R
ecent research indicates about 70 million U.S. adults are obese and 99 million are overweight. In 2017, 42% of Americans were obese, a rise of around 12% compared to 1999.
All in all, experts agree obesity is a widespread problem in the United States. The average person seems to concur: About 45 million Americans go on a diet each year.
Unfortunately, standard diet and exercise regimes produce limited results for many people. In recent years, the emergence of serious health complications related to weight has led to more people seeking medical supervision for their weight loss efforts.
The foods that we eat are the foundation of a good health. Food does not only provide us with the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies need to function; a good diet is key for preventing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, both of which are among the top leading causes of death in the United States.
When we think of food and nutrition in relation to our health, we tend to only think about obesity. In many countries, including the United States, obesity is an epidemic and is one of the main culprits of premature and preventable deaths.
But obesity is not the only consequence of a bad diet; too many or too little of particular nutrients can also be very detrimental to your health. Contrary to obesity, which is often caused by poor diet choices and excessive eating, eating too little or not eating the adequate amount of nutrients can cause malnutrition, or nutritional deficiencies. A nutritional deficiency means that your body is not receiving the nutrients it needs to function properly.
On the whole, people who maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, and eat a balanced diet have a higher life expectancy than those who are classified as overweight or obese.
