A Call to Action:
Emphasize The Importance of Physical Activity
We as a society are moving in the wrong direction when it comes to education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. According to Jane Brody of the New York Times “A prestigious team of medical scientists has projected that by 2030, nearly one in two adults will be obese” (2020). This leads me to believe that little is being done to reverse this trend. Weight-related diseases are too growing in the United States at an alarming rate. A lack of exercise has been linked to a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of early death (World Health Organization 2022). Statistics like this should light a fire under everyone to evaluate the lifestyle that they lead and make changes where needed.
In order to paint a picture of how severe of a problem sedentary lifestyles are, I will cover a wide range of issues that are caused by it. One of the glaring issues is being out of shape and unable to perform certain tasks for long periods of time. Walking up flights of stairs can feel like running a marathon to some people. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the CDC was used to examine the country’s obesity prevalence between 2017 and March 2020. The survey determined that 41.9% of Americans were obese and or had a health condition related to weight (CDC May 2022). The term obesity has an inherently negative connotation that is denoted as such as well. That considered, it is not surprising that it brings with it another multitude of problems. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and immune deficiency, as well as other things, could stem from obesity. We saw in 2020 when Covid hit that people with these health conditions were at a greater risk of passing away from it. Speaking of pandemics, researchers say that “Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese” (World Health Organization 2021). A topic that has been growing recently is mental health. “Leading a sedentary lifestyle is known to contribute to depression” (Robson 2020). The longer we wait to act the harder it will be to reverse the problems we have encountered.
There are different exercises that benefit your body in different ways. Exercises that require the use of oxygen are categorized as aerobic exercise. Such exercises that do not are deemed anaerobic, and they help build muscle and lose body fat. Aerobic exercises are great for Improving the way your body circulates oxygen. Things like walking and running for extended periods add to your stamina by regulating how your body uses the energy you have. Aerobic exercises subside the risk of heart disease and type two diabetes while lowering cholesterol. Conversely, aerobics is not ideal for maintaining weight and losing body fat. Anaerobic exercises like weightlifting or short bursts movements help your body build muscle and increase strength. Building muscle mass is essential in burning fat. Muscle is described as “The most efficient tissue for burning fat in the body” (Felman 2019). Anaerobic exercises release irisin into the bloodstream. Irisin is a hormone that helps burn fat and is currently being researched further. Physical activity helps improve brain functions in young, developing children (CDC June 2022). Physical activity releases several chemicals into the bloodstream. Dopamine and endorphins both help regulate mood and stress levels. Endorphins regulate the pain levels in the body while dopamine makes you feel good and rewarded for accomplishing something. As depression limits the production of serotonin, exercise helps your body produce more of it. Keeping this in mind, exercise has been shown to improve sleep and lessen the effects of anxiety. Both the physical and mental benefits of exercise provide evidence of why it is so important to get ourselves moving.
As previously mentioned it is of great importance to keep active on a regular basis. Life throws many challenges at us that hinder our ability to incorporate exercise. Some people need more motivation and others need more time due to work and home life. One thing that plants seeds of insecurity in those trying to make changes is social media. When you constantly hear people who are the acclaimed standard of beauty tell you how to live life, it becomes hard to picture yourself in a different light. Self-efficacy refers to the belief we have in ourselves to accomplish something. It is common for people to feel like they don’t have what it takes to start heading in the right direction. Even on rough days, little changes can help get the ball rolling in our routines. Starting the day off by winning the little battles, such as making your bed and going for a morning walk with the dog, can improve your mood. When able to do so, walking or cycling to destinations can kick start an increase in brain activity. Setting short-term, achievable goals will give you a guideline to follow which makes it easier to integrate into everyday life.
The upward-trending percentage of obesity needs to be talked about more and addressed with more urgency. Our quality of life will continue to plummet if we are not diligent about changing the way we live. Numerous health issues will become increasingly more prominent in years to come despite there being a way to stop them. This recently normalized behavior is not only shortening the lives of our adults but dampening the development and growth of our youth. This new epidemic must be stopped.
Brody, J. E. (2020, February 10). Half of us face obesity, dire projections show.
The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/well/live/half-of-us-face-obesity-dire-projections-show.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May 17). Adult obesity facts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, June 16). Benefits of physical
activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#:~:text=Regular%20physical%20activity%20is%20one,ability%20to%20do%20everyday%20activities.
Felman, A. (2019, June 27). Exercise: Health benefits, types, and how it works.
Medical News Today. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153390
Robson, D. (2020, August 20). The link between a sedentary lifestyle and depression – Salus homecare. San Fernando Valley. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.salushomecare.com/san-fernando-valley/blog/the-link-between-a-sedentary-lifestyle-and-depression/
World Health Organization. (2021, June 9). Obesity. World Health Organization.
Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/6-facts-on-obesity
World Health Organization. (2022, October 5). Physical activity. World Health Organization. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity#:~:text=Physical%20inactivity%20is%20one%20of,people%20who%20are%20sufficiently%20active.