventable.

Personally, I think that a lot of obesity is preventable," said Leung. "If people would just follow some basic guidelines, then a lot of them would be a lot healthier."

Obesity is based on a measurement called body mass index. Body mass index is a standardized unit of measurement that is used to compare different people's body types based on their height and weight. Anything over 100 percent of this height and weight is considered to be overweight. Obesity is considered to be anything over 120 percent of a normal body mass index. Mild obesity is between 120 percent and 140 percent, moderate obesity is between 140 percent and 200 percent and anything over 200 percent is severe obesity.

No matter what the cause of the obesity, both Cohen and Leung agree that a proper diet and exercise is the only way to get into shape.

"These crash diets are definitely not the way to go," said Cohen. "A person is more likely to gain weight back in a crash diet because they don't learn to live a healthy lifestyle.

They don't learn to eat right or exercise properly. The only real way to lose weight and keep it off is through a good diet and exercise."

Leung suggests that small changes in a person's lifestyle can make a big difference in their overall health.

"A person does not necessarily need to go out and get on an exercise program," said Leung. "All that they need to do is make little changes in their lifestyle. They just need to change their behavior a little bit."

Some suggestions about changing behavior include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away and walking instead of finding the closest parking spot, taking a walk during a bread at work or taking a walk after dinner.

According to Leung, exercising four times a week for 30 minutes would make a big difference in a person's life.

Reprinted by permission of The Turlock Journal