|
By
Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege
The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults has risen some 74 percent
from 1991 to 2001, and although one of the national health objectives
for the year 2010 is to lower the prevalence of obesity among adults
to less than 15 percent (it’s currently closer to 21 percent),
it appears that the obesity epidemic is continuing to worsen rather
than improve.
In 2001, 30 states had an obesity prevalence (prevalence is defined
as the number of obese individuals in the population divided by
total number of individuals in the population) of over 20 percent.
The five fattest states, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), are:
- Mississippi (25.9 percent obesity prevalence)
- West Virginia (24.6 percent)
- Michigan (24.4 percent)
- Kentucky (24.2 percent)
- Indiana (24 percent)
In an effort to curb the obesity epidemic the CDC currently gives
funding to 20 states, including West Virginia and Kentucky, to develop
nutrition and physical activity programs. Although this appears
to be a step in the right direction, the true causes of obesity,
and the best way to cure it, are likely not being covered.
So what are the real causes of obesity?
An abundance of sugars and grains, which are converted to sugars
in the body, in the diet, coupled with an emotional addiction to
sugars/grains, or other emotional stresses that cause people to
seek comfort from food are by far the biggest players in obesity.
Of course, inactivity also plays a role.
The good news is that overweight and obesity are nearly 100 percent
preventable by following my nutrition
plan, exercising,
and addressing emotional stresses. Quite simply, you need to replace
grain carbohydrates with vegetable greens.
Eating too many carbohydrates causes insulin levels to rise, sending
your body a hormonal message essentially telling it to store fat
while holding on to the fat that is already there. So not only will
excess carbohydrates make you fat, they will make you stay fat.
Limiting sugar is crucial in moderating this insulin response. My
book, The No-Grain Diet, explains this
process in detail and gives you step-by-step instruction to help
you achieve your ideal weight and improve your overall health and
well-being.
Many people struggle with the idea of restricting sugar and grains.
You may have an emotional association to a particular food, such
as bagels or chocolates, that makes it hard to give up even after
the physical cravings have subsided (your physical craving for grains
and sugar will subside shortly after you remove them from your diet).
We have been using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to successfully
treat these kinds of emotional stresses, including food cravings
such as those related to sugar and grains, for some time.
Although often overlooked, emotional health is essential to your
physical well-being. No matter how devoted you are to a healthy
lifestyle, it is nearly impossible to reach your goals if emotional
barriers stand in your way. EFT uses a combination of kinetic energy
input and positive affirmations to release you of your emotional
"blocks."
You can review our free EFT manual
to learn how to perform EFT in your own home. If you seek more in-depth
knowledge of the EFT technique, my
EFT series is available on DVD or VHS. The series will teach
you how to relieve most emotional traumas, abolish phobias, overcome
food cravings and eliminate or greatly reduce physical pain. You
can also make an appointment with
an expert to help you with the EFT process.
Related Articles:
Obesity and Diabetes:
A Growing Problem Among Americans
Use of Obesity Drug Increases
in Britain
CDC: Obesity Fastest
Growing Health Threat in U.S.
Obesity Among Pregnant
Women on the Rise in the US
Obesity Causes Nearly
100,000 Cancer Deaths per Year
How to Prevent,
or Reverse, Childhood Obesity
| 