Fifty Million Prominent Africans’ Signature Project
(Prominent Africans Say No To Obesity and Stigmatization of Obese people)
"PROMINENT AFRICANS SAY NO TO OBESITY" is a brain child of the PAN AFRICAN ANTI OBESITY PROJECT. It is a Campaign against Obesity syndrome and the Stigmatization against Obese people in Africa. it is an initiative aimed at uniting Prominent people in Africa to stand against the discrimination of obese people in every sector of the society and take a stand to mercilessly knock out obesity from Africa giving it no place in our mother land.
please click on this link;
PROMINENT AFRICANS SIGNATURE FORM
To say NO to OBESITY SYNDROME AND STIGMATIZATION OF OBESE PEOPLE
to fill the Prominent Africans Signature Form.
THE STIGMA OF OBESITY
Obese individuals are highly stigmatized and face multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination because of their weight (1,2). The prevalence of weight discrimination in the United States has increased by 66% over the past decade (3), and is comparable to rates of racial discrimination, especially among women (4).
Weight bias translates into inequities in employment settings,
health-care facilities, and educational institutions, often due to
widespread negative stereotypes that overweight and obese persons are
lazy, unmotivated, lacking in self-discipline, less competent,
noncompliant, and sloppy (2,5,6,7).
These stereotypes are prevalent and are rarely challenged in Western
society, leaving overweight and obese persons vulnerable to social
injustice, unfair treatment, and impaired quality of life as a result of
substantial disadvantages and stigma.
In
2001, Puhl and Brownell published the first comprehensive review of
several decades of research documenting bias and stigma toward
overweight and obese persons (2).
This review summarized weight stigma in domains of employment, health
care, and education, demonstrating the vulnerability of obese persons to
many forms of unfair treatment. Despite evidence of weight bias in
important areas of living, the authors noted many gaps in research
regarding the nature and extent of weight stigma in various settings,
the lack of science on emotional and physical health consequences of
weight bias, and the paucity of interventions to reduce negative stigma.
In
recent years, attention to weight bias has increased, with a growing
recognition of the pervasiveness of weight bias and stigma, and its
potential harmful consequences for obese persons. The aim of this
article is to provide an update of scientific evidence on weight bias
toward overweight and obese adults through a systematic review of
published literature since the 2001 article by Puhl and Brownell. This
review expands upon previous findings of weight bias in major domains of
living, documents new areas where weight bias has been studied, and
highlights ongoing research questions that need to be addressed to
advance this field of study.
GLOBAL STATISTICS OF OBESITY
BREAKING NEWS...
'Fitness Myths Busted'
MYTH 1: MUSCLE TURNS INTO FAT
REALITY: Muscle and fat are two completely different tissues that have different functions, so it's physiologically impossible to turn one into the other. If you stop exercising, your muscles atrophy, so you lose the tone you worked so hard to create. And if you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain fat.
MYTH 2: YOU NEED TO EXERCISE 30 MINUTES STRAIGHT TO GET FIT.
REALITY: Three 10-minute cardio stints offer the same healthy payback as a single 30-minute one. If you are trying to peel off pounds, of course, the more you do, the faster you'll succeed. But don't feel guilty if all you can squeeze in is a few minutes here and a few minutes there—it all adds up.
Short on time? Ratchet up the intensity of your workout: Go hard for 30 seconds on the elliptical or jog for a minute in the middle of your walk to maintain your fitness level and your habit. And remember, anything you do—whether it's a brisk 5-minute walk or carrying heavy groceries to your car—for any period of time, provides some benefit.
MYTH 3: OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE HAVE A SLUGGISH METABOLISM.
REALITY: Though some folks do have metabolic disorders that slow their metabolism, fewer than 10 percent of overweight people suffer from them. In fact, the more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn during exercise at the same relative workload as a slimmer person. If you notice the scale climbing higher, worry about your activity level, not your metabolism. Try this fat-burning workout to really see results.
MYTH 4: LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS MAKE WOMEN BULK UP.
REALITY: Women don’t have enough of the muscle-building hormone testosterone to get bulky, even using heavy weights. The truth is, some people will gain muscle faster than they lose fat, so they may look bigger until they shed some of the flab and reveal the slim, toned muscles underneath. Shape sleek muscles with this workout from The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels.
MYTH 5: YOU CAN’T LOSE ANY WEIGHT BY SWIMMING.
REALITY: OK, it’s true that long-distance swimmers who navigate colder waters tend to retain body fat for insulation. But ask anyone who laps it up while training for a triathlon: You will sizzle off pounds in the pool, since swimming burns 450 to 700 calories an hour! One reason you might not shed flab doing freestyle? If you throw in the towel and cut your workout short.
MYTH 6: STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISE PREVENTS INJURIES AND ENHANCES PERFORMANCE.
REALITY: Researchers are still scratching their head over this one, since studies have yet to show conclusively that limbering up has any effect on staving off strains and other injuries. But they do know that stretching regularly can make bending, reaching, twisting and lifting easier. Best move: Save your stretching for post-exercise, when muscles are warm.
MYTH 7: YOU BURN MORE CALORIES EXERCISING IN CHILLY WEATHER.
