As of 2014, two out of every three Americans is overweight or obese. That's right, 66% of Americans tip the scales into the unhealthy territory and the trend upward is continuing. By now, everyone should know about the risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and biomechanical dysfunction and degeneration that comes with weight gain. But, it seems that rather than doing something to try to rectify the situation, being overweight or obese is becoming normalized.

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, 7/March/2017) shows that even though more people are overweight and obese, fewer are trying to lose weight. In 1988, 56% of overweight and obese individuals reported that they had attempted to lose weight during the previous year while in 2014, only 49% reported attempts to do so. There are a variety of reasons for this drop in the number of people who are attempting to lose weight, but as already mentioned, the most prevalent reason seems to be social normalization. 

​The social normalization of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically over the past few decades. As the number of overweight and obese people has increased, the novelty or uniqueness of larger body sizes has been reduced. In other words, we become more used to seeing and interacting with overweight and obese people and thus it becomes more socially acceptable. And as it becomes more socially acceptable, heavier people begin to be more accepting of their weight and less inclined to do anything about it. Additionally, as children grow up in families beset with overweight and obesity, they think that such body sizes and the root causes of overeating, poor nutritional choices and a sedentary lifestyle are normal. This inter-generational element is perhaps the most alarming as it portends a future where the majority of the population is afflicted with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. From a simple economic perspective, the lost productivity and increased health care costs to treat such a population is moving toward the astronomical. From a human perspective, the loss of quality of life,  the increase in disease and the shortening of lifespans is incredibly troubling.

What can be done to change trend away from overweight and obesity? The first thing to do to reduce increase of overweight and obesity is to prevent weight gain in the first place. While many on the political right abhor the concept of the "nanny state," it is abundantly clear that we cannot rely on overweight or obese parents to teach and direct their children to eat appropriately and engage in strenuous physical (playful) activities. Much like the anti-tobacco campaigns that have helped reduce the incidence of smoking, anti-obesity campaigns must be put in place if we are to be successful. We must turn the trend away from the normalization of overweight and obesity, and the only way to do that is through a concerted and coordinated effort in the schools, media, and public policy.

There's a definite line between working out a lot and working out too much, although the signs and symptoms might not be clear to you if you're not paying attention. It's worth keeping track of your workouts and your general physiological and psychological states to help make sure you're not getting too much of a good thing. If after you start paying attention to the effect of exercise on your state of being, you think you're overtraining, slow down your training, give yourself more rest days, don't work so hard and make sure you're staying well hydrated. If the signs and symptoms of overtraining don't go away quickly, see your healthcare professional for an evaluation. (Don't risk your longterm health to get in another workout!)

Ten things to look out for in yourself, your workout partner(s) or someone close to you who works out alot:

Decreased performance. Be on the lookout for slower reaction times, a reduction in speed or lower endurance.

Agitation, moodiness, irritability or lack of concentration. Too much exercise and too little rest can wreak havoc on the hormones and cause mood swings and an inability to concentrate.

Excessive fatigue and malaise. A body that never has a chance to fully recover from a previous workout will continue to feel more and more fatigued. Some people describe this feeling as "heavy legs."

Increased perceived effort during normal workouts. Overtraining takes a toll on the body, and workouts that were once a breeze can begin to feel like a grind.

Chronic or nagging muscle aches or joint pain. Overused muscles and joints can cause constant aches, which may go unnoticed until the body is given proper rest.

More frequent illnesses and upper-respiratory infections. Too much exercise taxes all of the body's systems and makes it more difficult to ward off infections.

Insomnia or restless sleep. During sleep the body has time to rest and repair itself. An overtrained body, however, is sometimes unable to slow down and completely relax, making it difficult to recover between workouts.

Loss of appetite. Overtraining can cause an increase in hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine that tend to inhibit appetite. The physical exhaustion and anxiety that often comes with overtraining can also have the same effect.

Chronically elevated heart rate at rest and during exercise. A clear sign of an overworked heart muscle is a chronically elevated heart rate. Also, people who overtrain will often find that it takes longer for their heart rate to return to normal after a workout.

Menstrual cycle disturbances in women. Exercising excessively and not consuming enough calories may disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle. While some may experience irregular periods, others will stop menstruating altogether.


Source: American Council on Exercise.