Cultural Causes Of Obesity

Various regions of the world have different responses to the issue of obesity. Some cultures view obesity as necessary and attractive while others are taking drastic measures in an attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle. Although some of these drastic changes seem a bit invasive and controversial, policy makers are debating whether it is effective and even whether or not such a policy should be adopted in the United States. According to the article written by Gallagher, a culture sensitive approach should be implemented in order to tackle the issue of global obesity. A study of children of Mexican descent showed that about 32.6% of Mexican children occupying the U.S. are overweight and about 19.2% are obese (Gallagher 2010). The parents observed in this study were serving their children unhealthy foods, such as those from cans and fast food restaurants, due to price and convenience (Gallagher 2010).

In America today one in three adults are considered to be obese. Over the years the rate of obesity keeps climbing up and up. Some people blame fast-food or the environment Americans live in. After all,someone can purchase a chocolate bar at a bookstore nowadays. But, most people are looking at the incorrect factor to blame. Although the food industry is a huge contribution to obesity in America, people are ultimately responsible for their own health.

Culture is the pattern of action and the ways of perceiving, feeling, and thinking acquired growing up in a particular group of people

Culture can be defined as the behaviours and belief characteristics of a particular social, ethnic,

Obesity has been framed as a topic of personal responsibly for a long time. For many, the fundamental notion has always been that if you stop eating junk food and eat “healthy”, you will maintain a healthy weight. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s 2007-2008 Health and Nutrition Examination survey, it was found that 73.7% of all Americans 20 years old or older were overweight, obese, or extremely obese. That is a lot of fat people and it is hard to believe that fast food alone is responsible for 70% of adult Americans being overweight.

The new generation continues to increasingly fall under obesity’s evil spell. Although many Americans recognize that their children are obese, they fail to accept that this is an epidemic that should be controlled and given dramatic attention to. Research suggests that childhood obesity in the United States has doubled in the past decade. Despite the fact that we have necessary resources to control these statistics, Americans continue to expose their youngsters to unhealthy and fattening meals. It is no joke that America is the fattest nation in the world. Thus, preventing this serious issue should be perceived as a life-or-death situation where if we fail to control it, many more overweight children will grow up to be obese adults in the future.

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

In 2012 CDC statistics show that “over 35 percent of adults and 32 percent of children in the United States of America are recorded as obese (30kg/m2), the obesity rate has doubled since 1971.1” Not only is epidemic growing in numbers of victims but also in expenses. The United States spent 147 billion dollars in 2008 on medical expenses costs and that does not include the programs that fight against the problem. “In 2003 over 300,000 died due to obesity related health problems, diseases and cancers.6” One of the most important battles we wage on American soil is the war for citizens to be fit, and it nearly always starts in the childhood. Since 1971 the problem of childhood and adult obesity started to grow annually due to many reasons related to our ways of living. Now the food industry, including fast food has been getting more and more unhealthy due to unnatural modifications. What Americans eat is not organic anymore and is taking its toll on American lifestyle. The fast food industry has been making advertisements and foods focused upon youth. Since the original commercials directed towards children, it has nearly tripled since the rise of technology. Technology has been growing rapidly as obesity is, statistics show that with the advancement of technology, the population starts to slow down, stop exercising and eating healthier foods. As long as there is childhood obesity, there will be adult obesity, with effects on children causing obesity, there will be a

Obesity is an epidemic that is putting uncomfortable strains on the American health care system. With just under two-thirds of the American adult population being overweight or obese, a lot of time and effort has gone into uncovering the causes of this rise in the weights of American citizens. Several theories have been developed to help solve the mystery of America’s rising size. Obesity cannot be traced back to a single factor, but rather many aspects have contributed to the rise of obesity in America. Parental influence, media exposure, and individual’s rate at which they metabolize food all play a significant role in contributing to obesity in America. The threat of obesity in this country is growing, and as a nation it is imperative that we understand the underlying cause of the epidemic, and prepare a comprehensive plan on how to tackle it. It is imperative for the nation heath to better understand the causes of obesity in America.

The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”

“Obesity affects nearly 1 in 3 American adults” according to The National institute of Health. Obesity clearly is a common problem the U.S. and will permanently alter our family dynamic. It had changed our social behavior and our culture as a country. These changes stem from are weight discrimination, negatively influencing other family member’s lifestyles, and an over-eating culture.

The environment in which people live in plays a huge role in the choices people make when it comes to food and activities. The subliminal marketing and the easy accessibility of junk food makes America a toxic place to live. It’s tough for individuals to make the right choices when bad influences are woven into the fabric of society. What can we do to fix this widespread epidemic that is affecting the country? Small changes in a person’s lifestyle can have a drastic effect on their health. Weight gain is closely linked to “a high intake of potato chips, potatoes, [and] sugar-sweetened beverages” (“Obesity in America”). So a change in a person’s diet to a healthier one can be very beneficial. Also, exercise and physical activity can help protect against sudden weight gain. Another culprit for obesity is TV, it is one of the biggest enemies of exercise and the friend of snacking. Under the protection of the First Amendment, manufacturers have the right to promote their products freely, regardless of the negative effects it has (“Pounding Away”). Thus, many people are overly exposed and tempted by many junk or fast food products that are heavily advertised. Putting down the remote and exchanging hours of surfing the net for leisure exercise can significantly change a person’s well

Culture is defined as “The ideas, attitudes, customs, beliefs, values and social behaviour of a particular group of people or society that are passed on from generation to generation” (Brentnall, A., n.d.).

The causes of obesity are deemed to be multifactorial and are the result of genetic, environmental, behavioral, physiological, social, nutritional and cultural factors . Each of these factors related to the cause of obesity lead to an energy imbalance and promotes an increase in fat deposition.

According to the case study and our textbook obesity has become an epidemic due to a decline in physical activity and poor eating habits. Children are spending more time watching television and playing video games instead of being active and playing outside. According to our text book “on average U.S children watch almost 6 hours of television programming a day” (Anderson, Root, and Garner, 2015). Another contribution to the obesity epidemic are parents. According to our textbook, “if both of the parent are obese, chances are that their children will also become obese”. (Anderson, Root, and Garner, 2015). It is very important that parents make an effort to lead by example, by being physically active and having more healthy non processed real