Research shows Augusta among top cities — state and nationwide — for overweight people

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Several studies list Augusta among the top 30 most overweight cities in the country.

In our day-to-day schedule it can be easy to grab a quick bite. But that can sometimes mean an unhealthy option.

“Make sure you’re getting your food and your– cause your food is what starts everything. So, if you’re not having your food, you can work out every day. But if you don’t have your nutrition well and your food intake right, you won’t do good at all,” Gold’s Gym Physical Trainer Tavonta Hadley said.

Dr. Francisco Jacome is a Bariatric Surgeon in Augusta. He said sometimes obesity isn’t only about our lifestyle.

“Treat it as a hormonal disorder, number one. Number two, treat it as an emotional disorder as well because emotions are extremely complex and those can influence, also, greatly in how we make our choices for food. And number three, obesity has to come with a plan for the future,” he said.

That plan is completely up to your personal goals, but experts say it should consist of a physical and healthy balanced diet.

“Actually, being active, you can walk– you don’t have to lift weights, you can walk. So small little home workouts– anything to that nature to make you get active,” Hadley said.

“I tell my patients; the trick is not to make a decision ‘this is what I’m going to do forever.’ It’s to set up a system to support the new habits that you want to develop,” Dr. Jacome said.

Dr. Jacome said while there are other methods to lose weight, like surgery or certain medications, it’s important to have a goal in mind and the discipline to accomplish it.

“If we just learn to be patient what makes people successful are not big decisions, not a big decision that ‘okay, I’m gonna get the shots today, or a big decision I’m gonna have the surgery today. That is not necessarily what creates the success. What makes the decision is the small decisions that we make every day.”

Whether your day is packed with a full to-do list, or a more simplified day, health care professionals urge you to incorporate a balanced lifestyle. To find out more about how you can seek professional health advice and examination call (706) 922-0440.

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