Florida's obese are part of a growing nation - Miami Herald Today

Obesity in Florida has increased 80% between 1995 and 2110, according to the Miami Herald today.

You know it is really amazing now nobody in charge of anything has any interest in solving this situation of obesity of kids and diabetes and all the sadness and grief and early death.

it really is amazing that nobody wants to simply do some real world experiments with obesity and different diets and exercise programs over a series of 2 years. The real issue is that few people are actually interested in health, only numbers of weight.... that is true on both sides of the story. Those who want to lose weight are obsessed with weight loss not health, those that want to gain weight and muscle mass are obsesed with that goal of looking like the guy in the magazine and don't care about health.

We must first distinguish health as our intention. Internal, External, Mental, Emotional Health and Wellbeing is my only intention in discussing this stuff. The herd is going off the cliff i read different articles every day and if anyone pieces it all together it reveals an unprecedented epidemic of health problems that almost everyone seems to be facing. the prescription medication trends and the obesity and diabetes and cancer rates, and the lack of exercise and general sedentary lifestyle is epidemic. the herd is going off the cliff. we dont have to follow is all i suggest... not to live forever, which is impossible, but to live higher quality of life in the present!

One person at a time we can all just make small changes like eat less potato chips and drink less soda and fried foods and meat... just a bit less... whatever small steps you initially take will create your momentem for the great leap that will land you across the other side of the divide. You can't cross a cross a chasm is two small jumps... it must be one giant leap! so have fun.... iuf you have questions about food just email me... fredb@miamiyoga.com

Obesity Surgery May Become Option for Many More - A Fantastic Trend!

Isn't this great? Weight Loss Surgery is going mainstream! There may be some cases where surgery is required but that is very unlikely. Once again instead of becoming interested in the root cause of obesity in our society and making a shift towards a healthier world, we are encouraging ignoring the cause and just focusing on the symptom of obesity. Health should be the priority, not some numeric number! So many people are compromising their health just to lose weight, when the most effective way to address obesity is the comprehensive approach that addresses exercise, food intake and awareness over negative thought patterns.

Weight-loss surgery, once a last resort for extremely overweight people, may soon become an option for those who are less heavy.

An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration will consider on Friday a request by Allergan, the pharmaceutical company, to significantly lower how obese someone must be to qualify for surgery using the company’s Lap-Band device, which restricts intake to the stomach.

On Wednesday, the F.D.A. acknowledged that a new study by the company showed that people in the proposed range of obesity who had the band experienced “statistically significant decreases in all measures of weight loss.”

If the agency approves the change, the number of Americans eligible for the Lap-Band operation could easily double, ensuring more sales for Allergan and probably more insurance coverage for such operations. But the proposed change, sought at a time when the obesity epidemic in the United States seems intractable, still leaves some people uneasy, in part because of side effects and failure rates. In addition, long-term weight reduction is hard to maintain.

“You’re talking about millions and millions of people who would meet these criteria,” said Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. “Let’s make sure by the most rigorous research that this is safe and effective.”

A new generation of diet pills has failed to gain federal approval, limiting options for overweight Americans, and Allergan and other companies are betting that surgery will become more of a frontline option rather than a last resort.