An epidemic is stalking Utah – and you may have the disease already.
The disease is called obesity, and its main symptom is weight in excess of that which is healthy. From time to time, statistical data on public health is compiled into actuarial tables by the insurance industry. These tables are used to determine the most healthy weight for persons of a given height, build, and age. If you are above your healthy weight, you are suffering from obesity.
And you are not alone. In the Beehive State alone more than 55 percent of adults are overweight or obese — over 977,000 Utahans!
The epidemic is getting worse. The percentage of obese adults in our state has grown more than 112%. over the past decade, with obesity among children growing fastest.
We’ve got to do something to stop it — for our sake, and the sake of our children.
The Options
Living with obesity can be a struggle. Many people try to lose weight by means of celebrity-backed diets, rigorous exercise programs, or whatever weight-loss pill “miracle” is in the magazines this month. Some succeed — but many who do quickly regain the lost weight, and all risk making a bad situation worse.
