<<CLICK HERE TO SAFELY TREAT YOUR SKIN ECZEMA>>

What is formaldehyde?  It is known as quarternium and is very dangerous and harmful to the skin.  Did you know it is used as a preservative and is in almost everything you use on your body?  It is the cheapest ingredient these manufacturing companies can get their hands on.

When you decide to take control of what you use in your home, you will see a huge difference in your skin and your health.  This is all tied together.  When you use high quality products that cost you less money, the results are phenomenal and only you will know how you feel and the difference you see.

Click here to learn more details on how to get the toxins out of your home to help your eczema.

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My son had eczema at birth until 10 months old and we were prescribed prescription Elidel and were told to use on all areas where the eczema irritated his skin.  We didn’t know that it was causing thinning in his skin and the possible risk of cancer.  We learned early on about the side affects.  There are so many users of atopic creams and a lot are unaware of the dangers.

Eczema or atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin disorders seen in infants and children, affecting 10 to 15 per cent of the childhood population,” states the FDA.

A few years after approving the drug, the FDA decided there was a cancer-risk associated with Elidel. In a public health advisory published in March, 2005 (an advisory that was also aimed at Protopic, another anti-eczema product made by Japanese company Astellas), the FDA recommended that Elidel only be used as a “second-line agent for short-term and intermittent treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) in patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of, other treatments.”

Adults or children with weakened immune systems were advised to avoid the drug. The FDA also urged parents not to use Elidel on kids younger than two years old.  In addition to possibly hurting people’s immune systems, the FDA admitted that Elidel might also be carcinogenic.

“Animal studies have shown that three different species of animals developed cancer following exposure to [Elidel and Protopic] applied topically, or given by mouth, including mice, rats and a recent study of monkeys,” the FDA explained.

“As of December 2004, the FDA had received 10 cases of postmarketing reports linking Elidel with cancer-related adverse events,” added the public health advisory. “Four cases occurred in children, three of these in children less than six years old. The other six cases occurred in adults.”

There are other safer ways to treat eczema.  You can hear my story here and I can help you or your love one get rid of it for good.  You can make smart and simple changes in the products you are using in and around your home.  Know the facts.

Are you tired of suffering from eczema?  You don’t have to anymore.  I can help you.

For more information on how to safely treat skin eczema, click here and follow treating eczema on twitter

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If you are like every other yo-yo dieter out there, chances are you have started and stopped several diet plans with no success. The first week is easy. You’re full of excitement. You tell yourself “this time will be different.” The second week is ok, a little harder than the first but you’re still sticking to it. And then what happens? You bend the rules a bit and start falling back into your old habits. Why does this happen? Why do we go through this vicious cycle? I’ll tell you why. We are focusing on the wrong goal. For whatever reason, we must not perceive our weight loss as being “important enough” to achieve. So what would be “important enough” to stick to our new healthy eating habits? Your HEALTH! Nothing in this world is more important than the state of your health. Think about it, your health affects everything else in your life. Once our health is compromised we automatically change our lifestyle habits. Let’s not wait until our bodies completely have a break down before we decide to take care of ourselves. If you feel lousy, everything you do that day is lousy. Likewise, if you feel great, everything you do that day is great.

Ask yourself, “How important is my health to me? How do I want to live the rest of my life? Sick and feeling horrible or healthy and feeling vibrant? Do I want to play golf and tennis in my retirement or do I want to spend it in the hospital?” The answer to these questions will ultimately dictate your weight and your health for the future. Any lifestyle habit that affects your health in a positive way will automatically cause you to lose weight or maintain a good healthy weight.

Follow this checklist towards health and you will see weight come off automatically.

1. Make the time to focus on health.

The number one reason people do not eat healthy or exercise is because they “don’t have the time”. But why is it that once we get sick, have a heart attack, are diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes or cancer, we all of a sudden have the time? This doesn’t make any sense. Prioritize your day. What could possibly be more important than your health? Your children, yes, I agree. But guess what? If something happens to you, who will be there for your children? Prioritize your day so that making healthy meal choices and exercising are right at the top.

