Poor Nutrition
and Physical Inactivity Soon to Eclipse Smoking
as the Number One Killer
By
Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Most people know how harmful smoking is to
health. Slowly but surely, public establishments
are banning
smoking – not just to discourage smokers, but
also, to protect nonsmokers from secondhand
smoke.
Unfortunately, just as we begin to make headway
reducing smoking rates, overweight and obesity
are
climbing to epidemic heights. New research
published in last month’s Journal of the
American Medical
Association found that poor diet and physical
inactivity are about to eclipse tobacco as the
number one killer
in the United States.
When combined, unhealthful diets and not enough
physical activity accounted for nearly as many
deaths
in the year 2000 as smoking – 400,000 versus
435,000. These poor health habits increase risk
for chronic
diseases including heart disease, stroke, and
diabetes, which lead to premature death.
Is there anything you can do as an individual or
that we can do as a community to make sure that
number
doesn’t continue to grow? There sure is! We can
lead by example. Reduce sedentary activity in
your home and workplace and encourage others to
join you – for a walk, an exercise class, or
just by taking the stairs rather than the
elevator. Also, when you shop, choose whole
foods. When you eat out, start asking for whole
wheat bread, brown rice, and twice the
vegetables with half the starch. If enough of us
start asking for
wholesome foods at restaurants, restaurants will
start serving them!
And we can get involved. For instance, start a
walking club for your neighborhood. Become
engaged in your
own community -- attending local meetings to
help preserve (and increase) physical activity
programs in schools. Get involved on a broader
level by writing to your government
representatives (congressmen, senators,
governor) about the importance of physical
activity programs and healthful school lunch
programs in public schools.
I know that if women around the world speak up
and become engaged, we can help to reverse this
alarming trend.
Lifting women to better health!
Miriam Nelson
(Reference: Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF,
Gerberding JL. Actual Causes of Death in the
United
States, 2000. Vol 291, No 10, JAMA March 10,
2004)
Article courtesy of
http://www.strongwomen.com
Optimom Fitness
Because Motherhood Is An Endurance Sport
