How the people we associate with influence our health related fitness: Whether you like it or not we tend to develop many of the habits (good & bad) from the people we associate with. This is also true when it comes to health, fitness, and nutritional habits. These habits are often assimilated from our parents, especially nutritional habits.

I'm by no means suggesting that you replace your friends or disown your family. However, I do suggest taking immediate control of your health, fitness, and nutritional habits; and observe how your good habits positively affect the people around you.

Start by paying close attention to your parents health status and physical condition. If one or more of your parents are overweight, physically inactive, has high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, heart disease, arthritis or other joint aliments; you should immediately concern yourself with breaking the cycle.

It is everyone's responsibility to maintain a healthy lifestyle, incorporating physical activity and healthy eating habits into your daily life. Our generation should take notice of this responsibility and make it a point to pass healthy lifestyle habits onto our children.

Is it too late for our parents? Not really, however their generation did not benefit from the considerable amount of publicity touting the benefits of leading a physically active lifestyle. Although more and more mature adults are becoming physically active, a larger percentage of that population consider themselves either to old or unable to participate in physically active programs. I can hardly bear to suggest it, but it's like trying to teach an old dog a new trick....it takes a lot of patience and encouragement.

Getting back to our children...children today are more overweight than during any other time in history and the bad news gets even worse! A recent study indicates that an overweight child has an 80% likelihood of being an overweight adult.

How can this be happening? Well, it seems we are simply not hearing the message of the Surgeon General and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) that says....."Significant health benefits can be obtained by including a moderate amount of physical activity on most, if not all days of the week and additional benefits can be gained through greater amounts of physical activity."

Approximately 65% of Americans are classified overweight and almost 31% are categorized as obese. In 1960 the incidence of obesity in the United States was 13.4% and in 2000 the rate was 30.9%, that's more than double. This coincides with the alarming trend in the incidence of overweight children who have displayed an increase from 4% in 1970 to 15% in 2000.

So what can we do? This leads me to my next point...Our generation has no excuse, we know the hazards of being physically in-active, overweight or obese - Just like we know the hazards of smoking. In fact, the "Surgeon General has also determined that lack of physical activity is as detrimental to you health as smoking."

How can we fix this problem? The steps are simple....It all starts with a little moderation and self-discipline. Start by becoming more physically active on a daily basis. If you start moderately, stay consistent, and make weekly progressions; you will soon see how exercise will dramatically benefit your life and the lives of people around you. You will begin to feel better, look better, increase energy, increase strength, improve stamina, control weight, and decrease the likelihood of developing; heart disease, diabetes, high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, osteoporosis, breast cancer and many other afflictions.

Where to get the help you need: United State of Fitness Center can help. We have both a registered dietitian and certified personal trainers to help you in the design and development of a safe and effective exercise and nutritional program. To find out more simply call us for a free fitness consultation and body composition profile at 561-362-4001.