Obesity Research Paper

“ In its purest form, demography focuses on the three forces that influence population size: fertility, mortality, and migration” (pg 35). Demography can help project the future effects of obesity because it relates greatly to the mortality aspect of demography because it is a risk factor for several diseases. The chapter discusses many aspects of obesity including measurement, overall trends, age, gender, race, and geographic location Body mass index which is weight divided by height is the most common way obesity is measured because of how easy it is to calculate and is used to determine if someone is classified as obese. However, BMI is not considered the most accurate measurement of obesity. A BMI of 30 is considered obese and the percentage of American adults that fall under this category has been increasing since the 70’s. People are generally more overweight then the past and the heaviest have gained the most. Rates of obesity have also been increasing in children as well. BMI increases with age and children who are obese are very likely to stay that way as

The definition of obesity is someone who is grossly overweight. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines obesity as: "...labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height" (Causes and Consequences 1). Almost one-third (35%) of America's population falls under the category of 'obese'. Colorado has the lowest statistics of obesity with less than 25% of its population registering as obese. This percentage in the U.S. has been rising steadily since 1986 when the obesity rate registered less than 10% nation wide. This data states that in less than thirty years, the obesity rate has exploded in North America and is still climbing. Many fear the rate might continue climbing to dangerous levels in the near future. A study conducted by the American College of Preventive Medicine (Obesity Forecasts Through 2030) reveals data predicting obesity rates to skyrocket past 50% nationwide by 2030 (Finkelstein 1). This quickly growing rate has many looking to the cause of this epidemic in an attempt to

Obesity in America is a continually growing problem and even worse our own children are sharing in this problem. A commentary in the Washington Times reports that sixty million Americans are obese. What really is the meaning of obese? Obese is having a body mass index of thirty percent or more. In recent years, the percentage of obese Americans has risen. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, the percentage of obese Americans rose from 22.9 in 1984-1994 to 32.2 in 2003 and 2004. The study also says if you throw in the number of "over weight" Americans (body mass index of 25 to 29.9) the total jumps to 66.3

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).

Different factors are responsible for obesity in children and adolescents. The cause of obesity was widely agreed, that eating too much and exercising too little. Food is energy, unless you use that energy; however, it will be store as fat. Nevertheless, once someone becomes obese, it is often not as easy as simply eating less and moving more will resolve the situation. From genetic to behavioral, and environmental, the imbalance of calories intake, calories have been use for the purpose of growth, development, metabolism and physical actives. Children usually consume their calories by means of food or beverages. When those foods are not utilize, for energy activities, it leads to obesity. Obesity could be consider, has been

(www.members.iglou.com) “Results on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000 indicate that an estimated 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese.” (www.cdc.gov) In addition, “The number of

A lot of people wonder why we are so concerned about the obesity rate in America. Being obese causes terrible diseases and sometimes can lead to death. 18% of the deaths in the United States happened from 1986 to 2006 and were caused by the symptoms that came from being obese, these occurred mostly

Obesity is an illness, and it is becoming a pandemic, according to an article by Karl Persson 34% of the United States population is classified as obese and these numbers are expected to hit 50% by the year 2030 (person, 2015). To put into perspective ,30% seems like a small number but

Obesity has been a problem in America for multiple years. Obesity rates in the United States are going to increase 37% in the next twenty-five years (Pomeranz 2009). According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 68.8% of adults are overweight or obese, one in every 20 people or 6.3% of adults have extreme obesity and 3 in every 4 males or 74% of males are obese (Overweight and Obesity 2009). Once someone comes to the realization that they are obese, it can be hard to turn their life around and lose some of that weight that is making them obese. Obesity can be the cause of multiple health related issues that Americans face. For example, obesity can cause type two diabetes, cardio metabolic disease,

Obesity in the United States has been a serious problem affecting Americans and has been continually growing higher in numbers each year. American obesity has nearly doubled within the last 40 years and is now considered to be an epidemic that is affecting millions of people around the nation. According to the National institute of Diabetes and digestive and kidney Diseases, 31% of men and 35% of women are considered seriously overweight, along with 15% of children between the ages of six and nineteen are also overweight. The lack of physical inactivity and extreme poor dieting are catching up to almost the same threat as cigarettes and tobacco smoking. We as a nation are considered to be the fattest country in the world.

America's children are not getting enough exercise, and the health risks due to obesity are becoming epidemic in nature. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is supporting an initiative to help children become more active and to provide for exercise (at least 30-60 minutes per day) in all schools. Even limited amounts of exercise can have great health benefits. When humans exercise, the brain produces chemicals that help enhance mood, limit cravings for sugars, and contribute to healthier joints, muscles, the heart, and kidneys. In turn, this translates into more productive work time, the ability to sleep better, increase memory, and reduce dependence on medications. Children are so vulnerable to this health risk that if it continues, over 60% of graduating seniors will be clinically obese. Written by a medical journalist, the book is designed for the lay reader but has a number of documented scholarly sources.

Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy.

Dalton, S. (2005). Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools And Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Obesity is something that a huge fraction of people in the United States suffers from. 160 million adult Americans suffer from obesity, and many kids suffer from it as well. Sometimes people focus so much on adults that they tend to forget kids. Kids usually suffer from obesity because they are not active.

Fed Up. Stephanie Soechtig. Perf. Michele Simon, Katie Couric, Bill Clinton, Michael Bloomberg. Atlas Films, 2014.