Did you know that being overweight and obese rank 5th among the leading risks for

global deaths? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. Unfortunately, this number is likely to increase over the years. Club New You Obesity 101 Rock the Fat Away Obesity is defined as having excess proportion of total body fat. Analyzing your body mass index or BMI is one of the most common ways to measure or determine if you are obese or not. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. In the Asian category of the data from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you are already overweight if your BMI is between 24 and 26.9. Meanwhile, a person is already considered obese if his or her BMI is over 27. In the Philippines, a 2011 survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed that 22.3% of Filipino adults are overweight and 6.1% are obese. The prevalence of overweight Filipinos is expected to increase significantly by 2015, which means more health problems ahead. If this trend continues. it is highly likely that more will suffer from high risk diseases that could lead to death. When it comes to losing weight and keeping a healthy diet, its not about staying away from your fridge, but making it work for you and your weight loss goals. You know how you keep your desk organized at work so you have everything on hand right away? When everything is organized a certain way, you work better. The same thing can be applied to your fridge. Given the right makeover, it can really work for you and your weight loss goals. Your BMI is 0 You have a better chance of living a long and healthy life if your BMI is between 18.5 and 22.9 BMI interpretation for people 16 years or older:

below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 22.9 Normal range 23 24.9 25 29.9 At risk Obese I

above 30 Obese II MANILA, Philippines The number of obesity cases among Filipinos is increasing at an alarming rate. Did you know that according to 2008 statistics by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), there are 26.6 % overweight Filipinos, and 5.2 % are obese? Just recently, the party list group Ako based in Bicol filed an anti-obesity bill for the betterment of all the people living in that region. It will be a joint effort of the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Education (DepEd), as well as Local Government Units (LGUs). The National Anti-Obesity Prevention and Control Program, highlighted by

the House Bill No. 731, is known to help control and prevent the emergence of obesity in the country.This bill is said to promote healthy lifestyle habits such as healthy eating and increased physical activity in order to lessen chances of being obese. It also includes prevention programs, consultation centers and education about prevention and control of obesity. According to the Food and Nutrition Research of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), there are about 37,000 deaths back in 2008 because of obesity in the Philippines. Rodel Batocabe, the proponent of the bill, is alarmed by the rising number of obese Filipinos, especially among children. Batocabe cites the World Health Organization, saying that overweight children are likely to become obese adults. "They are more likely than non-overweight children to develop diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age, which in turn are associated with a higher chance of premature death and disability." Party list group Ako Bicol concluded that risks associated with obesity is higher than that of getting coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases. People might perceive obesity as a worldwide killer that is not much of a problem here in the Philippines. Reports say, however, that this disease killed a whooping number of 37,000 Filipinos in a year back in 2008. The difference between being overweight and obese depend on what your body mass index (BMI) is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if your BMI is 25 or higher, then you are most likely overweight, whereas if you have a BMI of 30 or higher, then you are obese. Its health consequences include suffering from coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, stroke, liver disease, gallbladder complications, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis and infertility. According to CDC, obesity is a health issuFactors CDC says that obesity, in general, is an energy imbalance caused by a person eating too many calories and not being active. Behavior plays a major role in causing people to suffer from obesity and overweight. It is always a choice to stay healthy and active. The environment can also play a big role in causing obesity among people. For example, if a person may not choose to walk going to the office or walk to the mall because there are no sidewalks provided by the government, or the weather can be too cold or hot. Other factors such as abundant food supply or little physical activity can also cause obesity. According to CDC, community, home, child care, school, healthcare and workplace settings can highly influence a persons decision. Genetics can also affect a person in a way that sometimes, disorders that lead to obesity are inborn. If the parents have an obesity gene, it can be passed on to their children at birth too. CDC also reported that some diseases can cause obesity or abrupt weight gain. Drugs like steroids that are used to treat conditions such as Cushings disease and polycystic ovary syndrome can aggravate weight gain.