“For the first time in history, today’s children will live shorter lives than their parents.”

I had heard this before, but this time the source is the New England Journal of Medicine. The reason? Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.

Disclaimer

OK – let’s get this out of the way right now. I am not medically qualified, have no basis at all for any of the statements I make except personal experience and research, and nothing I say should be interpreted as medical advice. Furthermore, before you start any exercise program at all you need to get clearance from your doctor and if he doesn’t like it you might try another doctor.

Who is Obese?

Of course, not everybody is obese. In Colorado, for instance, which is the leanest state in the US, only 19.8% of people are obese (that’s still almost one in five!) There are now over 3 billion obese people in the world, and the number is increasing daily. This is a worldwide epidemic: it is not confined to North America, as some believe.

How is Obesity Defined?

Obesity is defined as having a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30. Between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. If your BMI is over 25 it’s a warning sign: you are overweight and heading for obesity unless you take control of it.

BMI is used to assess body fat. It is only approximate, though: it overestimates body fat for individuals who are very muscular, and underestimates it for people who have lost muscle mass.

What is BMI?

To calculate your BMI, you can use the following formulae:

Metric: take your weight in kg and divide by the square of your height in meters.

U.S.: take your weight in pounds times 703 and divide by the square of your height in inches.

Examples:

Maria is 5’2” tall (1.57 meters) and weighs 140 lbs (63.5 kg). Her BMI is 26 (Slightly Overweight).  If Maria has lost muscle mass, she may be more overweight than it appears from the BMI.

Alberto is 6′ tall (1.83 meters) and weighs 190 lbs (86kilos). His BMI is 26 (Slightly Overweight).  If Alberto is very muscular, he may not be overweight.

Joe is a 5’9” 240 lb man. He has a BMI of 703×240/(69)² = 35 (Obese).

Alice weighs 110 lbs and is 5’4”. Her BMI is 703×110/(64)² = 19 (Low end of Normal).  Alice may be a little too skinny – she could benefit from adding muscle mass.

Why Is Obesity a Problem?

If you are obese, you have a high probability of progressing rapidly to pre-diabetes followed by full-blown Type 2 diabetes: this is a preventable disease. The outlook for diabetics is not good, as most diabetics know. If you are pre-diabetic, obese, or even just overweight, you should take action sooner, rather than later, to reverse this situation.

For those of us who are not obese or even overweight, we are paying for all those who are. The health care costs due to obesity are staggering: next year, the cost of health care caused by obesity will surpass the costs caused by tobacco. We simply can’t afford it!

It’s Not Your Fault!

We have all heard how to cure it: diet and exercise. The problem is that diet and exercise does not work: 98% of people who attempt to control their weight through diet and exercise fail. With a failure rate that high, it’s clear that the recommended plans are not working.

 

Last week I attended a webinar in which all this was explained in detail by Chris Reid. Along with Joel Therien and others, Chris Reid and I are part of a campaign to stamp out obesity and Type 2 (or acquired) diabetes. We want to save lives and improve the quality of life for those who would otherwise head down this path.

We learned 3 rules:

1. Muscle is Magic

2. Fiber is your Friend

3. Protein is Power.

It Doesn’t Need to be Hard

The good news is that it doesn’t need to be hard: there is no need for hours of exercise

or strict dieting. Those protocols do not work. With the program that Joel and Chris have developed, you can lose weight, gain muscle, build strength or meet whatever your fitness goal is in just seven minutes per day, three times per week.

That is the exercise part. For the nutrition part, you don’t need a strict diet: just make small, healthy changes to your current eating pattern and gradually replace bad habits with good ones. Continue to enjoy your favorite foods, but cut back on the doughnuts and soft drinks!

The best part of all is that anyone following this program will see results very quickly and enjoy the experience. My wife has always hated exercise: now she looks forward to her 7 minute workouts, as do I. We are so confident that you will find the benefit that this summer we are offering a 10-day trial for one dollar with a money back guarantee!

Try Before You Buy

Try the 7 minute workout now: if after ten days you are not convinced, we’ll give you back your dollar!

(Maybe you don’t need to lose weight, or to get fit. In that case, I’m sure you know someone who does: please pass this information on to them It could save their life.)