Obesity : A Nationwide Epidemic That Is Affecting Children And Adults

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. More than one third of children are overweight. This figure is increasing rapidly. This epidemic puts children at risk for various health problems such as type two diabetes and heart problems. Although they are several risk factors for obesity, parents play a significant role in this issue. This paper will look into how parents are influential to their children, how they contribute to this problem and how they may help fight the fight against obesity. Obesity is a very serious problem and there are solutions that parents can apply to help their children lead a healthy lifestyle. Obesity does not only affect a person physically, but mentally and psychologically as well.

Childhood obesity is not just an issue in United States- it is an growing epidemic. Obesity epidemic in kids has increased by alarming rate just in last few decades. Nearly one in every five child is obese in the United States. If the pattern of obesity continued on most of America’s children will be living with diabetes, heart disease, and dying young due to obesity. The American Heart Association reported this year that childhood obesity is the top health concern among parents in the United States, beating out smoking and drug abuse. My own younger siblings suffer with child obesity. Their craving for fast food and very limited physical activity has made them overweight and currently they suffer from health problems. Is this the future of our young generation? How much contribution should a parent have in their child’s diet? Fast food has taken over American diet and it has lead to poor nutritional diet among American youth. Fast food companies spend billion of dollars every year on commercials, convincing youth to love and eat their product. It’s just not our eating habits that has lead our young generation into obesity, lack of physical workout has also played a major role in obesity epidemic. TV, computer, video games and other technology entertainment has contributed to children getting no exercise. Obesity in children can put them in high risks of developing chronic and serious illness. Unhealthy weight leads to having weaker lungs, poor blood quality, heart

The obesity epidemic here in the United States affects a mass portion of all children and adolescents. The rapid growth in childhood obesity has become a prevalent health concern that is overlooked due to its’ normality. The main focus of this issue has always been fixated on how to help those facing current problems with obesity. Instead, attention needs to be brought to the prevention of our country’s #1 leading health concern, which has yet to be compromised. This ignorance has led millions of children ill-educated on the importance of lifestyle and the simple concept that “we are what we eat”. The reality of this issue is not one many want to take responsibility for, but the significant impact education has on what children consume is greater than we may think. The lack of effort in our education system and the simple changes in the education we provide can significantly help reduce the obesity crisis we face. Our education career is one of the most influential aspects of all of our lives and though most of children’s time is spent in school, it lacks teaching the importance of food, the consequences of unhealthy diets and its’ little value on health as being part of our future success.

Under this criteria,33% of children account for the 85th percentile and above. 1 out of every 3 children is considered overweight.

Childhood and adolescent obesity is a growing epidemic within the United States, creating significant short and long-term impacts on individual health and placing increased economic burdens on the health care system.1 Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled and adolescent obesity has quadrupled, with more than one third of children being overweight or obese in 2012.2 The negative health impacts of childhood obesity include increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease, pre-diabetes, bone and joint pain, sleep disorders including sleep apnea, hypertension, and social/psychological issues.2,3 Furthermore, studies have shown that childhood BMI levels and triceps skinfold thickness (SF) are associated with adult BMI and adiposity, indicating that addressing childhood obesity is critical to reducing obesity and chronic illness in adults.4,5

Obesity is a national epidemic with wide consequences and cost to America’s health and productivity. In recent years, policymakers, medical health experts and parents have expressed alarming concerns about the growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States, especially among Hispanic children. While most agree that this critical issue deserves attention, consensus dissolves around how to respond to the problem. This research paper examines one approach to treating childhood obesity: Taxing companies that manufacture foods with low nutritional value “junk food” companies. The paper reviews the effectiveness in children and adolescents of taxing food companies that provide foods with low nutritional value versus parent/child

Obesity in America is a very prevalent issue that is affecting all generations. According to the 2015 American Obesity study, more than two-thirds of adults are obese. This is due partially to oversized portions and processed food, however, one of the biggest reasons is the lack of good eating habits while growing up. In college, students go for the more convenient food options that are generally extremely unhealthy and processed. The lack of healthy food options for students hinders the ability to create good eating habits for later in life. Grand Canyon University should establish healthier food options in campus because it will help students eat less processed foods which are causing sickness and unhealthy lifestyles.

