Losing weight

Recently the Southeast Missourian ran a story on 18-year-old Tanner Hankins, a Cape Girardeau High School senior who has lost 110 pounds.

Hankins, whose weight loss journey includes losing 70 pounds since January, said before losing the weight he was frustrated with his self-image.

"I was tired of not being able to be happy. I always avoided mirrors and pictures. Who wants to live their life running from themselves?" Hankins said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in 2008 that 18 percent of U.S. adolescents age 12 to 19 were obese. Thirty years earlier, only 5 percent in that age group qualified as obese.

Being overweight can cause more than a self-image problem. Obesity can lead to health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer.

Maintaining a healthy body weight throughout life starts with good eating habits and exercise. For Tanner Hankins this means watching what and how much he eats, drinking 120 ounces of water a day, not eating after 8 p.m., limiting his use of the computer and running 20 miles a week.

We congratulate Tanner and the many others with similar stories on their weight loss success. Nevertheless, we encourage anyone starting a plan to lose weight to first consult with a medical professional.

While not everyone can run 20 miles a week, we can all do something -- whether through dietary changes or exercise -- to live healthier lives.