Killer Fat Research Paper

Obesity is when a person has excess body fat. It is calculated by dividing one’s weight by his or her height to get the body mass index (BMI=kg/m^2). This number is also used to screen for health problems that maybe be caused by certain weight categories. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered to be overweight and over thirty is considered obese. A third of children are overweight (CDC, 2014). Obesity leads to significant physical and mental health consequences. Obese children are at risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, type two diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and hypertension (CDC, 2014).

Obesity is usually defined by using the body mass index (BMI). A persons BMI is worked out by dividing the persons weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. To be classified as obese a person’s BMI will be equal to or over 30. (CDC, 2015)

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).

Is obesity really a serious health concern or is the “epidemic” merely a result of highly fabricated, misleading ideas of politicians and the media? The article, Obesity: An Overblown Epidemic? By W. Wayt Gibbs featured in the May 23, 2005 edition of Scientific America, raises this question. Most health experts and average people believe that obesity is one of the most prevalent health concerns today, resulting in increased risk for other major health issues; such as; heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and the chance for early loss of life. However, other researchers are suggesting that the consequences of being overweight are being blown out of proportion. Naturally, they do

Obesity is defined as defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Obesity is not only based on an individual’s weight but also their BMI. A BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight. A BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity ((Organization, 2013). Obesity is the most common preventable deaths and the fifths leading health risk globally. Obesity has also been linked to other debilitating diseases and can increase a person’s chances of being hospitalized. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death (cdc.gov, 2014).

The demographics of obesity are individualized to a person’s ideal weight for their height and body type. Obesity is categorized by having an excess of weight that is well outside of the medically accepted range based on height. There are varying degrees of obesity and being overweight is not the same as obesity. Obesity is categorized as being 20% or greater than the ideal weight for the individual (PAMF, 2011). The WHO's definitions of "overweight" and "obese" are based on an individual's body mass index (BMI), which measures weight relative to height. Overweight is marked by a BMI greater than or equal to 25 and obese is defined as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30 (World Health Organization, 2012). While it is widely accepted that Americans are one of the most overweight countries in the world, many other nations have seen steady increases in their rates of obesity. Epidemiological data has shown that countries all over the world have been steadily gaining weight in all genders, ethnic groups, ages and educational levels (World Health Organization, 2012). According to the national Institute of Health, 15.5% of teenagers were obese (2006). This means that a large

The American Medical Association (AMA) has declared obesity a disease. Obesity means that an individual has too much body weight that could possibly cause a health risk. Having a body-mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher makes an individual morbidly obese. A healthy BMI would be from 20 to 24.9. The United States has one of the highest obesity rates in the world with an estimated of 36% of American adults suffering from it. It is important to not label obesity as a disease because it leads 78 million adults and 12 million children in America into feeling helpless, and takes them away from believing it’s importance as a condition that is the result of eating too much and living sedentary lifestyles.

A person is considered overweight if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25-29.9 and obese if there BMI reaches 30 or greater (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2010). Furthermore, when calculating the BMI in children and adolescents, age and sex are also taken into consideration (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2010). Soft drinks and junk food, that are high in sugars, saturated fats, and low in nutritional value, have been linked to the increase in overweight children and adolescents. Unhealthy eating habits developed in childhood often lead to a similar pattern in adulthood, which can have significantly negative effects on a person physically, mentally, and emotionally (A. 1182, 2012).

Obesity has become the silent killer in American society. It is a risk factor for numerous chronic diseases including the four leading causes of death. Obesity can be linked to stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, all serious health problems that can be fatal. Obesity is linked to 300,000 deaths annually in the industrial world (Flamholz, 2001). Often in society and in the medical community there exists a lack of understanding that obesity is in fact a disease and needs attention, otherwise the rates of many diseases will continue to climb.

Fat is often labeled as the reason for obesity however it seems like there is sufficient proof that fat in itself does not cause weight gain. In 1977, the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs recommended a dietary guideline that limited fat intake to no more than 30% per day. According to statistics, the instances of obesity started to increase around the same time fat was villanized and low-fat products became more popular. Furthermore, similar studies claim that the "war" on fat led people to substitute butter and lard with processed low-fat food which are high in artificial flavoring and sugar.

Fat. Ugly. Two words that can cause a lot of pain. Two superficial remarks that people throw around to describe others. Just hearing or looking at one of those words can bring someone to your mind whether it be yourself or someone you know. The worst feeling is knowing that “fat” or “ugly” are most likely the first and only words that comes to people’s minds when they see you or describe you. Everyone has so much more to offer in this world than how they appear. It is dismal that others can’t see past something on the surface which is something that I have tried to cope with since middle school.

Ravenous by nature, the obese want food, need food and have an extraordinary talent of exposing all of food's hiding places. When the obese go on a hunt, food goes for a punt into their mouths and down the esophagus. Just like Pac-Man, the obese pursue their food relentlessly. To the casual observer, the food on the plate disappears in the blink of an eye. But for the obese, time freezes as they savor each and every morsel remains. On a serious note, the obese, caught in a continuous struggle between stomach and mind, undergo an everlasting relentless body mass gain.

Do you know what’s the number one cause of death in America? Well the number one cause of death is heart related diseases. Many of these heart related diseases are caused by obesity. Obesity is “the condition of being grossly fat or overweight.” It is not just being thick boned, or even hereditary. Obesity has become a growing epidemic around the world! A very colossal problem here in the untied states of America; What is sad is that it is a disease one has caused due to their own choice of life style.

These include obesity, diabetes, and several heart conditions. Obesity is the term used for someone who qualifies as significantly overweight. A BMI (Body Mass Index) records weight in relation to height. A BMI of 25 is overweight and a BMI of 30 is obese. Obesity is not a disease in its self but it can lead to different health issues, some fatal. Obesity can be related to eighty percent of type two diabetes, seventy percent of cardiovascular disease, thirty percent to gall bladder surgeries, and forty two percent to breast and colon cancer. Unfortunately, obesity rates in people are rising rapidly. The United States alone had an obesity rate of twenty six percent in 2007. Some cases of obesity are gene related, but most other cases are a result of improper dieting and exercise among the individual ("Why Is Proper Nutrition Important?", Case Western Reserve University).

Obesity can cause other health problems to occur. There is a direct like between obesity and type 2 diabetes. It also put you at higher risk of developing certain types of cancer and other illnesses