The Cook and The Coach
  • BLOG
  • WHO WE ARE
    • SUCCESS STORIES >
      • HOME
  • BUILD A BUSINESS!
  • New Customer Resources

Is Obesity Contagious?

6/13/2017

0 Comments

 
I've been smacked in the face with this concept a few times in the past month so I took it as a sign that I needed to write and share my thoughts. 

Is Obesity Contagious?

Picture
(C) Tobyotter
We think of a lot of diseases to be contagious, the flu, a cold, but what about obesity?  The American Medical Association back in 2013 actually changed it's stance on obesity and it is now classified as a disease.  If you go to the CDC website it actually states that 36.5% of Americans "have" obesity.  That word "have" struck me when I read it. 

​Philosophically that is a whole new ball game.  Now a person isn't defined by being obese, they "aren't" obese they just "have" it.  If you have something you can get rid of it, right???  That's good news!  If you have it, does that also mean that you can give it to someone?  

In 2007 researchers from Harvard published an article in The New England Journal for Medicine, The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years, that explains these concepts.  Some things that stood out were, if you have a friend that is obese that you would be 57% more likely to obese yourself.  The study didn't show that obesity was connected to geographical location.  For example if you have a neighbor or coworker that is obese they won't rub off on you as much as someone which you actually have a close relationship.
"Obesity is a social disease. And it needs a social cure." - Dr. Mark Hyman
I love this line from Mark Hyman, "Obesity is a social disease and it needs a social cure."  Unfortunately the population of the United States is heading in the wrong direction. 

As of 2015 70.7% of Americans over the age of 20 are considered overweight or obese.  If 71% of the population had a virus that was slowly killing you every government agency and medical professional would be hysterical in finding a cure.   What gives?  Why are people complacent about the disease of obesity? 

​I think it comes back to this being a social disease.  If you walk down the street or through your office building and 7 in 10 people you walk past are overweight, doesn't that skew your perception of what is normal?  Now instead of comparing yourself to the cover model on the magazine, I think people are comparing themselves to the people that are overweight or obese.  The thought likely goes through their head either consciously or subconsciously, "Well at least I'm not as fat as that person, so I must not be that bad." 

​Then you have the people that use the genetic excuse as a crutch.  The same study mentioned above found out that if a sibling became obese it raised your chances of becoming obese by 40%.  So if your friend, that you have no similar genetic information as becomes obese it increases your chances by 57% but a family member only 40%.  Wouldn't that suggest that obesity is more of a nurture disease rather than a nature disease? 

Why does this matter?

Being overweight and obese can have serious health consequences.  It can lead to things like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, cancer and increased joint pain.  Not all overweight people will develop these diseases or will report negative biomarkers but it does raise your risk. 

​There is also a direct correlation to how overweight a person is and their activity level.  So once you get trapped in the cycle of being overweight it becomes more and more difficult to lose weight.  Your activity goes down, you burn fewer calories, you pack on more weight.  

What do we do?

First thing I think we need to start treating being overweight or obese as a disease that needs treatment.  It can't just be the way a person is...  It can't be something we ignore thinking it is just a benign condition without consequences.  

What actions do we need to take?  

I believe as individuals we need to support people where they are at!  Whether they are fit and lean or morbidly obese, we need to be there for a friends, family, and neighbors.  We need to be encouragers!  We can't wait for someone else to take action, you need to be the one!  The one that gets moving!  The one that cuts out a lot of the junk food!  The one that eats more veggies!  Do it with joy!  Be contagious with your healthy behaviors!  

That's why I love so much what we do!  We get to be those influencers!  More importantly we try to encourage others to pay it forward, to pass along what they learn and share with the people they care about.  

We need to be interjectors of positivity and health into the cycle that people get stuck in.  If you feel like you are stuck, find people that are going to lift you up and believe in you.  Find someone that won't let you fail, aka stop!  
Picture
Lastly, as a society we have become overweight and obese!  It will only be as a society that we can solve this problem.  We need to reset that trajectory that our country's health is on currently.   Health can and needs to become more contagious than obesity!   If you are ready to help be part of the change, share this post, reach out to a friend in need, or reach out to a friend that can help you!  
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    The Cook & The Coach

    Healthy is a LIFESTYLE.
    Not a destination. 

    We want to help you build that lifestyle which will then help you 

    **  have CONFIDENCE
    **  become STRONG (mentally          and physically)
    **  lose fat
    **  have more ENERGY

    and finally

    LIVE FULLY!

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    3 Day Refresh
    Accountability
    Asian Flavors
    Avocado
    Baby Food
    Baby Led Weaning
    Bacon
    Beachbody
    Beets
    Black Beans
    Black Beans
    Breakfast
    Brownies
    Brunch
    Busyness
    Chicken
    Christmas
    Coaching
    Coffee
    Curry
    Dairy Free
    Desserts
    Dinner
    Do It Yourself
    Eat Local
    Eggs
    Faith
    Fish
    Fitness
    Fit Pregnancy
    Food
    Food Substitutions
    Fruit
    Gluten Free
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Grilled Vegetables
    Guacamole
    Gumbo
    Health
    Healthy Desserts
    Healthy Desserts
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Fat
    Holiday Eating
    Ice Cream
    Jesus
    Jicama
    Kale
    Life On The Road
    Low Carb
    Low Carb
    Macros
    MakeANewMealMonday
    Meatball
    Minneapolis
    Motivation
    Muffins
    Network Marketing
    Nutrition
    Opportunities
    Paleo
    Pancakes
    Party Snacks
    Pesto
    Photography
    Pizza
    Pork Tenderloin
    Positive Mindset
    Pregnancy
    Prenatal Vitamins
    Pressure Cooker Meals
    Ravioli
    Restaurants
    Restaurants To Try
    Risotto
    Roasted Vegetables
    Roulade
    RV
    RV Life
    RV Remodel
    Salad
    Salmon
    Seasonal Meals
    Shakeology
    Slaw
    Sleep
    Soup
    Spices
    Squash
    Stress
    Superfood
    Tacos
    Thai Food
    Thanksgiving
    Travel
    Trust
    Turkey Sausage
    Uptown
    Vegan
    Vegetarian
    Walleye
    Water
    Weight Loss
    Weirdvegwednesday
    Willpower
    Workouts

    Archives

    November 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013

About Us

Picture
Dan and Laura Suedbeck have embraced an entrepreneurial lifestyle.  They are constantly challenging the status quo and challenge others to do so too.  They believe that you don't always have to change your situation, sometimes you just need to change the lens you view the world through.  Their focus is helping people  find purpose and passion with their lives all while getting healthy.   Click here to find out more about them.  

Contact Us

Affiliate Disclosure
​Privacy Policy
​Terms of Service