Monterey, CA Obesity A Big Problem In America

A person measuring their belly with a tape measure.


Obesity is a huge problem for Americans, and some people are just accepting the condition rather than fighting it.   “We consider fat a part of human body diversity,†Tigress Osborn, chair of the nonprofit National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, told USA Today.

In 2005, the U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona declared obesity a bigger threat to America than terrorists, but our government has done very little to regulate food marketing, reduce demand by increasing taxes or adding the kind of nutrition labels to decrease junk food consumption.  Currently, 42% of Americans fit the medical definition of being obese (having a body mass index of 30 or greater).  Many types of cancer are linked to obesity.  So is heart, liver and kidney disease.  And people with obesity run an 80% higher risk of developing diabetes.  Many people swear by the Mediterranean Diet to lose weight.  It consists of delicious foods like lamb, chicken, beef, olive oil, fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts.  Montage or Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) has some great information on their website about weight loss.

Colorful Fruits And Vegetables Can Ward Off Obesity And Even Dementia

A person measuring their belly with a tape measure.


Each day should include at least one helping—a small side salad or a half-cup serving of cooked green vegetables–in order to ensure you get enough B vitamin folate.  Folate plays a crucial role in battling hearing loss and depression in mature adults.  In a study of postmenopausal women, those who were overweight averaged 12 percent less folate in their blood than normal-weight women; those who were obese had 22% less (AARP The Magazine, March/April 2022 Issue, page 36).

Weighing In At Doctor’s Visits Becoming Increasingly Rare

A person holding a hamburger in their hand.


For some doctors, gone are the days when one of the first things a patient had to do during a regular exam was to jump on the scale.  More doctors are de-emphasizing weight as a barometer of the health of a patient.  Health professionals say they are trying to avoid stigmatizing patients who may not want to come in for regular exams because they are embarrassed with being overweight.  “There’s a trend in healthcare to understand that weight isn’t the be-all and end-all,†Natasha Bhuyan, a primary care physician and regional medical director at One Medical, told the Wall Street Journal.