Obesity is something that has been slowly rising since about the 80’s. Professionals have labeled obesity as an epidemic in our nation. Obesity is when a person has too much body fat in their body, causing a change in appearance and also health. Obesity is hard to measure without an image of the person, this is because fat takes up more space and weighs less than muscles. Two people that are the same weight and height can have a very different appearance based on their diet and exercise habits. To help identity obesity a BMI is used to measure if a person is at a healthy weight for their age and height. Labeling all fat as bad is incorrect, our body's need fat to function and without it we would not be able to produce energy efficiently. The fat that becomes a problem is what is called Visceral fat, this is the fat that causes heart attack and other health problems that come with obesity. Dietary guidelines were made by the government to help America understand what to eat and how much of it to eat to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy weight/BMI.

It’s important to stay fit because everyone deserves to be fit. It is not something that comes with what or who you are, everyone has the capability and ability to lose weight and be happy about it. Being fit doesn't mean having rocks for abs and biceps the size of tree trunks. Just like how no one person is the same when it comes to personality and quirks, the same can be said about our bodies. Everyone's peak performance can and will look different because we are not all the same person. Being fit does not require you to go to the gym 7 times a week and stay there for 3 hours doing non-stop running or weight lifting, fitness is something that you can work into your daily routine by just setting aside at least 60 minutes to do something physical that gets your heart and blood pumping. Fitness is just not physical it is mental as well, Our brain is a muscle too and it is the most important one in fact. Training your brain to think healthily and be healthy will ultimately lead to a healthier and longer life.

Native Hawaiian islanders are twice as likely to develop diabetes than other residents on the island. They are also more likely to die from a stroke. Health centers were built all across Hawaii to help with these health problems. This included Native Hawaiian healthcare systems, community health centers, Native Hawaiian civic clubs and nonprofits serving Native Hawaiians, and grassroots organizations. These health centers and partners decided to address obesity and diabetes in low income areas of Honolulu rather than the big island of Oahu. These efforts included weight loss programs and education along with nutrition classes and healthy eating practices. According to data collectors and analyzers, people who took these programs were more likely to lose weight and most importantly, keep it off.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the highest and most serious health problems in the Cherokee Nation. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the nation. Native American people are more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 can have the effects reduced by eating healthier and losing weight. In some cases, a person can be completely voided of type 2 diabetes by making lifestyle changes. This doesn't mean you have to lose 100 pounds or eat nothing but kale and drink water. You simply have to lose at least seven percent of fat to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Some people believe that what native people see as traditional food is to blame for their high obesity and diabetes rates. For example, fry bread is a white flour paste that is fried in melted lard. How could something like this come to be? Fry bread is a common Tradition food that is seen all throughout most south western tribes. For many decades after World War II, the main food supply that was given to native americans reservations, were very fat filled and artificial food sources like flour, lard, cheese, and other poor canned and boxed high fat foods.

Obesity through the ages has been viewed as both admiring and repulsing. Obesity admiration can be traced back 30,000 years ago with little carved figurines of obese women. In the dark and middle ages of european history, obesity was considered as beautiful and this was expressed in many media forms such as art. Being overweight was a show of power, letting other people know that you are wealthy and are able to overfeed yourself and gain a lot of weight. Today, Obesity is something that we are trying to battle each day. With science and research we are able to know that obesity will lead to other health problems such as diabetes and heart problems. Obesity is declared a disease and an epidemic by the Center of Disease control(CDC).