2. Take a long hard look at what you are putting into your body.

For one week, read every ingredient of every food you eat. Some ingredient labels on packaged foods sound more like a college chemistry class than anything we should be eating. As a golden rule, if you can’t pronounce it, chances are you shouldn’t be eating it. The majority of the foods you should be eating shouldn’t even have an ingredients label. They should be vegetables, fruits, raw nuts, chicken, fish, eggs, meat. If you make 90% of your diet, fresh food, I guarantee you will significantly change your weight and your health.

3. How much are you eating?

Restaurant portions are about 3 times more than what we should be eating in one sitting. If we become accustomed to seeing this much food on our plate at a restaurant we tend to do the same when we are at home and serve ourselves. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, women are eating 300 more calories a day and men 168 more calories than 20 years ago. All it takes is 100 extra calories a day to gain 10 pounds a year.

For one week, reduce your portions at lunch and dinner by half. There is no need to “clean your plate”. Most times what’s on your plate is double what you should be eating anyway. If you feel some hunger in the afternoon, add one small apple with a handful of raw nuts as a snack. Your body will quickly become accustomed to the smaller portions and you will eventually not be able to eat as much in one sitting as you did before.

4. Drink WATER!

Dehydration has directly been linked to several forms of diseases including colon cancer, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels. Take a look at what you are drinking each day.

Coffee or Soda (Diet Coke included)? The caffeine in both will dehydrate you even more and will cause you to feel hungrier during the day.

Diet drinks and sodas? The artificial sweetener actually enhances your appetite and increases food intake.

Orange Juice and other Fruit Juices? The sugar and calories can add up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per drink, which can be anywhere from 150-200 calories. Not to mention the fact that sugar eventually makes you crave more sugar.

Every person should be drinking half of their body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water each day. If you drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage during the day, the ounces of water needed increases.

<<CLICK HERE FOR TIPS ON FAT LOSS>>

5. How much do you move each day?

Your body was designed to move! Your heart is a muscle and must be worked just like every other muscle in your body. You don’t have to join a gym to move, you just have to challenge your body and your muscles each and every day.

1. Go for a walk. You can go for a walk anywhere and anytime.

2. Set up your home with some free weights and an exercise ball. You will be amazed at the number of exercises you can do with just your body, some free weights and a stability ball. If you don’t know how, hire a trainer to show you or get a good book. Get into the routine of scheduling your exercise time each and every day. No ifs, ands or buts. Make your exercise time more important than phone calls, laundry, errands or lunch dates.

Make a promise to yourself that this time will be about health, not about short term weight loss. Really evaluate how you are treating your body on an everyday basis. Is that the same way you would treat a highly valuable, expensive piece of equipment? Because that’s what your body is. There is no amount of money in the world that will buy you another one, so you might as well take really good care of the one you got!

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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I hear all the time from busy moms, executives, and students,  “I just don’t have time to eat right and exercise!” No one seems to be able to find the time to lose weight. With all of the responsibilities and events packed into our busy days, how are we to keep ourselves healthy and maintain an optimal weight?

When people think weight loss, they think diet and exercise, both of which already sound time consuming.  You can lose weight by proper nutrition alone.  Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight without changing to healthier eating alternatives knows this is true. Trust me, I’ll be the first one to tell you all the reasons why exercise is so important but following a healthy eating regimen must be priority number 1!

<<For more weight loss tips, click here>>

So if nothing else, following easy adjustments in your nutrition plan will help to take off the fat, at the very least, an initial 5-10 lbs to get you well on your way to your health and weight loss goals:

1. Only drink water as your beverage (with the occasional unsweetened tea or black coffee).

Eliminating all sugar drinks, “diet” drinks and sodas will automatically cause a dramatic weight loss. Studies have shown, when all else is kept constant, people lose up to 10lbs just by giving up diet coke. But it has no calories you say? Equal (Aspartame) and all other artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet and Low are toxins to your body and cause weight gain, even more so than sugar!

Squeeze fresh lemon in your water or make flavored herbal teas and cool them to make ice tea to make water drinking much easier. Always consume ½ of your body weight in ounces of water per day to experience adequate hydration and weight loss (ex. If you weigh 150lbs, you must drink 75 ounces of water each day).

