ALTON - Weight can be a tricky topic. While our weight has no bearing on who we are or how we should be viewed or treated, it can be quite important when it comes to health and well-being. And that can be very meaningful - not only to us personally but also to our family, friends and others who care about us. Keeping weight in check can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, gallstones and 13 different cancers. It can also give a boost to quality of life and even how long we live. Numbers, though, show what most of us already know: that keeping weight in check isn’t easy. Nearly 75 percent of adults in the United States are at an unhealthy weight, and just over 20 percent of children and adolescents 6 years old and up are obese. One reason for this is that many of us live and work in environments that can make it harder to make choices that promote healthy weight. For example, there may be few places in our neighborhoods where we can easil
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