Obesity Epidemiology Essay

Obesity is an increasing issue in modern society. It has been deemed an ‘epidemic in the developed world’ and statistics (from Public Health England) show obesity in the United Kingdom has been on the rise for many years, with currently 61.9% of men and women being obese or overweight. In England alone, 1 in 4 adults (age 16 years or over) are currently obese – (25.6%) - placing more than half the adult population overweight or obese (HSE, 2014). This growing problem in developed countries is responsible for thousands of deaths each year due to a number of contributory factors.

The increasing prevalence of obesity and health related risks have brought the issue of obesity prevention and treatment to the forefront of the public health agenda. In westernized nations, the majority of the adult population is classified as overweight or obese (International Obesity Task Force, 2012). Most current reports suggest that almost one in every two American adults is obese. With obesity, comes a list of very serious medical conditions that have been linked to death (Must & Strauss, 1999; Pi-Sunyer, 1991). These conditions include elevated risk of developing numerous cardiovascular endpoints such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and stroke (Ratzan, 2004).

Within the last half century, the obesity rate in America has increased by twenty one percent from thirteen percent to thirty four percent of adults; while the percent of the population considered overweight has remained stagnate at thirty-four percent. Unfortunately, the increase in the obese population poses a large threat to the health and well-being of United States citizens. Obesity is not only an accumulation of fat mass, but has been linked to many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The strain that each of these respective diseases contributes onto the United States healthcare system is great, but how exactly does obesity contribute to the occurrence of these three diseases? What health factors are affected by obesity and lead to the development of chronic illness?

Obesity presents numerous health risks, both physical and mental. Obesity has been linked to or is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease (including stroke and heart) type two diabetes, many cancers (including breast, colorectal….), musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, depression and mental health disorders. Obesity along with all of the alarming health implications have the ability to

Consequently, the result of this negative trend caused obesity to be the second leading cause of preventable deaths with 18% of American adults dying each year (CDC, 2016). According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases “more than one-third (35.7%) of adults are considered obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3%) have extreme obesity” (NIDDK, 2012).

We all know someone who has suffered from heart disease. Whether it was from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, or stroke, some type of cardiovascular disease has taken the life of someone we loved way too soon. This epidemic of heart disease must be stopped through the collaboration of physicians, nurses, law makers, and concerned citizens. The purpose of this paper is to examine cardiovascular disease, the risks associated with heart disease and obesity per Milo’s framework, comparison of obesity and Healthy People 2020 national goals, and finally the long-term and short-term goals and interventions selected for this paper.

What is not widely known is that the risk of health problems can start with someone who is slightly overweight and that the likelihood of problems with increases as someone becomes more and more overweight. These conditions can eventually cause long-term suffering for individuals and families, not to mention the costs for the health care can be extremely high. The number of things that can impact people’s health caused by obesity can increase including:

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

Introduction: The global nature of the obesity epidemic was formally recognized by a World Health Organization consultation in 1997(1). Prior epidemiologic studies have yielded conflicting results regarding whether obesity is a risk factor for Atrial fibrillation (AF), but these studies were potentially limited by short-term follow up and lack of echocardiography data(2). It is not sure if obesity itself predisposes to AF and so hypothesizing such a link by suggesting that adiposity influences atrial and ventricular structure(3), autonomic tone(4) and ventricular diastolic function(5). The actual mechanism by which

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.

Furthermore, BMI is also inversely correlated to the risk of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized for acute heart failure (Abi Khalil et al., 2017). In a recent study, 2492 patient with type 2 diabetes and hospitalized for acute heart failure were recruit and all-cause mortality was measured at 3 and 12 months. The participants were grouped into: Underweight (< 20 kg/m2), normal weight (referent group, 20–24.9 kg/m2), overweight, (25–29.9 kg/m2), obese (30–34.9 kg/m2) and severely obese (≥ 35 kg/m2) (Abi Khalil et al., 2017). The result at 3 and 12 month are consistent. The data showed significant lower mortality risk in severely obesity patient (RR=0.58), higher mortality rate in underweight patients (RR=2.4) whereas

It was merely a decade ago that the obesity epidemic was thought to only be a minor problem and had only alarmed a small number of endocrinologists interested by the size of the situation (James, 2008). However today, the problem of obesity is vast with more awareness of its presence by doctors and individuals alike. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese (CDC, 2014)”. These numbers are outrageous and eye opening, leaving millions looking for a solution to this troubling epidemic. Obesity is not simply a cosmetic flaw as some might think, but is actually a very dangerous state of being for any individual to sustain long-term. Mentioned further in

Although obesity can be tackled through increased exercise and a better diet, for those who are already obese the health consequences are severe. On average, being obese decreases life expectancy by nearly 10 years. In addition, it is associated with dramatically increased risks of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and hyperlipidaemia. It has also been suggested that in the not too distant future, obesity could not only become the leading cause of liver failure, but also the leading cause of cancer worldwide. Further research into these obesity-related diseases is crucial.

Obesity counts for an estimated “300,000 deaths per year” in the United States alone (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, “1.9 billion people were overweight” worldwide and of those people, “600 million people were obese” (World Health Organization, 2015). The difference between obese and overweight is all based around our Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the WHO, “a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight and a BMI greater than or equal to 30…” is obese (World Health Organization, 2015). Being overweight or obese can cause major risks for the body, according to the WHO, obesity can cause

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one factor that can erupt from obesity due to the main causes that it brings, like high blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol to a high count while lowering HDL. LDL is the “bad cholesterol”, and HDL is the “good cholesterol”. We need fats in our body for energy or ATP, in our body. If we get more LDL, it can really be a dangerous case, and