2. Eliminate the 4 white devils

White Flour, Refined Salt, White Sugar, and Dairy. If you just stay away from these 4 things, you will automatically see a drastic drop in weight and will instantly feel more energetic throughout the day. Most people are well aware of the harmful effects of flour, refined salt and sugar but dairy? Doesn’t it do a body good? Definitely not! Dairy is one of the number 1 reason people have such a hard time losing weight. It causes inflammation in the body, digestive problems, clogged arteries, and weight gain. Get your calcium from leafy greens and avoid dairy at all costs.

3. Know exactly where to find the healthy food!

It is honestly just as easy to run in to the local supermarket and get a bag of carrots and some almonds as it is to run into a Quickie-Mart and buy some harmful processed food. You can go absolutely anywhere now and find healthy meal options but you must know what you are looking for. Stay away from most packaged foods as the label indicates more of a science experiment than anything that would be close to food. No one needs all of those toxins in their body. Labels should have 2 – 3 items, at most. And the best foods don’t have labels.

Don’t let time be your excuse. If you stop to eat 2-3 times per day and snack in between it is just as easy to find something healthy as it is to find something harmful. Don’t let your body come to a shrieking halt before you decide to do anything about your weight and your health. You know what will be a huge impediment on your time? If you or a family member becomes ill due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits. So tackle the problem now before it really does begin to affect your time and your life! You can replace cars, homes and all material items, but you only get one body! Take good care of it.

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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Getting involved with a sport like activity is another way to implement exercise and your heart rate up.  Take the attention off of weight, inches, and body fat percentages and put the focus on MOVING—from dancing, rock climbing, and mountain biking to table tennis.  How about a salsa class or water aerobics?  Sports are fun and help develop balance and coordination—which in turn accelerates your results. Jump, kick, run, spin, throw, skate, shoot, hit, score, compete . . . PLAY!  These are great ways to sweat and burn some calories

I take a few classes at the local YMCA and it is fun and interactive because there are others in the class and we have this friendly, semi competition going.  It is more like a “who can do more reps or we laugh at the person who is falling over from fatigue”.  It is all in love though.  The best thing is that no one is sitting on the couch eating chips.  We are out all shooting for the same goal.  WEIGHT LOSS

To me, there is nothing better than the great outdoors. I love to run outdoors and take in the crisp air.   Sports is a great way to stay in shape.  I encourage you to get involved in SOMETHING athletic—anything that would be fun and enjoyable for you. Try to care a little less about weight loss and more about accomplishment. There are so many different kinds of sports to choose from. Set a goal, take a class, or sign up for a race, anything that gives you a reason to focus on “can do” and not so much “look like.” If you shift to an athletic mind-set, you won’t obsess as much about calories, inches, and your weight. “Can-do” numbers like reps, range of motion, and resistance become more important. Athletes care about improving their games.

If you can find one thing/sport that you really enjoy, then your day-to-day workouts will be less of a chore and more of a means to an end. Sports will also give you the opportunity to connect better and share with a partner. Whether you’re single or partnered with someone, it will give you a chance to meet like-minded folks. The people I know who have a regular sport pursuit are consistently fit over time, are rarely depressed or anxious, and meet tons of amazing people in the process.

For some of you, the excuse of time or money or the fear of looking uncoordinated in front of other people can keep you from trying something athletic. Try it, it is a great way to stay fit and healthy at the same time.

<<For great weight loss tips, click here>>

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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I did a series a few weeks ago on the laws of exercise, I ended at the 4^th law and we will continue with the 5^th law of exercise which is REALITY.

Why do we try to predict the future with the hope that wishful thinking is enough to change it? Life is NOT the way it was. It’s the way it is. Life is not our fantasy predictions of the future or our glory days of the past. Life is that thing that is happening to you as you read this. We fall into the trap of living in the past and future because right here is not good enough. Back then and up there are keeping you from right now.

The truth is that other people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are. We lament for days, weeks, or years over some comment made in passing, by someone who forgot what they said 2 minutes after saying it. Other people’s opinions of us are none of our business. Their opinions are their unfinished business.

