What is obesity and why we should be concerned
Obesity is having a high amount of body fat. Many of those who take our workshops are surprised to find that, medically, people who are 30 pounds or more over what their weight should be for their height are considered obese. That category includes a lot of people on the reservations and off.
As we say again and again in our training, a person who has a disability or chronic health condition should still try to be as health as he or she can. That means getting enough exercise, enough nutrition and staying at a healthy weight.
WHY BEING OVERWEIGHT IS A PROBLEM
Being obese causes more health problems than smoking or drinking.
- “Severely obese people (100 pounds overweight) are more than twice as likely as people of normal weight to be in fair or poor health and have about twice as many chronic medical conditions. …
- Weight also has a dramatic effect on people’s ability to manage five basic activities of daily living: bathing, eating, dressing, walking across a room, and getting in or out of bed.”
- People who are severely obese are SIX TIMES as likely to have a problem with activities of daily living as people of average weight.
- Obesity is a major cause of chronic back pain.
- Obesity is a factor in the development of diabetes.
OBESITY AND DISABILITY
People with disabilities are much more likely to be obese than those without disabilities. This is especially true for people who have difficulty walking or moving on their own.
This is an important area for staff and family members to be involved, because this is one place where a difference can be made through diet and exercise.
Source: Rand Corporation (2004). Obesity and disability: The shape of things to come.
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