Obesity And Health Issues Caused By Obesity Essay

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

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).

In order to identify a condition as a disease, it should fit certain criteria. One of the reasons that obesity is classified as a disease is because of its large comorbidity. Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers (Rossner, 2002). According to Rossner (2002), the death rate from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases increases among moderate and severe overweight men and women in all age groups. Therefore, obesity is

Over 60% of the people in the U.S are obese, obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. What you eat is what you are. More and more people are becoming obese which is not healthy. People who suffer from obesity are going to face severe chronic illness or stress. A person who is obese is not necessarily overweight but has too much body fat. Many experts use BMI index for an accurate measurement for a body fat. BMI is calculated by a formula that includes a person’s height and weight. One important cause of insulin is obesity. Insulin is supposed to transport blood sugar into the cells of the muscle and fat. Since the year 1980 the obesity rate in the U.S. has changed. In 2000 the obesity rate was 30% percent but in 2013 it

Obesity is a common disease that makes a person massively overweight. This disease can potentially be lethal if not treated correctly. In addition, this could also lead to other common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes and cancer..

Over one-half of all Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases. Women generally have more subcutaneous fat than men, but appear to suffer a greater cardiovascular risk from a given degree of fat than women.

According to MedicineNet.com obesity is defined by National Institutes of Health as a BMI (Body Max Index) of thirty and above. A BMI of fifty would be about fifty pounds overweight. BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI usually means high body fatness. Obesity is based on both genetic and behavioral factors. Although both these factors can play a huge role in obesity it is time for Americans to own up to the fact that we are making ourselves obese.

In article one Maia Szalavitz, wrote an article titled, “Viewpoint: Defining Obesity as a Disease May do More Harm Than Good.” She is a neuroscience journalist from Time Magazine, who talked about the harmful effect classifying obesity will have on one’s life, as well as others around them. In article two Dr. Keith Ablow’s article is called, “Obesity is not a Disease- and Neither is Alcoholism.” He is a psychiatrist and a member of the Fox Medical A-Team who talked about the solution to obesity, may be as simple as raising someone’s self-esteem. Both these articles talk why one should not classify obesity as a disease, but only one talks about the solution to solve the problem of obesity. Even though Szalavitz and Ablow are similarly matched rhetorically by taking a world-wide problem and discussing the issue of classifying it as a disease; Ablow is more rhetorically effective, because he uses more examples and evidence from different sources to back up his reasoning.

Obesity rates are soaring throughout North America (What Is Obesity?, 2013). With obesity reaching almost epidemic proportions in the United States, and the threat of a global epidemic, we must watch this alarming increase carefully ( Health Risks of Obesity, 2013). Obesity is defined as: "…an excess of adipose tissue…" (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014). The two most common measures of obesity are Body Mass Index (BMI is a ratio of weight to height) and relative weight index, such as percent desirable weight (Body Mass Index , 2013). BMI is the most frequently used measure of obesity as it has a strong correlation with more direct measures of adiposity, such as underwater weighing (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2013). Some

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.

Obesity is a disease that brings on other diseases, Hypertension, diabetes, neuropathy, congenital heart failure, etc. According to (Stateofobesity.org) adults as well as children are struggling with overweight and obesity due to not having access to healthy foods due to income levels.

How diabetes and obesity are connected is found in the foods that are readily available to consumers. The foods of today include more kilojoules which people are eating and so this is how obesity is achieved, which is known as excessive fat. Diabetes comes with different types of this disease, however, obesity is mainly connected to type 2 diabetes.

This essay aims to discuss health issues related to obesity including causes, prevention and dietary aspects as well as underpinning principles and policies related to obesity. WHO (2011) defines health policy as the mandated aspect that must be standardizing to meet vital tasks of the health care as well as the society. Ham (2006) defines health policy as a product of interaction between different interests articulated by pressure groups, organizations and social movements. Buse, Mays and Walt (2012) defines policy as a broad statement of goals that create the framework for activities and ideas in the form of written document or unwritten. Policy implementation monitors, controls and review issues or demands that are addressed as policy

The obesity rate differs among different races and ethnic groups. It is estimated that 78.8 percent of Hispanics are overweight, while 39.1 percent are obese. (NIDDK 2012) In blacks, 76.7 are overweight, while 49.5 percent are considered obese. (NIDDK 2012) About 66.7 percent of whites are overweight, while 34.3 percent are considered obese. (NIDDK 2012) Extreme obesity affects 13.1 percent of blacks, 5 percent of Hispanics, and 5.7 percent of whites. (NIDDK 2012) Asian Americans are much lower rate of obesity than other racial and ethnic groups with only 11.6 percent of them being diagnosed with obesity. (NIDDK 2012)

We are conditioned at a young age to believe the only way to be normal is to be