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Home : Why BOK : The Obesity Epidemic

Serious health problems associated with weight gain in both adults and children are increasing across the nation. Even though there are more diet and fitness plans on the market than anytime in history, there are more people considered obese and overweight than ever before (over half of our population). And of special concern is the epidemic of childhood obesity. Obesity in children ages 6 to 11 has doubled in the last 20 years and is at an all-time high of 15.3 percent. Obesity in adolescents ages 12 to 19 has tripled from 5 percent to 15.5 percent. In fact, it is now one out of five children. And that is just for obesity-being 20 percent or more over the appropriate weight for age and height. The statistics on children who are "only" overweight are even more alarming!

Today, America is the fattest nation in the world. Our cups runneth over - and
our waistlines are now running over our belts. The most recent statistics show
that more than half of all Americans are overweight-10 percent of them by 100
pounds or more. What is most startling is that these numbers are climbing. Yet
other statistics show that, at any given time, half of us are on diets. Obviously,
something isn't working. "Dieting" requires us to ignore the basic needs of our bodies. Food deprivation goes against the grain of natural instincts. By ignoring hunger signals, eliminating foods that our bodies may need, and skipping meals altogether, we are aggravating our instinctual responses to food.

Diets don't work because they force us to bend our lifestyles in an unknown and
possibly unwanted, direction Without a detailed map to familiarize us with this
new direction, our journey usually ends up back where we started-the only
place that remains familiar after trying to live someone else's life. This is why the
Body of Knowledge System works. It offers a way of eating that is in harmony
with the way the human body is designed and operates, but that also allows for
our individual differences. We are all based on the same structure but possess
individual systems of operation tuned to the way we live our lives.

The Obesity Epidemic page links:

For more information about obesity and related medical conditions please visit: