Taking A Stand Against The Leading Cause of Death In Women

Heart disease hits home for me as it is ever so present in my gene pool and despite being at a relatively healthy weight, I know if I don’t make the necessary changes to my day to day health routines, I will be on the same path as my mother, grandmother, and others in my family affected by this disease.

To get a better look at the effects of heart disease, check out these startling revelations courtesy of the American Heart Association:

• More women than men die of heart disease each year

• 68.6 million – the number of overweight and obese adult women. This represents 61% of the women in the U.S.

• 60% of Latina women, 64% African American, 53% Asian Pacific Islander, 50% of Caucasian women are sedentary and get no leisure time physical activity

• 74% of Hispanic-American women, 80% of African American women, 58% of Caucasian women are overweight or obese

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women

• Women are less likely than men to receive appropriate treatment after a heart attack

• Women with diabetes are 2.5 times more likely to have a heat attach

• The increasing prevalence of obesity is driving an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes

• 5.5 million women will suffer angina

With these alarming numbers on the rise, it is time to take action and WomenHeart is here to help. Women Heart, The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease teamed up with Nutrisystem challenging eight women to lose weight and become Red Dress Ready in a seven-month lifestyle challenge, which began back in July 2009 through February 2010. Follow their stories on Facebook and take a look at their before and after photos as they continue their uphill to stay healthy.

Nutrisystem provided these eight WomenHeart Champions; all, which are living with heart disease with complimentary Nutrisystem weight loss programs, nutritional counseling, weight loss support and educating them all on the importance of portion control and eating healthy.

Committed to the fight against obesity, these inspirational Women Heart Champions are setting a positive example for women all over the country.

“Obesity is a leading risk factor for heart disease and 61% of American women are overweight or obese. These eight WomenHeart Champions demonstrate that women can take charge of their heart health by managing their weight and reducing their risk for heart disease,” said Lisa M. Tate, CEO of WomenHeart.

Getting on the road to a healthier you can be difficult for some, but there is no time like the present to take action.  With that said, Nutrisystem is offering one person a FREE week of their meal program to get started.

To enter, simply Tweet me @jessienuez comment telling me what has motivated you to take action and sign up for sign up for WomenHeart Heart Health Action Kit , which provides a monthly e-newletter, and helpful information about how the heart works, 6 steps to a healthy heart, Questions to ask your doctor, Cholesterol Screening Locator, 8 easy steps to get more physically active, among other topics.

A winner will be chosen on Monday, March 7th, 2010. Good Luck!

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

WomenHeart is the only national, patient advocacy organization serving the 42 millions American women living with or at risk for heart disease – the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women’s heart health through advocacy, community education and is the nation’s only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including WomenHeart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, visit www.womenheart.org.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is a leading provider of weight management products and services. Nutrisystem is sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, for convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the clinically tested Nutrisystem D plan, designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight. The Nutrisystem program is based on 35 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying high-fiber, heart healthy, good carbohydrate meals that contain zero trans fats. Nutrisystem was named the “Best Value” of the six most popular commercial diet programs by SmartMoney magazine in January 2010. The program has no memberships fees and provides 24/7 weight management support by trained weight loss coaches and online weight management tools free of charge. In 2009 Nutrisystem was selected as the #1 overall online retailer in the Food and Drug category and #46 out of the top 500 online retailers overall by Internet Retailer Magazine. Nutrisystem also proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its Movement to Stop Diabetes. For more information or to become a customer visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074.

Image: WomenHeart.org