By Tosca Reno

Losing the Battle
Look around you. Can you believe one in four people is overweight or obese? According to the International Obesity Task Force, a global coalition of scientists working to combat obesity, more than 300 million people worldwide are obese, meaning they are carrying an excess of 30 pounds or more from their ideal weight.

The problem is so prevalent the World Health Organization has coined the word “globesity” to describe the impending world fat crisis. As the term implies, fat reaches far and wide across the globe from the remotest islands of Polynesia to the frozen lands of Nordic countries. It’s no wonder this is happening, when in so many countries, a new KFC, Pizza Hut or Taco Bell is opened every day.

’Round the World
In the ’60s and ’70s, the incidence of obesity was relatively low: 44 percent of the population was overweight and 13 percent obese, in North America. During the ’80s and ’90s, the numbers surged to 60 percent, suggesting the world was facing a frightening new phenomenon. In 2006, the number is still growing – 65 percent of North Americans are overweight or obese. In many European countries, the number of overweight men is closer to 68 percent.

Financial Burden
The financial burdens of caring for obese people are astounding. In the USA, obesity costs every taxpayer a hefty $180 US per year; that’s $45 US billion in total. Here’s another one for you: In the last ten years, $275 US million was spent on extra jet fuel to carry overweight and obese passengers; that’s a staggering 350 million gallons of fuel! Figures in the billions are matched globally as obesity spreads to all countries. These numbers will only increase as the situation worsens.

Overweight and Sick
It’s the grocery list of diseases that keep company with being overweight that is the major concern. Type 2 diabetes, for example, is directly linked to obesity. The incidence of this disease today has reached unprecedented levels – nearly 177 million people worldwide now have type 2 diabetes. Three million deaths worldwide per year are attributed to type 2 diabetes, a disease that is virtually preventable by controlling one’s weight.

Getting Clean
In order to lose weight, you must eat more of the best qualify, natural foods. It cannot be stated any simpler, yet so many people don’t understand this fundamental fact. Many people don’t know how to eat, what to eat and when. Bring health back into your home, Eat with an eye to what your food is doing for you. Understand that at a microscopic level, every bite you take makes a world of difference. Make this day the last day you abuse your body. Make this day the first day of your fat-burning future.

Do you like this new Fat Loss section? What would you like to see more of? Write us at webeditorial@oxygenmag.com and give us your two cents. We want to build a great website, just for you!