Jen and Keith Moore never thought they’d be professional hula hoopers.
But when Keith was laid off in 2008, leaving the the Moore’s and their three children to live off $200 a week, a hula hoop changed their life.
“Keith and I were looking for a lifestyle change. We had always had problems with our weight. We weren’t obese per se, but we emotionally ate and felt mentally obese,” said Jen. When Jen saw advertisements for the Hoopnotica exercise device, she saved up, bought the hoop, and has been addicted ever since.
“Keith thought it was just another exercise fad,” said Jen, “but he finally caught on and was an intuitive hooper.” Through hooping and eating right, the Moores lost a combined 270 pounds.
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With the United States’ Hispanic population growing in number, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on the health and well-being of that community. Obesity is an epidemic concerning all Americans, but it is an especially concerning one for Hispanics and Mexican Americans who collectively have an obesity rate of about 40%, according to the CDC.
This high rate can be attributed to many factors. Several studies have shown the strong correlation between poverty and obesity. The CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report for 2011 found that the greatest racial/ethnic disparity in income and education existed for Hispanics. That there is a higher likelihood for obesity in a lower income situation can be found in both men and women.
However, adults are not the only members of the Hispanic and Mexican-American populations with significantly higher obesity rates. The rate in children is alarmingly high as well – about 23 percent of Hispanic children compared to the 16 percent rating of their Non-Hispanic white counterparts. Reducing obesity in children is particularly important as being overweight at a young age can lead to a litany of health issues.
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Kerry Ann King of New York City was never a willowy, lanky child, and instead carried a short and stout build. Being involved in ballet where tiny and petite were the norm left her feeling like a square peg in a round hole.
To make matters worse, the ballet school Kerry attended encouraged dieting even at a young age to keep a slim physique. Kerry, now 44, recalls dancing 10-12 hours days on nothing but a few pieces of fruit. But when she quit dancing at age 15, her less active lifestyle and confused metabolism led to quick and steady weight gain. When she ventured into other sports she eventually injured her knee, which led to a cycle of rehab/recovery/re-injury that only further piled on the weight.
It wasn’t until Kerry became pregnant that she realized permanent changes to the way she ate and treated her body were necessary. During her first pregnancy Kerry found benefit in reading the classic pregnancy book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
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In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 29-point blowout over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Playoffs last week, a CBS Houston relationship columnist named Claire Crawford felt inclined to give sports blogging a shot.
Crawford’s first foray into this new medium was epic. She’s become a search bar staple, but not because of her prodigious basketball analysis. Here’s what she took away from the game: “The Rockets looked terrible in Game 1,”—obvious, but so far so good—”but some say they weren’t the only bad-looking people on the court.” The rest of the prose is a bit elementary, so I’ll sum it up for you. She more or less called Thunder cheerleader Kelsey Williams “too chunky” for her position. Queue the social media firestorm.
The passive aggressive jab at the beautiful and fit Williams has Claire Crawford—pen name of real life blogger Anna-Megan Raley—in some hot water. Disdain for Crawford/Raley has been universal, and support for Williams has poured in from all over the web. The reasoning behind Crawford’s criticism is all speculation, but one could assume she might have been trying to boost her own self-esteem. It’s also insane; Kelsey Williams is an athlete, and a gorgeous one at that. Maybe Crawford just wanted to get her 15 retweets of fame, or maybe it’s a reflection of our society’s sea change in perception of beauty.
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Many people view weight loss surgery as the last-chance solution to obesity. Those who have a BMI of 40 or higher were the only ones eligible for bariatric surgery. That has changed with the release of new guidelines. Now, those with a BMI between 30 and 34.9, those who are considered mildly or moderately obese, with diabetes or metabolic syndrome can be considered candidates as well.
Dr. Joseph Colella, a leading bariatric surgeon, feels the new guidelines have many advantages. “More people who have lost the battle with their weight and are suffering from some of the significant medical consequences of obesity can now get real and effective help before it’s too late.” The new guidelines are a significant change to those established in 2008 set by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and the Obesity Society.
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