Physical Activity, Food Choice, And Weight Management Goals And Practices : Critical Review

Being overweight, eating poorly, and not exercising are becoming an epidemic in America, especially among college students. Most of the research on it states the same things, however the first research article I found speaks more to the behavior and its current affects on college students’ health. A slew of doctors and Jesse S. Morrell wrote an article about “Risk Factors Among College Men and Women” in relationship to obesity. The opening of this article stated that “an estimated 300,000 deaths each year are attributable to obesity… and young adults have experienced dramatic increases in obesity rates,” (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). This statistic is what really got the research going and helped the researchers focus specifically on college-aged individuals. Upon diving into their research, the authors found more alarming statistics and related diseases. This included a recognizable relationship between obesity in young people and chronic disease risk, especially diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Morrell, 2012, pg. 82). In fact, CVD was the second leading cause of death in the US in that college-age group showing that our generation is at a greater risk for health problems than ever before due to our lack of exercise and healthy diets. Researchers then took to college campuses to examine students and their habits and provide risk assessments to promote healthier lifestyles and hopefully decrease the probability of CVD and DM through the metabolic syndrome system,

The researchers used the Body Mass Index (BMI) categories to classify participants in the study. The study used a two part, multi-variable model, adjusted for age, gender, race, income, education level, and type of health insurance, marital and smoking status (Arterburn, Maciejewski & Tsevat). The results of the survey are as follows:

Becky Bach’s research, Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows, displays a research done from 1988 to 2010, with 17,430 participants and approximately 5,000 participants each year from 1995 through 2010. According to a team of Stanford University School of Medicine researcher’s inactivity rather than overeating could be

One of the food problems the authors mention is diet and exercise habit is complex. The authors (2003) say low calorie- burning activities that increase overweight in different countries. In other word, Percentage of overweight people in U.S. 60 percent and Europe and Asia also have rising numbers of overweight people.

The research shows that most of the people in this study believed that obesity causality of genetics, opposed to lack of exercise and healthy eating habits. The data shows that the standard errors was .064, which indicates that the research is accurate and have relatively no margins of errors in their analysis of the data.

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.

In the journal review written by Lopes and Fayh, obese individuals assess the effects of 5% of diet only or diet and exercise. There were a study that was conducted in a clinical setting. There were forty-eight participants who were dieting only, and there were forty-eight participants who dieting and exercising only. The study was conducted until 5% of the body weight was lost. The participants in 79.6 days for the diet only group and 69.6 days in the diet and exercise group diminish significantly in their weight and cholesterol ( Lopes & Fayh, 2013, p.1443).

With over 22.5% of the current U.S. population considered to be clinically obese, compared to only 14.5% in 1980, there does not seem to be a cessation of this epidemic in sight (Hill & Peters, 1998). Goran and Weisners' (2000) proposal that "... the inherently lower resting metabolic rate in women versus men is responsible for the higher adiposity rates in women..." is wanting, especially since the potentially modifiable factors of; less physical strength, less daily free-living physical activity, and lower total energy expenditure are more likely the cause of the differences in observed adiposity between men and women. Since our genetic makeup has not appreciably changed in the last twenty years, we cannot strictly attribute the explosion of obesity to genetics. As these biological causes of obesity are disproved, a focus on the environment as a reason for obesity is taking centre-stage.

The author is aimed to define whether college gain weight during freshman year by studying unmarried college freshmen who live on campus at a private university in northeastern U.S. The author collected information about social behaviors and weight by setting an online survey. The result shows that about half of the students gained weight while 15 percent of students lost weight. Although the results suggest that college freshmen do gain weight; however, the Freshman 15 was rare among all the respondents in this study. The average weight gain of the entire 125 eligible samples was 2.7 lbs. However, what should be noted is that the rate of the weight gain is almost 6 times that reported for the general population. It suggests the opportunity for health promotion

Estimates related to the frequency and time tendencies of obesity within the US have been according to information coming from the Nationwide Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES), including nationwide representative samples related to the US civilian non-institutionalized populace. The actual surveys range from the very first National Health Evaluation Survey (NHES I); the very first, 2nd, and third NHANES studies; along with an ongoing survey that started in 1999 (Flegal et al, 2000; Hedley et al, 2002). Weight and height had been calculated inside a movable evaluation centre utilizing standardized methods as well as products. As demonstrated in Fig. 1 (Larsson et al, 2006), the actual incidence of weight problems amongst adults age range 20-76 years had been fairly continuous from 1960 to 1980, after that elevated considerably. Assessment related to the time period 1976-1980 with 1999-2002, unveils that the frequency of obese (Body mass index = 25 kg/m2) elevated by approximately 40% (from 47 to 65%) and also the frequency of overweight (Body mass index = 30 kg/m2) increased by 100% (from 15 to 30%). Concerning severe obesity (BMI = 40

Statistical information confirms: obesity and overweight have already turned into an issue of national concern. In 2002, “a National Survey conducted by American Sports Data revealed that 61% of adults in the U.S. felt that they were overweight, 19% admitting that they were ‘considerably’ overweight” (American Sports Data). The major causes of obesity, overweight, and similar nutritional problems included genetics, population trends, hurried lifestyles, high-carbohydrate diets, less demanding workplaces, smoking cessation, and social class aspects (American Sports Data). That hurried lifestyles and a less demanding workplace contribute in the development of obesity trends is clear. But even more importantly, because the number of those who are overweight or obese exceeds one half of the American population, the government must control our diets. The information about the costs of obesity and related diseases is even more compelling.

Society’s impact on obesity may not be very recognized. The move from agrarian to industrialized life-styles and the implementation of the 7-day work week has changed not only the access to physical activity and food but the structure of these same daily activities. Combined with the increase in low cost transportation the decline of physical activity in highly industrialized nations these associations have been well documented as being

With the number of individuals not joining sports clubs continues to grow, especially amongst the teenage and adult demographics since it’s no longer enforced. In addition to that, countless people drop out of sports rendering them less active has become an important issue. The hscic (Health and Social care Information Centre) found that in 2012 less than a quarter of men (24%) and women (25%) were obese, and 42% of men and 32% of women were overweight. In comparison 32% of men and 41% of women had a BMI in the normal range.

When comparing the obesity rates of the United States and France, one will immediately notice on the maps that the rates vary across the different areas of the countries and the landscape of America is widely spread across those different areas. As a result, this presents a need for different lifestyle choices. According to an article on

Obesity is a growing factor in the United States. Data confirms that there is an increase in fast food dining facilities across the United States as well as a decrease in nutritional information. Without an immediate change in this trend, obesity among young adults, specifically college students, will continue to rise above average. Colleges and universities should start providing healthier food options for students to choose from, offer healthy living and lifestyle coaching for undergraduate and graduate students, and require general promotion of healthy living across the campus or university. The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) should offer healthier food choices for students, require healthy lifestyle information classes, and promote the University Fitness Center more often. Healthier students are better learners and this can lead to a more successful life for those students (Basch 593-598).