Obesity in America The US has always had a reputation for the struggle we have with obesity. Obesity is a condition of excess body fat. Obesity can affect any person from young children to older adults. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control and preventions showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. Many Americans are trying to fight the battle against obesity. Many aren’t winning. Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks that come with obesity in all ages. The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce more obese children, over-indulgent adults, and a dire need of new research in …show more content…
Children who are overweight tend to feel less secure, less happy, and be stressed more than normal weight children do. They get teased, criticized, and judged. The article “Obesity” explains that obese adults whose parents never taught them good eating and health habits must take care of themselves and change their lifestyles. Treating obesity is not just about quick weight loss, it is about setting up a lifelong pattern of good choices. “Yo-Yo” dieting is very dangerous and can increase a person’s risk for fatal diseases. Behavior-focused treatment should concentrate on learning and understanding the fat content and overall nutritional value of most foods. Overweight individuals may need to keep a food diary to record their calories and food choices, and change habits in grocery shopping, times of meals, and actual rate of eating. Some psychological factors, such as how a person views food, could play a part. The article continues by describing how physical activity is another life habit that is vital to make. The amount of time someone spends exercising and being active can contribute much to his or her overall health. As many as 85% of dieters who do not exercise on a regular basis regain their lost weight within two years. The CNN article “Obesity Increase in U.S, study finds” by Jessica Ravitz states that the new percentages of obesity in women in America are up to 40% and men 35%. Among
Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. With such a significant percentage of the population (68.8% of Americans are overweight or obese) dealing with weight issues and with food marketing pushing cheap, fast food options, Americans are suffering from serious health consequences.
The new generation continues to increasingly fall under obesity’s evil spell. Although many Americans recognize that their children are obese, they fail to accept that this is an epidemic that should be controlled and given dramatic attention to. Research suggests that childhood obesity in the United States has doubled in the past decade. Despite the fact that we have necessary resources to control these statistics, Americans continue to expose their youngsters to unhealthy and fattening meals. It is no joke that America is the fattest nation in the world. Thus, preventing this serious issue should be perceived as a life-or-death situation where if we fail to control it, many more overweight children will grow up to be obese adults in the future.
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.
Obesity is an epidemic and affects millions of people in the United States every day. This health problem affects everybody, not only adults but in people of all ages even children. It is also a disease, a disease from improper nutrition that requires long term medical treatment otherwise causing many health risks leading to death. “This isn't rocket science. People want to eat healthy diets, but they tend to eat whatever's convenient and affordable.
In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous burden on both the health and healthcare of those affected. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. According to the Centers of Disease Control, as of 2013, 34.9% of our population is considered overweight or obese. America is the richest yet the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein, 1994).
The United States is facing an obesity epidemic. Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults and children since the 1970’s (National Center for Health Statistics, 2009). While recent estimates suggest that the overall rates of obesity have plateaued or even declined among some groups, obesity is widespread and continues to be a leading public health problem in the U.S. (Ogden et al., 2014; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2012; Wen et al., 2012). More than two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, and about a quarter of 2-5 year olds and one-third of school-age children (including adolescents) are overweight or obese in the U.S. (Ogden et al., 2014). Health critics and those alike are placing a lot of blame and pressure on food companies as enablers to this matter. There are several factors that influence this complex condition to include, genetic, behavioral, social, cultural, and environmental influences (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2001). Critics say that factors that
Adult overweight and obesity have become a worldwide issue that has very dangerous consequences on health. World Health Organization defines obesity as the “epidemic of the 21st Century”. WHO reports show that 1.9 billion people with 18 years age and older are overweight, and 600 million of them are obese. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem today that results from overconsumption of high-fat food and sugary food with lack of exercise. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reports show that the obesity rates are above 20 percent in all states. Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue because of their high rates of mortality and morbidity. People who are considered overweight or obese are at increased
A child's learning ability and overall health can be affected by them being overweight. Some of the obese and overweight "...children are developing conditions and diseases that normally would be associated with adults, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, ...type 2 diabetes...occurrence of certain cancers, including colon cancer..." (Andrews 2). Along with these conditions and diseases many children are also faced with "...social discrimination" from their peers and the people around them (2). In schools "...overweight students showed 0.4 lower GPA and 11% lower national percentile reading scores... also [they] had significantly more detentions, poorer school attendance,
Obesity has rapidly emerged as a serious health issue in America. The cause of obesity results from America’s social injustices. Today, food 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 factors contribute to the increasing obesity rate in the United States. Unfortunately, it has taken an excessive amount of Americans to become obese for America to become aware of the issue and take action. Although obesity is still an increasing problem, America is fighting to reduce the number of obese citizens. As a result of low income and the media advertising unhealthy lifestyles, America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
“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”.
Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution
Unhealthy eating habits have contributed to the obesity problem in the United States. About one third of U.S. adults are obese and 17% of children of ages 2-19 years old are obese. Even people
Obesity is a disorder that involves extreme amount of body fat. It is an important issue because of the disturbing rate it has reached over the past years, especially when it comes to children. It’s important to teach them healthy habits so they would stick to these habits when they are older. It’s hard to keep up with what they are learning. Since children spend many hours a day in their school or child care place, a new way to include new habits in the children’s life is to involve their schools. This topic interest me because I have seen obese children and have seen their struggles and I’d be glad to find new ways to help them become healthier.
During the past 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. More than one-third of U.S.
Obesity is a disease characterized by excessive body fat. People who are medically obese usually are affected by behavior, genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control with dieting. Obesity increases the likelihood of certain diseases especially cardiovascular disorders and diabetes. Obesity has become a pandemic nowadays. In the Indian scenario, even with the growing awareness about health and fitness, more than 3 percent (3 crores) of the Indian population is obese.