In the United States Obesity is a serious, common and dangerous disease. From 1999 through 2018 the obesity prevalence increased from 30.5% to 42.4% and the severity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. The side effects of obesity significantly increase the chances of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and even some forms of cancer. This is obviously very alarming as over 40 % of the United States age 20 and over are obese.
On the other hand there are lots of activities and adjustments that you can do to take control of your diet so you can live healthier and happier. First off there are changes you can make to your regular eating habits that can impact your health in a very positive way! A balanced diet should consist of a mix of fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein and fats. 10 % of your food intake should be fats, 25 % should be protein, another 25% should be fiber-rich carbohydrates, and 40 % should be fruits and vegetables. Obviously it is much easier said than done to change eating habits and start eating healthier, but even just slowly adding healthier foods to your diet will really help you out. Along with healthy eating, consistently working out can really help your body out. There are endless ways to get your body the proper amount of physical activity. It can be as simple as going outside for a walk regularly. Surprisingly, just walking for thirty minutes every day can reduce stress, cheer you up and increase self-esteem. Regular walking lowers blood pressure, improves sleep and energizes you. After consistently eating and working out in a healthy manner you will see positive changes in both your physical and mental health. I interviewed San Marcos alumni Levi Sheffey about working out and eating healthier, “Working out and eating cleaner not only helped me physically, but also mentally. About a year and a half ago I wasn’t in the greatest place and knew I needed change to feel better. Eating less processed foods and adding an extra serving of veggies helped me out. I started to see my body change and ultimately pulled me out of a deep dark place.”
As Levi stated once he added these habits to his everyday life his physical and mental health drastically improved. So with eating healthy and even starting to add consistent and simple exercise in your life your overall health and life will improve!
