First Person: Obesity's Classified as a Disease, but Losing Weight Is on Me

The American Medical Association last week declared obesity a disease. That's a step, doctors say, that will help medical professionals better treat a condition that affects 78 million adults and 12 million children. Yahoo News invited Americans who qualify as obese -- those with a BMI above 30 -- to share their story and perspective on the news. Here's one.

FIRST PERSON| I wasn't always fat. In fact, I used to boast a 23-inch waist without any effort at all. I never dieted, but I was active. As my 20s faded into my 30s, my weight slowly inched up. But it wasn't until I became pregnant at 39 that my weight became a serious issue and began to interfere with my everyday life.

After my daughter Stella's birth in September 2009, the pain subsided, but remained a problem. As the years have progressed, my weight inched up to an all-time high of 240 pounds. On my 5-foot-3-inch frame, that's a lot of weight to carry around. That's a body mass index of 42.5, which the American Medical Association classifies as obese, not just overweight.

The AMA decision last week to classify obesity as a disease should help people like me get the help they need to get their weight under control. I attribute my weight gain mostly due to psychological issues, but also to my pre-existing back problem. I was bored and depressed and ate to pass the time away. We lived near Dallas, and in the summer, it was just too hot to ride my bike and, in winter, I couldn't drum up the motivation to ride. We were unhappy living in Texas, so in early May we decided to sell everything and go on a long-term camping trip.

Before we left, I could barely reach down to tie my shoes. My face became red from exertion from bending down to pick up a toy. Walking across a parking lot winded me. I wanted nothing more than to sit all day in front of the computer.

I became more physically active by virtue of necessity. We are tent camping, so it's a challenge for my back problem, but nearly two months into it, I am starting to feel better about my health. In fact, my weight dropped nearly 20 pounds in two months, reducing my BMI to 39.3. I'm still obese, but it's a start.

My husband has also lost some weight, and has had to take in his belt two notches, so this tent camping trip is doing us some good, both physically and psychologically.

We have planned meals, and because we are on a strict financial budget, we don't splurge on fast food except for once a month. Our diet includes brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, canned fruits and vegetables, wheat bread, fresh produce and pasta. We eat meat once or twice a week, and almost never red meat. When we do eat fast food, I usually eat a salad, yogurt, or another healthy option.

We've camped in several locations so far in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado. And in the next month, we plan to settle in a small town in New Mexico that is known for skiing, bicycling, and hiking. My husband and I plan to purchase two used bicycles for transportation during the warmer months. I know this method for weight loss is extreme, but it's worked for us. I no longer feel lost and hopeless, and I feel better about myself every day.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-person-obesitys-classified-disease-losing-weight-182000450.html

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