Quick Facts
- 65% of Americans are overweight; 31% are obese
- 30% of children and adolescents are overweight; 15% percent are obese
- On average, we spend $2,000 per person on AIDS research annually, as opposed to $3.65 per person on obesity research
- Obesity is associated with more than 50 diseases including sleep apnea, hypertension and arthritis
- The obesity epidemic costs the U.S. between $80 - $100 billion annually
- 40% of the American population is sedentary
- One in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes
- Even mild obesity increases a person's risk of having diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disorders, liver disease, arthritis, certain cancers, and other medical conditions
Gary's 15 ways you can create your own
"Million Calorie March" towards health…
1. Bypass quick fix diets that don't work, cost money,
damage your metabolism and make you feel like a
failure. You're NOT! The long term fix is a way of life
and not a "temporary phase."
2. Accept your struggle for the disease it is. You are not
alone. 65% of Americans are caught in the battle along
with you. Ultimately you have the power to see through
the problem and change within you.
3. Don't go it alone. Organize your own Dream Team to
dissect your eating habits. Seek out the best nutritionist,
therapist and fitness trainer you can find. They will
educate, inspire and keep you accountable to yourself.
This may be the most important group of people you
ever convene in your life.
4. Introduce 30 or 60 minute walks into your daily
routine. Remember: your body was meant to move!
Take a cell phone or walkman.
5. Just because you have a craving doesn't mean you
have to act on it! Before you eat something unhealthy,
fast forward the tape in your life. What has this type of
eating done to negatively effect your life?
6. Make a list of the "pros" to being able to eat
whatever you want. Then, make a list of "cons." The
answers will astound you. In a nutshell, it's not
worth it!
7. Focus on the big picture - which is health. Remember
that the ultimate goal is health, not just weight loss!
You can achieve health without looking like a model.
8. Try to eat for your body instead of your taste buds.
Ask yourself when eating what your body gets from
what you are consuming. The answer may surprise you.
Realize that the American diet is NOT normal and IS
contradictory to achieving health. Long before you were
born, society began to expect a certain style of eating…
most of which is wrong for what the human body needs.
9. Remember that food is fuel -not love.
Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!
10. Defeat the all or nothing syndrome (better
known as the "Monday Morning Dieter syndrome).
Start today with a "way-of-life plan."
11. Remember that time is a tool. Healthy foods
eventually taste like a treat and do not feel like denial.
12. Once you've achieved a certain degree of health,
switch up your exercise routines. Add weight training,
swimming, tennis and other sports to keep it fresh
and interesting. Remember: "Hurts So Good" is not
just a John Cougar Mellencamp tune!
13. Consume only the portion sizes of food that your
body requires - not what society considers to be
"normal" portions.
14. Continue to self analyze. By dissecting patterns
that are unhealthy, you can actually push your inner
button to keep you on a healthy path.
15. Visit www.millioncaloriemarch.com
for free nutritional advice and updates on the
first cross-country walk for obesity. Join Gary
when he comes through your town!
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