Introduction
Obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a health condition where weight is higher than what is considered healthy for a given height. In 2017, the CDC reported that more than one-third, 36.5 percent, of American adults and 12.7 million children and adolescents are affected by obesity (CDC, 2017). What is even more important is that overweight and obesity are responsible for conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers which can cause preventable death. In addition to health outcomes, the financial medical burden of obesity in America in most recent studies was reported to be $147 billion (CDC, 2017). Obesity is not an epidemic that has occurred suddenly.
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In response to the obesity epidemic, a project called Fit For You will be introduced to the Eastside community in Riverside. This project will aim to create opportunities to reduce consumption of less healthy food and beverages, promote consumption of healthier foods and beverages, adequate substitutions, and increase physical activities. The project will be conducted at the City of Riverside’s Bobby Bonds/Cesar Chavez Communication Center. This is a location that can easily become a safe hub where resident of all ages come to to learn and exercise. The project would consist of a bootcamp and health promotion classes over a six week. Target participants would be ages 12 and up. Results will be measured in terms of body mass index (BMI) and participants will be able to come with a healthy meals planner and survey.
Literature Review As mentioned previously, the Eastside community consists of a large majority living under poverty. Additionally, crime is a strong component to the neighborhood that hinders individuals from simply going out for a walk. Creating a safe environment for residents is a critical factor to this program in order to effectively implement fitness and nutrition education. Similar projects have been implemented with varying results. According to research conducted by the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, researchers introduced the Food and Nutrition Education Program, funded by the United States Department of
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 has played a major role in media over the last decade. With growing concern over the issue, a controversy over whether obesity is a disease itself or not has developed. Obesity, by definition, is a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body, usually indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater. According to the currently accepted definition of disease, a condition of the body or one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, it can be concluded that obesity does not meet the criteria to be classified as a disease.
Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.
“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.
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
How would you feel if I told you that there is no one state with an obesity rate lower than 20%? Take this information and compare it to twenty years ago when every state had an obesity rate lower than 15%. Obesity has become not only the number one cause in death, but according to David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of “Don’t Blame the Eater”, it is the number one cost in health care with numbers rising well over 100 billion dollars a year (196). There are many people we could blame, such as the food industry or the government, but before we start pointing fingers elsewhere, individuals need to stand up and take personal responsibility for their own actions and health. Either way it is evident a
The rate of childhood obesity in New Jersey remains high, and put children at risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Children living in low-income communities are more vulnerable due to several factors influencing their food choices. Thus, through the Nutritiously Me program, The Rak Foundation for Nutritional Awareness (RFNA) envisions to produce a healthy dietary behavior change among low-income communities of New Jersey.
Thank you for your interest in the San Joaquin County Safe Routes to School Network. The network seeks to join together parties across the county including parents, teachers, health advocates, community members, and business owners to improve the health of youth in the county. By promoting physical activity before and after school, students gain opportunities to form healthy habits and lead healthy lives. In these newsletters, you will receive information about current and future activities for Safe Routes to School, recent research or journals, and ideas of how to support programs. Small actions such as speaking to youth about health benefits or partnering with schools can create a positive environment for students. Together we
We are evaluating Eat Healthy, Stay Active! (EHSA), a multi-level obesity prevention program that includes Head Start children, parents, and staff. Designed at the University of California-Los Angeles, Eat Healthy, Stay Active! (EHSA) is a national program that was piloted at Head Start in Columbia, MO in 2013. The program consists of staff training, parent training, and a coordinated classroom curriculum led by staff. They expanded the program to include medical students from University of Missouri, Columbia. Medical students take part in 4 training sessions and 3 EHSA parental education sessions. Topics for student training sessions include: culture of poverty, nutrition in the low-income populations, health literacy, while parent training
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.
Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in
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
Upon reviewing the community vitality data I came to the conclusion that the health problem that a health education program would be most appropriate to address would be childhood nutritional health and fitness. I came to this conclusion after careful data analysis. Of the county’s adults (18+) 77% ate less than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, this percentage is so high likely because of attitudes and habits these adults picked up when they were children. The second largest age demographic in the county is children aged 10 to 17 are overweight, six percent more than the state average, 88% of children age 10 to 17 are not meeting daily targets for fruit and vegetable consumption and 30% age 10 to 17 watch 3 or
Individual problems such as addictions, illnesses and mental depression stalk us throughout our lives, but there is more to addictions, illnesses and mental depression than meets the eye. A good example of this theory is obesity. Obesity in Australia is turning into a problem and as the rates of obesity increase each year, the larger the problem expands. According to sociologist, C. Mills, problems can be divided into either troubles or issues and more often than not, a problem which is seen as a person trouble, when looked at globally, is in fact a social issue. This idea is referred to by C.Mills as the sociological imagination.
Obesity has become an epidemic in our over indulgent North American society. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. Society often views obesity to be a disease when it is actually a sign of a disorder, genetic or environmental. The percentage of our population that is growing overweight is increasing every year, and can become a very serious issue if it is not dealt with urgently. Problems relating to self-confidence, self-consciousness, and isolation can occur as a result.