If you want positive long-term change in life, accept the truth of your situation and ignore the people who don’t support it. Let go of your ego and find ways to love who you are right now. Living in the past, in the future, and for others destroys your ability to stay in the moment. Life has peaks and valleys, ups and downs, lessons, and celebrations. This is how we grow and learn. If you’re struggling with your finances, get financial advice. If you’re unhappy with your health and fitness, do something and get up off the couch, get a heart rate moving. You could do nothing and hope that it all gets better on its own, or you could open a new door and find some answers.

To know reality is to take risks. Risk requires perseverance, courage, and wisdom.

Take the Risk

1. Risk saying no. The first step toward having your own life begins with daring to refuse the demands of others. Saying yes because you’re afraid to say no is a recipe for resentment. Risk walking away from the fear of saying NO.
2. Risk NOT defending yourself. It’s only when you risk laying down your armor, shield, and sword (quips, retorts, and criticisms) that you discover who you really are. You can’t be hurt by letting others win.
3. Risk appearing stupid. Pretending to understand something you don’t, for fear of appearing stupid, only ensures that you’ll remain a fearful pretender. That is stupid. If you truly want to understand something, risk asking all the questions you need to. That’s smart.
4. Risk bearing your negative outlook. The weight of your problems is determined by how much you fear them. But the only weight any fear can have is determined by how much you try to push it away. Risk not “burdening others” with your negativity. The less you burden other people with your problems, the less of a burden they’ll be for you.
5. Risk being rejected. No is just a word, but fear of it is a prophecy self-fulfilled. Be bold! Risk asking for what you really want. Reject the fear of being rejected by daring to say no to the fear of NO.
6. Risk catching yourself in the act. Your life can’t be both a show and be real. Whenever you catch yourself in the middle of some self-created drama or lie, just stop it
7. Risk taking the lead. You can never know the true pleasure and personal satisfaction of having your own life until you take the risk of finding it for yourself, all by yourself.

The way to live in this world is to live in the real world. Lift the burden of having to “keep up with the Joneses” all the time. Stop lying to yourself and everyone else about what you’re doing, what you’ve done, and what you’re going to do. Stop telling others about your hard workouts and clean diet, and all the while pretending that what you’re saying is true. If it is true . . . guess what? We’ll know. Reality is about discovering the truth about the here and now. Reality is the ability to accept your present situation and love who you are through the process.

<<To get started and get some weight loss help, click here>>

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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]]> http://elev8.com/better-living/health/latwanasstephens/are-you-being-real-with-yourself/feed/ 0 http://elev8.com/better-living/health/latwanasstephens/do-you-have-sagging-breasts/ http://elev8.com/better-living/health/latwanasstephens/do-you-have-sagging-breasts/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:00:13 +0000 Latwanas Stephens http://elev8.com/?p=176382

Hey Ladies, are your breasts hitting the floor when you take your bra off?  When you bend over, are they in your way?  Do they look like sagging water balloons that just hang.  Do you wish they were back the way they were when you were 20?  Do you look at your kids and think….you…you did this to me?  LOL  Ok, ok, you are not alone.  You can work on your core and at the same time do exercises to help your sagging breasts.

The breasts are highly composed of fat, ducts, glands and connective tissue. Over the course of time, they can become lax and start to sag. This is mainly due to the aging process and it generally begins some time after turning 40. If you are currently experiencing sagging breasts, there are several exercises you can do to lift them. Muscle beneath the breasts can be strengthened to offer you support.

Step 1

Utilize the weight of your body to do push ups. We all can do a few push ups.  You can do the ones on your knees or if you are strong enough, do them the manly way!  Do 10 reps of 10 starting out.

Step 2

Adjust a bench to 45 degrees to do incline presses.. Lie on the bench and hold dumbbells straight above you with your palms facing forward and the weights an inch apart. Slowly lower the weights down to your sides by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor and push them back to the starting position. Repeat for a series of reps.

Step 3

Hook your lower shins under the padded support on a decline bench to target your lower chest muscles. Hold the dumbbells above your head with your palms facing forward and the weights an inch apart. Lower the dumbbells down until they are by your rib cage and your elbows are bent 90 degrees. Push them back to the starting position and repeat.

