Obesity : Becoming A Public Concern

One in three Americans are at risk for more than 30 chronic illnesses due to obesity. It is the biggest driver of healthcare, costing the country millions of dollars each year. Poor eating habits are the main cause of this disease and could all be changed beginning with the youth of the nation. 20 million children under the age of five are now considered overweight or obese in America (Dyer). What was once a rare disease, has now become an epidemic. Few health topics have initiated as much debate and controversy as obesity has within the past 15 years. The hope of new treatments progresses as obesity becomes the norm of our society and continues to change America every day.

It is an established fact that childhood obesity in America is a developing disease that has become an epidemic with ongoing psychological effects, this is due to many reasons, among them are the wide spread of fast-food advertisements and bill boards, the lack of physical activities and parental control. This has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers’ life today.

The topic of obesity is a current American issue that is in the midst of being solved. Obesity, the condition of being overweight, was named a disease in 2013. Obesity has rapidly emerged as an American problem and poses as a serious health challenge. The cause of obesity has a lot to deal with America’s social dynamics. Today, advertisements are in all places promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Considering the great expense of healthy foods, low income families can barely afford fruits and vegetables. These two ideas are greatly connected with the increasing obesity rate in the United States. Seventeen percent of American adolescents were considered obese from 2011 to 2014. This is double the amount of obese

Obesity has been on the rise in America and is reaching all time heights. Obesity in America is at 27.7 percent and 1 in 5 children in America are obese currently and many will have to deal with it throughout their lifetime. With almost a third of our population struggling with this problem, the increasing obesity rates are becoming a major concern. Even though there isn’t a single answer to why obesity has become so prevalent, there are many contributing factors such as socio-economic status, the rise in technology, fast food, car culture, politics, socio-economic status, stress, and biology.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and other developed economies. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S. has increased at an alarming rate, from 5-7% to 18-20% by 2008 (CDC, 2012). In addition, a full one third of all children in the U.S. are now overweight.

A problem that is plaguing America and needs to be addressed with a policy change in school systems across the country is obesity. Obesity in America has been declared an epidemic, and the most alarming rates of obesity exist in younger demographics, which generally dictate that these children will continue into adulthood as obese adults (Jacobson, Kim, & Tortolero, 2009). This will add to the massive costs to society that obesity contributes from loss of employee hours to hospital care from the many diseases that are developed as a result of obesity. Therefore, this issue needs to be addressed early in life with school-aged children as it is far more difficult to stop obese adults from engaging in negative behavior that facilitates or worsens their obesity while legislative action can be taken to develop rules and regulations that can be implemented in school districts across the country.

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

Over the period of this course there has been a few topics that I have really learned about and either it has influenced me to change my lifestyle, and/or attribute to develop healthier patterns for myself whether it be in my marriage, for my child, or for my health. I will discuss the topics that mattered the most to me, that we covered throughout the duration of the semester. Which includes; The Common Challenges to a Healthy Lifestyle, Marital Expectations, and Income.

Obesity is a prevalent public health epidemic that we face today. Billions of dollars in the United States alone are being spent yearly to cover medical treatment for ailments triggered by this disease (Lee, Sheer, Lopez and Rosenbaum 2010). According to Public health Reports, federal and state governments currently are accountable for at least half of the medical expenses encountered from one being overweight and obese (Lee et al., 2010). Medicaid has the highest popularity of obese customers when compared to Medicare, private insurances, or even those uninsured. In 2004 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged obesity as a medical condition. Children receiving Medicaid benefits are covered by the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program (Lee et al., 2010). This program covers health assessments from birth to age 21. Obese children under the (EPSDT) are eligible to receive free nutritional and behavioral education regarding this disease. Evidence based guidelines have proven that regular screenings and early intervention can have a great impact on decreasing childhood obesity. Unfortunately, not all states enforce these guidelines and this is where children often fall into the cracks. It is still an individual’s choice to follow through.

If a person was given two plates in front of them, one with the chocolate cake and the other one with celery sticks, which one would be? My guess is that chocolate cake would be gone faster than the celery sticks. It is been heard that “you are what you eat” and that is fairly true. The food a person puts in their mouth affects the way they look. A very striking epidemic in America is the way people eta and how that effects them. It is becoming a great concern about the way people eat and how little to no exercise they get. Nearly 1/3 of adults are considered overweight or obese. The question is how does a person become that way in why haven’t they done anything about it? Obesity has become a national epidemic regarding social economic status along with the personal choice of living an inactive lifestyle and begins with children’s mental stability.

The obesity epidemic remains a public health concern worldwide. Obesity rates remain high in the United States, where one third of adults are obese.1 According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the percent of children (ages 2-19 years) who are obese rose from 14.5% in 1999 to 17.3% in 2012.1 A recent study based on the 2012-2013 NHANES suggests a stabilization in obesity rates since 2003-2004, with a significant decrease among 2-5 year olds but no significant changes observed in other age groups.2

Obesity is an epidemic in America, greatly impacting youth, the health care system, and economically vulnerable populations. Among all of the high-income countries in the world, obesity rates remain the highest in the US. According to Harvard, US obesity rates have more than doubled since 1980, although they have remained the same since 2003. (Harvard School of Public Health) Approximately 31.9% of children and adolescents from the ages of 2 to 19 are obese or overweight (NPLAN), while roughly 69% of adults fall into the category of overweight or obese. (Harvard School of Public Health) With obesity rates this high, America is facing a huge crisis that could become greater in the future. In order to understand the issue of Obesity in

Obesity in the United States is at an all time high and will continue to rise. Adults aren’t the only one’s getting fat. The outbreak is now spreading to children at an alarming rate. Today I will give you three main point concerning obesity. For my first point I will tell you how big of crisis obesity has become in America. My second point explains what some of the major causes of obesity are and my third point is about the major risk factors of being obese.

Obesity in the United States is a major public health issue. According to prevalence data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) 2011-2012, 34% of US adults are overweight (BMI 25-29.9), 35.1% obese (BMI 30-39.9) and 6.4% morbidly obese (BMI ≥40). NHANES does not include incarcerated individuals in the surveys. The 2011-2012 United States Bureau of Justice, National Inmate Survey, indicated the prevalence of overweight, obesity and morbid obesity for state and federal inmates was 45.7%, 25.5% and 2.4% respectively. Although males in prisons and jails were more likely than females to be overweight, females were more likely to be obese or morbidly obese. The health risks for individuals who are overweight or obese are clear. If obesity is not managed, chronic health conditions will develop and this will impact public health resources and communities when offenders are released. They are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health problems.

Obesity is defined as “excessive fat accumulation that may impair health” (World Health Organization, 2014, what are overweight and obesity section). Body Mass index (BMI) is often used to classify people as overweight. A BMI, calculated by weight and height, of 30 or more is considered obese in adults. Obesity is a major epidemic not only in the United States but also around the world. According to the World Health Organization (2014), in 2008 “more than 10% of the world’s adult population was obese” (Key Facts section). Obesity does not only affect adults, however. The WHO (2014) also reported that “42 million children under the age of 5 were already overweight or obese” (Key Facts section). Obesity is affecting all ages and seriously hindering proper development. It is crucial to understand the causes for obesity and