Obesity, or being overweight, is a common problem today. Walk down any street in America and a large majority of people seen will be overweight or obese. Obesity is determined by a measure of body mass index (BMI), which is an indicator of fat content in the body. The BMI score can be obtained by dividing weight in pounds (multiplied by 703) by height in inches squared. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while a BMI of 30 or more indicates that one is obese. Being overweight affects nearly one third of the population of the United States, with another one third obese, and a portion of those are considered morbidly obese (a BMI of 40 or more). This statistic includes adults, adolescents, and school-aged children. Glassman, Glassman,
Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).
How Obesity Has Changed America One in three Americans are at risk for more than 30 chronic illnesses due to obesity. It is the biggest driver of healthcare, costing the country millions of dollars each year. Poor eating habits are the main cause of this disease and could all be changed beginning with the youth of the nation. 20 million children under the age of five are now considered overweight or obese in America (Dyer). What was once a rare disease, has now become an epidemic. Few health topics have initiated as much debate and controversy as obesity has within the past 15 years. The hope of new treatments progresses as obesity becomes the norm of our society and continues to change America every day.
As seen during the eighteenth century, the presence of excess body fat was envied and very rare; seen only in kings, the rich, and the wealthy as a sign of power and prosperity. Once food shortage was no longer relevant, the 20th century re-assessed this “sign of power” as a sign of ill health, and was then documented in medical practices as the chronic disease known as obesity. As we look at the roots of obesity today, causes of the disease cannot be attributed to a single origin. However, there are many daily influences that justify our nations expanding waistlines; the most obvious being an unhealthy diet. The role of food in our society has altered the way Americans perceive nutrition. Meal times are advertised as social events; an instance of mindless eating, with little awareness on stopping when you’re full, and overeating as a result. Portion sizes are much larger than nutritionally necessary, and lack in substantial protein, causing you to
Fat America In America, seventy-eight million adults and twelve million children have been diagnosed with obesity (Rossi). Obesity is a disease that means grossly fat or overweight inasmuch as that is the consumers fault for eating imprudently; it also is the food industries fault, especially fast food. Fast-food is inexpensive and it attracts consumers, especially obese consumers, because fast-food is everywhere, nonetheless, Americans are not informed upon what they are eating not only causing obesity but chances of other diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Historically, food was used primarily as a means to gain energy (Maxfield). Food today is designed to be cheap, fast and tasty. With these new traits, food has become more than just a survival tactic. Entrees and desserts have taken over family celebrations, weddings, graduations, social gatherings, and pretty much every other kind of social activity you can think of. America has turned into a society of eaters- eaters of high calorie, high sugar and high fat- and the results have produced obesity. So, what exactly is obesity? how can it be prevented? and what can be done to reduce it? “The Elephant in the room—pandemic obesity” by Kaye K. Gaines and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield provide insight to these common questions regarding obesity.
In the last twenty-five years, America has embraced a lifestyle that has discounted exercise and home cooked meals for sedentary lifestyles, and food that is readily available. As a result of this trend, America is seeing an increase in BMI of its population as a whole. This includes expanding waste
Obesity has always been a topic that many have had due to the increase attention it has received. Across America, there has been a lot of attention on the obesity epidemic. In America and the inner cities, more people are eating meals away from home in addition to consuming larger portions from fast food restaurants. At this rate, gaining weight is the likely outcome. High energy dense food has become convenient and affordable. Fast food is almost everywhere in America and, contributes to the growing obesity epidemic. Access to healthy foods are either expensive or have a limited access to it. For example, soda is everywhere for low costs, but coconut water is expensive or not found easily depending on the demand for it. Our environment
Amer Aljamal OBESITY IN AMERICA PHED 85400 In today’s world many people are considered overweight or obese. That’s 35.7 percent of adults are considered to be obese. There are many health risks of being overweight or obese the most common health risks are type 2 diabetes, heart
Obesity is the terminology used when an individual has too much body fat. Obesity occurs over time when people eat more calories than they use. The balance between calories in and calories out differs from person to person. Other factors that might affect a person’s weight include their genetic susceptibility, overeating, eating high fat foods, and lack of physical active. Being obese increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. Although, the attention of the health profession, the media, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has doubled over the past three decades. In the United States obesity
The Deviant Nature of Obesity Sociology 277 Jill Prunty Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind,
According to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America 2015, a report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, obesity is defined as “an excessively high amount of body fat . . . in relation to lean body mass.” Body Mass Index (BMI),
Obesity is the cause of almost 300,000 thousand deaths annually in the United States. It is one of the most preventable and treatable diseases today. There is a variety of reason why obesity is increasing. Many Americans aren’t very physically active now days and with the thousands of television shows and movies out now most people would rather sit on their couch and watch TV then go out and do something physical. Also the surrounding environment plays a big role on why obesity is on the rise in America. Such as the lack of sidewalks, safe places for recreation, and the overly portioned cheap fast food restaurants on almost every corner.
Literature Review on Childhood Obesity By: Obesity is a growing problem among U.S. children. In 1994, one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 was overweight. This is double the rate of 30 years ago (National Center for Health Statistics, 1999). This adverse trend has potentially profound effects on children's health, including their long-term health. The terms "obese" and "overweight" often are used interchangeably. Technically, "obesity" is the upper end of "overweight." Obesity is clinically diagnosed as: greater than 90th percentile for weight for height; or greater than or equal to the 95th percentile Body Mass Index (BMI), age and sex specific. The gold standard is becoming the BMI, since this is also used
1.0 Introduction The issue with obesity not only occurs locally but is becoming problematic globally and is continuing to worsen. Being overweight defines a person as having excess fat accumulation which has the potential to cause impairments on personal health if not addressed. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the costs associated