Step 4

Lie on a flat bench to do dumb bell flys. Extend your arms above your body and hold the dumbbells an inch apart with your palms facing each other. Slightly bend your elbows and maintain that bend as you lower the weights down to your sides. Stop when the weights are even with your shoulders and push them back up. Repeat for a series of reps.

Always work your core for strength and a great ab workout to enhance your breasts and to look good in a tank top! These exercises go hand in hand, a great ab and chest.

<<For more ways to get a great body, click here>>

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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Ok people, let’s clear one thing up first. I believe sex is great and God intended it to be enjoyed between man and woman in the institution of holy matrimony, marriage.  Now that is out of the way, let’s get down to it!

How many calories can I burn?

You can burn up to 300 calories per hour by having sex–an exercise that activates all of the body’s muscle groups. While sex is not recommended as a replacement for regular exercise, health experts report that an active sex life is good for your emotional and physical health.  The amount of calories you burn naturally depends on the style and intensity of your sexual routine. Thirty minutes of foreplay burns about 50 calories (less than if you were ironing shirts). But full-on intercourse can burn 5 calories per minute or more.  Let’s look at a great example, thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.   It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective.

<<Click here to learn more fat burning secrets>>

You may be surprised at all the benefits of a great sex life, let’s explore them.

• Sex relieves stress
• Sex boosts immunity
• Sex burns calories
• Sex improves cardiovascular health
• Sex boosts self-esteem
• Sex improves intimacy
• Sex reduces pain (headache, arthritis, and PMS symptoms)
• Sex strengthens muscles
• Sex helps you sleep better

Sex does the body good in a number of ways and that is backed by scientific research.  I think it is important to note that it depends on your speed, distance, duration, intensity, etc.  There are a lot of variables to how many calories are burned.

Sex happens to be a great form of exercise and healthier people have more sex.  It all ties back to health, get active for greater health and keep burning those calories while you enjoy at the same time.  It is not recommended to take the place of fitness and exercise but reward yourself weekly with burning extra calories

Give me your thoughts.

<<Click here to learn more fat burning secrets>>

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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Has a spouse lost a job? Has the household income been reduced by 30, 40 or even 50%? Are you arguing daily over how the bills will get paid?  Has the government cut back on your hours?  Have you received a pink slip and don’t know where to turn? Does this all sound familiar or has this happened to you or someone around you?  What if you could find a solution?  Do you know the health risk of financial stress?  Imagine being debt free or at least starting the process.  Imagine paying your bills on time.  Imagine being able to buy your kids the things they want and not having to say no because of lack.  Have you lost your dreams due to not knowing where to begin?  Are your dreams still like a little whisper deep down inside of you?

Can money buy happiness? What about not having money, are you happier when you are broke? The truth is it does not matter whether or not you are rich or poor, if you stress about your finances, you have already begun to dig your grave. The vast majority of Americans are living with stress related health problems that could currently be the cause of or lead to the deterioration of your physical and mental well being. If you are one of those people that value family, long life, and your health over money, you may have another perspective after learning that not having control over your financial situation kills Americans every day.

How many Americans are living with financial stress? According to government statistics over 1 million Americans filed for bankruptcy in 2006. Another survey taken indicated that only about 2% of Americans actually have money in a savings account while the average American household has over $8,000 in credit card debt. Financial worries have been cited as the leading cause of chronic stress, causing 25% of Americans to miss approximately 16 days a year of work. You get the picture right?  This can be your death ticket.  Good news is, it doesn’t have to be.

What exactly is chronic stress? Chronic stress is the type of stress that is with you every morning when you wake up and every night when you go to sleep with no determined end in sight. Chronic stress will wear you down, day after day, year after year. Chronic stress grinds away at your mental and physical health leading to mental breakdown and can even cause death.

Stress is a silent killer that will wear the body down! Count how many of these health problems you have and the medication you take to treat the side effect rather than the cause of the problem: Physical stress related illnesses include; headache, chest pain, fast heart beat, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, muscle aches, clenched jaws, grinding teeth, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, stomach cramping or bloating, cold sweaty hands, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain or loss, diminished sex drive and skin problems.

