... the coast guard has to decrease the capacity of boats because Americans are too heavy.
This week the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote two articles on the effects that an increased average weight is having on our lives. Between the years of 1960 and 2012, the average weight of adults, ages 20 to 74, has gone up dramatically. For men the average weight has increased from 166 to 195 lb, for females from 140 to 165 lb (source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
The average height of an American female is 64.5 inches, which makes the new average BMI 27.9. According to lifespan.org a BMI of 27-30 means “You may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.” and 30 or higher means “You may be at significantly increased risk of obesity-related disease.” With the BMI of an average American hovering around 28, we should be concerned of the lifestyles many Americans have started to live.
Many of the factors of this change can be contributed to the “freeway era”. Owning and driving a car has become less of a luxury and more of a necessity and has also been incorporated in to more parts of our lives than just commuting to work. We are more willing to travel far distances including children’s travel distance to school, which only contributes to more inactivity of youth. This is part of our lifestyle and more than likely, will not be reversed
According to a study on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, while the leisure-time physical activity is close to level over the past 50 years, work related activity, transportation activity, and activity in the home are all decreasing leaving to a general decline in physical activity and a rise in American obesity.
This week it came to our attention nationwide, as the Coast Guard implemented new standards on the capacity of recreational passenger boats. In Pittsburgh, the Miss Pittsburgh water taxi has to decrease their capacity from 72 to 42 passengers.
Hopefully this piece of news can serve as a wake up call to Americans and force us to change our habits, increase physical activity, and lose weight. There has already been a change in the focus of a lot of Americans and a greater push to eat healthier. The focus of this blog is to feature recipes, tips, and news events and trends that emphasize the solution to the American obesity crisis. We will try to update close to daily with new information that we discover and keep a good variety of information in our posts. We hope you enjoy reading our blog!
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| One of the Boats Affected by the New Regulation Gateway Clipper Fleet in Pittsburgh |
This week the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote two articles on the effects that an increased average weight is having on our lives. Between the years of 1960 and 2012, the average weight of adults, ages 20 to 74, has gone up dramatically. For men the average weight has increased from 166 to 195 lb, for females from 140 to 165 lb (source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
The average height of an American female is 64.5 inches, which makes the new average BMI 27.9. According to lifespan.org a BMI of 27-30 means “You may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol.” and 30 or higher means “You may be at significantly increased risk of obesity-related disease.” With the BMI of an average American hovering around 28, we should be concerned of the lifestyles many Americans have started to live.
Many of the factors of this change can be contributed to the “freeway era”. Owning and driving a car has become less of a luxury and more of a necessity and has also been incorporated in to more parts of our lives than just commuting to work. We are more willing to travel far distances including children’s travel distance to school, which only contributes to more inactivity of youth. This is part of our lifestyle and more than likely, will not be reversed
According to a study on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, while the leisure-time physical activity is close to level over the past 50 years, work related activity, transportation activity, and activity in the home are all decreasing leaving to a general decline in physical activity and a rise in American obesity.
This week it came to our attention nationwide, as the Coast Guard implemented new standards on the capacity of recreational passenger boats. In Pittsburgh, the Miss Pittsburgh water taxi has to decrease their capacity from 72 to 42 passengers.
Hopefully this piece of news can serve as a wake up call to Americans and force us to change our habits, increase physical activity, and lose weight. There has already been a change in the focus of a lot of Americans and a greater push to eat healthier. The focus of this blog is to feature recipes, tips, and news events and trends that emphasize the solution to the American obesity crisis. We will try to update close to daily with new information that we discover and keep a good variety of information in our posts. We hope you enjoy reading our blog!
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