Obesity is a very serious threat to the health of Americans and people all across the world. A plethora of studies have been done to confirm the adverse effects of obesity on an individual 's health. Obesity rates have been skyrocketing in the past 30 years. The year 2000 marked the first time in human history that the percentage of obesity in the human population rose over 50% (Obesity: A Cultural and Biocultural Perspective). Obesity, as well as childhood obesity, is more prevalent than ever. There has been little done by the American people and the U.S. government to reverse this trend. My research has shown that the problem of obesity is a much larger problem than most people believe it to be. Many Americans underestimate the

More and more children are suffering from the chronic condition of obesity (Serrano). Children become overweight when they consume more calories than they burn while partaking in physical activity (“A Growing Problem”). Of the six most vulnerable times in life for the development of obesity, five affect children and teens (Berg 34). Educating the people of America about acknowledging the presence of a weight problem, the history of this problem, and the physical and emotional effects of childhood obesity could potentially minimize this issue and improve children’s lives.

The United States has seen childhood obesity rates double in children and increase four times in adolescents since the 1980’s.1 The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2012, over one third of children and adolescents were considered obese or overweight.1 There is an urgent need to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, as obesity has been shown to have deteriorating immediate health effects and increase the risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, osteoarthritis and cancer in adulthood.1 Although there are many influential factors in a child’s weight, nutrition is one of the main ones to consider, as a complete and balanced diet also promotes healthy growth and development.2 Research indicates that school encompasses a significant portion of a child’s time, cognitive, physical and social development, and as such, has the responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle for children.3 Because of the nationwide concern surrounding childhood obesity, recent federal wellness policy for public schools mandate that nutrition education, physical activity and other wellness promoting programs must be part of the school environment.4 The purpose of this review of literature is to evaluate if school nutrition is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity and how policy changes have affected the problem.

Obesity is a growing problem in America, a problem the government can help fix. In the graphic by (Fletcher) it shows Uncle Sam on a poster telling an overweight person eating an ice cream and paying no attention to the poster labeled U.S obesity that he wants him to slim down. This indicates how the government wants you to be healthy but it's also in the people's hands to take care of their diet. The government can is able to provide diet regulations but the people have to take it in their responsibility to change.

I write this proposal on obesity as it relates to the struggle that Americans face today. As a young child growing up, I had a struggle with being bigger. I was on the verge of becoming obese in the ninth grade. Weighing in at 260 lbs, with common health issue that I may be diagnosed with, I knew I must range my life for the better. Obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure runs in my family, so it is not a surprise when a relative becomes bigger or has diabetes. The reason why I became so big was that I have hypothyroidism, meaning, my thyroid gland does not produce adequate amounts of hormones to metabolize what I had eaten. So instead of my food being converted to energy, it was converted and stored into fat. Thus leaving me extremely tired. I would not even go through half the day without taking a long, and I would be more hungry. With my own past and present experience, my study on obesity will focus on the reasons why Americans are so big. I will define obesity as having too much body fat and having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30. Questions asked might be: who is obese? What are some common health issues related to obesity? What can be done about this issue? Turning the table around and getting everyone involved in the social issue will improve the wellbeing of Americans in the United States.

Obesity is a condition characterized by excess body fat as a result of too much calorific intake which exceeds the amount being used in the body. The body mass index (BMI) is normally used to assess the health risks of this condition among those affected (2). A BMI of anything between 30.0-39.9 is considered obese by the CDC (4). It is an emerging health issue which is caused by a number of factors including genetics and behavior or lifestyles. Other factors causing obesity include diets, physical inactivity, environmental exposures, psychological factors, and genetics. Obesity has become a global epidemic which is spreading faster among demographic groups as well as regions across the world. It has become a serious health issue because of

Obesity has become an immense problem in today’s society and, like the average American, has been growing larger and larger in recent years with showing no signs of slimming down. Although our society defines being obese as having any extra weight in even the slightest of capacities, the definition is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. Because obesity is such a big issue in America, one might want to know how we could let it get this bad, but who is truly responsible for obesity is a conflicting question. It is best said in a statement by Gregg Bloche, that “the lines of conflict reflect our country’s larger divides over the proper scope of personal responsibility, corporate

What is obesity? According to the Health Reference Center Academic, “Obesity is a clinical condition characterized by an excess of body fat”. Obesity causes serious and life-threatening diseases. Obesity can be calculated using the BMI or Body mass index. The higher the BMI the more obese a person is considered. More than 1 third of the population in the US is obese. Medical costs for treating obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008. Non-Hispanic black and Mexican American men with higher incomes are more likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. On the other hand, women with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. This may be a result of the type of food that they eat. Obesity in the US is a very common health issue; no state had a prevalence of less than 20%. The increase in obesity rates in the US was from the 1990s through the 2010s (Adult Obesity Facts). There 's a lack of statistics about obesity in the Middle East, but we expect the rates to be similar to those in the US and increasing. Obesity is an epidemic that is spreading quickly through the nations. Due to the various debilitating effects obesity has on many levels, I would like to expose in depth the causes, prevention, effects, and treatments of obesity. Debates on those points should be outlined quickly to help stop this epidemic.