FEATURE
ONLY 20% OF AMERICANS MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GOOD CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH 2 What are those requirements? They include healthy cholesterol levels, healthy blood pressure, and healthy blood glucose levels as well as staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight. Many Americans are working to improve one or several of these critical health factors. But only 20% of Americans are doing well in all of them! It’s no surprise then that cardiovascular diseases affect nearly half of American adults!
40% OF AMERICANS ARE NOW CONSIDERED OBESE, AND WE’LL HIT 50% BY 2030 3 There’s no question: obesity is a primary indicator of major health issues. Why are so many Americans affected? There are a lot of factors. And it’s possible that the system is stacked against us. Our schedules are fast paced. We constantly combat stress. We’re eating on the run, which means more processed foods high in fat, sodium, and simple carbohydrates and low in healthy nutrients. Willpower and resolve are musts for effective weight management, but they’ve got to be paired with healthier habits. Obesity is one of the most visible ways the body manifests a whole host of underlying health conditions. It’s no wonder obesity is linked to rising medical expenses. According to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual medical cost of obesity was almost $173 billion in 2019. The obese spent $1,861 more in medical costs than those with healthy weight. 4
ONLY 20% MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GOOD CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
MORE TEENS FEARED TO BE ON THE PATH TO DIABETES
By 2060, as many as 220,000 people who are teenagers right now are projected to develop type 2 diabetes. That would represent a nearly eight-fold increase, according to a research team that included scientists from the CDC. Even if the rate of new diabetes diagnoses among young people stays unchanged, type 2 diabetes cases could increase nearly 70%. 5 NEARLY 1/3 OF US ARE GETTING LESS THAN FIVE HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT We’re having trouble getting enough sleep, and it’s having a profoundly negative effect on our health.
14 FEBRUARY 2023 | MELALEUCA.COM
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