Online Obesity Guide

Prologue and Rationale

A brand new Obesity Study out shows that there is a trend of kids becoming more overweight. In fact the study shows that the percentage of obese kids will increase! Oh really and we need a study for this? Who is paying for this anyway? Obviously kids are getting fatter, dah? We already know that, but somehow this is big news?

Fitness and nutrition expert, Tracey Redford of Curves International says, “The inactivity among young people can not be blamed solely on the evolution of Internet technology and television in itself. Child obesity has lead to a number of other health related issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease from the combination of improper nutrition and lack of exercise.”

Despite a better perception regarding causes of obesity, the number of obese and overweight people is rising at an alarming rate. According to statistics presented at the 14th European Congress on Obesity, more than 300 million people worldwide are affected by obesity. Studies evaluate that obesity rates in Europe have risen 15 percent in the past ten years, while in Japan it has doubled since 1982.

The big concern among specialists is the astounding number of obese and overweight children. In the US for instance, the percentage of obese young population has tripled in the past 25 years.

In America today, it is estimated that over 65% of the population is overweight with around 30% being at least clinically obese. Even more alarming is the estimation that 15% to 20% of the country’s children are overweight with nearly one third being at least clinically obese.

Now more than ever, something needs to be done to reverse this growing trend and prevent it from becoming an even bigger epidemic than it already is. By sitting back and allowing our children to become overweight and eventually obese, we are in effect severely shorting their lives.

Health insurance companies raise rates for individuals based on height and weight tables. Even if an obese person is otherwise healthy, insurance companies may deny insurance coverage due to obesity. Losing weight could save individuals a significant amount of money in monthly premiums for medical coverage.

Different insurance companies treat obesity in different ways. They all have strict height and weight tables to apply to individual applicants. These tables are set in stone and individuals are underwritten based solely on these charts. If an applicant falls outside of the limits, he or she may be denied coverage. Some applications require documentation from a doctor’s office or pre-approval phsyical to verify the height and weight of the applicant.