Colleen Sholar, DOBy Colleen Sholar, DO

We live in strange times. I’m not sure if every generation says that, though I suspect they do. We live in a time of great freedoms, great rewards, and great prosperity if you think back to how our ancestors lived, yet we are seeing an increase in problems associated with poor health including rising rates of obesity, a lack of movement/exercise and an increase in anxiety and depression. As we reach the end of February, I ask you to think about the expectations you had for this “new year” of 2022. Did you have resolutions to lose weight? Exercise more? Improve your mental health? Get healthier?

Many Americans are battling “the bulge,” and not in a world war as our grandfathers battled. Nearly 40% of American adults aged 20 and over are considered obese and 71.6% of adults aged 20 and over are overweight or obese so if this includes you please know you are not alone. There is an entire specialty in medicine called Obesity Medicine that is evolving because we know it’s not simply enough to “eat less and exercise more.” The Society of Obesity Medicine has developed a system of pillars comprised of nutrition, physical activity, behavior, and medication. If you are looking to lose weight I encourage you to think about these 4 aspects of your life and consider what little changes you can start to make in your day to day life to improve the odds of stopping weight gain and perhaps starting on a weight loss journey. When you come into the clinic for an appointment we weigh everyone. In a clinical setting we use a measurement known as a Body Mass Index, or BMI, which we acknowledge is an imperfect measure but it’s much simpler than body fat calculations. Please know that we want to help you on your journey to maintaining or achieving health and if you would like help with weight management your doctor can help.

Are you exercising? The CDC has estimated that less than 23% of adults get the recommended amount of exercise each day. Recommendations for adults include:

  • Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity, ideally spread out over the week.
  • Strength training. Do strength-training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week.

These days of internet access have really broadened our access to resources so I encourage you to find something you enjoy doing and get moving! There are many apps (many are free) to help you get exercise classes from the comfort of your home.

Mental health is a buzzword these days, but self-reports of anxiety and depressive symptoms are up as are addictions. The US Health and Human Services has a hotline, the SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) which can also be accessed via text message: 435748 (HELP4U). They report over 800,000 calls in 2020 and I’m sure 2021 was even more. If you or someone you know are struggling I encourage you to reach out either to a hotline like the one above or to your local healthcare provider, we want to help.

We at Clearwater Valley Health are here to help our community lead happy and healthy lives. If you have a goal for 2022 we would like to help you reach it. Each calendar year is another opportunity to be your best self so schedule your wellness exam, get caught up on preventative screenings to avoid health problems, talk to your doctor about any ongoing health problems, and discuss any health goals.

Cheers to 2022, it’s going to be a great year!