Let’s take a look at the impact that chronic stress causes on your mental well being; anxiety, restlessness, worrying, irritability, depression, sadness, anger, mood swings, feeling of insecurity, lack of concentration, confusion, forgetfulness, resentment, guilt, tendency to blame others for how you feel, tendency to see only the negative aspects of people and situations. How many of these side effects are you currently living with? If you are experiencing chronic stress due to your finances you can look forward to a life full of health and mental problems. Mental problems also cause social problems. If you have a hard time maintaining meaningful relationships or getting along with family members it is highly likely due to chronic stress.

All of the mental problems caused by chronic stress are also related directly to behavioral problems. These behavioral problems such as; overeating/loss of appetite, sudden outbursts with little provocation, increased use of drugs and alcohol, increased smoking, withdrawal or isolation, crying spells, changes in close relationships, job dissatisfaction, decreased productivity and burn out.  This is all preventable.  You do not have to live this way.  There is a way out!  You can save yourself today.

Change your life and start making a difference in your health and your finances, the results will  be felt immediately.

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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Take control of your health and your life today.  I am concerned about the health of America and right now children are at a higher risk for many diseases today.  My topic yesterday was related to fat and today I want to discuss what does it mean to be fat b/c we really need to grasp this topic and change the direction we are headed as a society.

It’s no secret that the U.S. is one of the fattest nations in the world: 66.3% of Americans over 20 years old are overweight or obese (about 140 million); 32% are obese (67 million); and almost 5% (9 million) are morbidly obese. Of adolescents 12 to 19 years old, over 17% are overweight (over 12.5 million), 16% of them girls, and 18.2%, boys. But what exactly do the terms “overweight,” “obese,” and “morbidly obese” mean, and why should these distinctions matter to you?

The standard definitions as used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) (and most social science and medical journals that rely on the data from those organizations) are based on body mass index (BMI) levels. This is a calculation using your height and weight.

Calculate your BMI

• NIH method. If you prefer good ole American pounds and inches, multiply your weight (in pounds) by 704.5. Divide that by your height (in inches). Then divide that number again by your height (in inches): [(weight (lbs) x 704.5)/height (inches)/height (inches)].

Which group are you in?

• Normal weight. BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
  • Nonsmokers in this range have the lowest risk of disease and premature death.
• Overweight. BMI of 25 or more
  • This group has an increased risk of weight-related medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
• Obese. BMI of 30 or more (at least 30 pounds overweight)
  • 67 million Americans (32% of adults)
  • Women: 36 million (33%)
  • Men: 32 million (31%)
  • The number of obese American adults doubled in the last 20 years.
  • Weight-related medical problems increase sharply for this group: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer, gall bladder disease, high blood pressure (twice as common as for people at a healthy weight), stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, etc.
  • This group has a 50% to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes.
• Morbidly obese. BMI of 40 or more (typically about 100 pounds overweight)
  • 9 million Americans (almost 5%)
  • The number of morbidly obese American adults quadrupled in the last 20 years.
  • People in this group have an increased risk for a shorter life expectancy (it could be up to 20 years shorter): death from diabetes or heart attack is 5 to 7 times greater than for non-obese people—heart disease is 6 times more common, and diabetes is 10 times more common.

Your BMI is so easy to determine, and because most of the research on the medical risks stemming from obesity is based on BMI data, your body mass index is a number worth knowing.

Reverse the trend!

If you’re reading this, chances are you are concerned about your health and are on your way to a long-term healthy and fit lifestyle. Good for you! And if right now you happen to be one of the 140 million Americans who are considered overweight or obese, just keep exercising—Keep Pushing Play—and keep eating right, and here’s what you can look forward to:

• Lowering your risk of heart disease or stroke by losing just 5% to 15% of your weight
• Lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes (losing 10 to 15 pounds is enough for most people, according to the American Diabetes Association)
• A 10% decrease in total cholesterol and a 40% decrease in obesity-related cancers by losing 10% of your weight

You can do amazing things when you’re committed.

For more from Latwanas, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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