We Just Keep Getting Fatter and Fatter. Why??

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

“The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased substantially since the 1960s. From 1976–1980 to 2007–2008, obesity prevalence increased from 15% to 34% among adults and from 5% to 17% among children and adolescents.”

Oregon has the 31st highest adult obesity rate in the nation. Oregon’s adult obesity rate is currently 29.4%, up from 19.9% in 2000 and from 11.2% in 1990. Portland and Gresham are smack dab right in the middle of the epidemic.

Gresham and Portland, Oregon had an adult obesity rate of 22.10% in 2015.

OREGON

 

SUGAR is big part of the problem and we can get it in a can, or a bottle and, a huge single use cup.

The average American consumes nearly 20 teaspoons of sugar every day, well above the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 per day for men.

Harvard School of Public health shared this information:

  • Before the 1950s, standard soft-drink bottles were 6.5 ounces. In the 1950s, soft-drink makers introduced larger sizes, including the 12-ounce can, which became widely available in 1960. By the early 1990s, 20-ounce plastic bottles became the norm. Today, contour-shaped plastic bottles are available in even larger sizes, such as the 1.25-liter (42-ounce) bottle introduced in 2011.
  • In the 1970s, sugary drinks made up about 4% of US daily calorie intake; by 2001, that had risen to about 9%.
  • Children and youth in the US averaged 224 calories per day from sugary beverages in 1999 to 2004—nearly 11% of their daily calorie intake. From 1989 to 2008, calories from sugary beverages increased by 60% in children ages 6 to 11, from 130 to 209 calories per day, and the percentage of children consuming them rose from 79% to 91%.
  • On any given day, half the people in the U.S. consume sugary drinks; 1 in 4 get at least 200 calories from such drinks; and 5% get at least 567 calories—equivalent to four cans of soda.  Sugary drinks (soda, energy, sports drinks) are the top calorie source in teens’ diets (226 calories per day), beating out pizza (213 calories per day).

Sugary drinks increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and gout.

  • A 20-year study on 120,000 men and women found that people who increased their sugary drink consumption by one 12-ounce serving per day gained more weight over time—on average, an extra pound every 4 years—than people who did not change their intake. Other studies have found a significant link between sugary drink consumption and weight gain in children. One study found that for each additional 12-ounce soda children consumed each day, the odds of becoming obese increased by 60% during 1½ years of follow-up.
  • People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely have such drinks. Risks are even greater in young adults and Asians.
  • A study that followed 40,000 men for two decades found that those who averaged one can of a sugary beverage per day had a 20% higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack than men who rarely consumed sugary drinks.  A related study in women found a similar sugary beverage–heart disease link.
  • A 22-year study of 80,000 women found that those who consumed a can a day of sugary drinks had a 75% higher risk of gout than women who rarely had such drinks.  Researchers found a similarly-elevated risk in men.

Did you know recent research shows that sugar can be even more addicting than cocaine.  Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite the negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormone imbalances, and more, lots more.

So, the question is do you want help with your weight reduction goals?  Do you have a sweet tooth? Hypnosis can help.  Gresham Hypnosis Center can help you meet you challenges and kick those sugar cravings right out the door.

Do you live in the Portland Metro or Gresham area?  Call today for your free consultation! Together, we can do it, call today!