REALITY: If you shiver through a long run in the frigid winter air simply to experience the extra calorie burn, you might want to come in from the cold: You do torch a few extra calories during the first few minutes, but once you get warmed up, the caloric expenditure is the same whether you’re exercising in Siberia or the Sahara. Try a treadmill circuit workout with a great playlist to keep you going!
MYTH 8: WHEN YOUR BODY GETS USED TO AN EXERCISE, YOU'LL BURN FEWER CALORIES DOING IT.
REALITY: Unless you've adjusted the intensity, you'll burn as much jogging or cycling today as you did last week, last month, even last year. Experts say that this principle only applies to exercises that we're naturally inefficient at, such as using the elliptical machine: After five to six sessions, you'll be smoother in your movements and expend fewer calories—but the difference is only about 2 to 5 percent.
MYTH 9: THE CALORIE READOUT ON MACHINES IS ACCURATE.
REALITY: If only! Research has shown that some types of machines can be off by as much as 70 percent. The culprit? Contraptions such as the elliptical machine haven’t been around long enough for exercise scientists to develop the appropriate calorie-burn equations. On the upside, stationary bikes and treadmills, the grandfathers of the gym, generally give a fairly precise reading, particularly if you enter your age and weight.
Rather than swearing by what the machine says, use the calorie readout to monitor your progress. If the tally climbs during the same workout for the same duration, you’re working harder and getting fitter.
REALITY: Muscle and fat are two completely different tissues that have different functions, so it's physiologically impossible to turn one into the other. If you stop exercising, your muscles atrophy, so you lose the tone you worked so hard to create. And if you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain fat.
MYTH 2: YOU NEED TO EXERCISE 30 MINUTES STRAIGHT TO GET FIT.
REALITY: Three 10-minute cardio stints offer the same healthy payback as a single 30-minute one. If you are trying to peel off pounds, of course, the more you do, the faster you'll succeed. But don't feel guilty if all you can squeeze in is a few minutes here and a few minutes there—it all adds up.
Short on time? Ratchet up the intensity of your workout: Go hard for 30 seconds on the elliptical or jog for a minute in the middle of your walk to maintain your fitness level and your habit. And remember, anything you do—whether it's a brisk 5-minute walk or carrying heavy groceries to your car—for any period of time, provides some benefit.
MYTH 3: OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE HAVE A SLUGGISH METABOLISM.
REALITY: Though some folks do have metabolic disorders that slow their metabolism, fewer than 10 percent of overweight people suffer from them. In fact, the more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn during exercise at the same relative workload as a slimmer person. If you notice the scale climbing higher, worry about your activity level, not your metabolism. Try this fat-burning workout to really see results.
MYTH 4: LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS MAKE WOMEN BULK UP.
REALITY: Women don’t have enough of the muscle-building hormone testosterone to get bulky, even using heavy weights. The truth is, some people will gain muscle faster than they lose fat, so they may look bigger until they shed some of the flab and reveal the slim, toned muscles underneath. Shape sleek muscles with this workout from The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels.
MYTH 5: YOU CAN’T LOSE ANY WEIGHT BY SWIMMING.
REALITY: OK, it’s true that long-distance swimmers who navigate colder waters tend to retain body fat for insulation. But ask anyone who laps it up while training for a triathlon: You will sizzle off pounds in the pool, since swimming burns 450 to 700 calories an hour! One reason you might not shed flab doing freestyle? If you throw in the towel and cut your workout short.
MYTH 6: STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISE PREVENTS INJURIES AND ENHANCES PERFORMANCE.
REALITY: Researchers are still scratching their head over this one, since studies have yet to show conclusively that limbering up has any effect on staving off strains and other injuries. But they do know that stretching regularly can make bending, reaching, twisting and lifting easier. Best move: Save your stretching for post-exercise, when muscles are warm.
MYTH 7: YOU BURN MORE CALORIES EXERCISING IN CHILLY WEATHER.
REALITY: If you shiver through a long run in the frigid winter air simply to experience the extra calorie burn, you might want to come in from the cold: You do torch a few extra calories during the first few minutes, but once you get warmed up, the caloric expenditure is the same whether you’re exercising in Siberia or the Sahara. Try a treadmill circuit workout with a great playlist to keep you going!
MYTH 8: WHEN YOUR BODY GETS USED TO AN EXERCISE, YOU'LL BURN FEWER CALORIES DOING IT.
REALITY: Unless you've adjusted the intensity, you'll burn as much jogging or cycling today as you did last week, last month, even last year. Experts say that this principle only applies to exercises that we're naturally inefficient at, such as using the elliptical machine: After five to six sessions, you'll be smoother in your movements and expend fewer calories—but the difference is only about 2 to 5 percent.
MYTH 9: THE CALORIE READOUT ON MACHINES IS ACCURATE.
REALITY: If only! Research has shown that some types of machines can be off by as much as 70 percent. The culprit? Contraptions such as the elliptical machine haven’t been around long enough for exercise scientists to develop the appropriate calorie-burn equations. On the upside, stationary bikes and treadmills, the grandfathers of the gym, generally give a fairly precise reading, particularly if you enter your age and weight.
Rather than swearing by what the machine says, use the calorie readout to monitor your progress. If the tally climbs during the same workout for the same duration, you’re working harder and getting fitter.
Lucy Danziger, author of "Fitness Myths Busted", is
editor-in-chief at Self Magazine
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