Sedentary Lifestyle In America

Race: the color of our skin; has carried meaning and status in this country that still divides and separates us. Institutionalized racism, such as Slavery is now longer present in America, nevertheless, racialization and segregation is prevalent and just as divisive. In Divided by Faith, the statement is made that Evangelical Christianity has failed and fails to see racialization and work towards unity within and outward of the church.

Over the course of history there have been many contrasting and similar views in terms of religion and the practices done in this aspect. An example is the Mexica (name given by the West to refer to the Aztecs) practices of El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) and the Catholic (people in the Christian religion loyal to the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of that church, the Pope) practices of the holiday. The Day of the Dead fell on about the beginning of August which was the ninth month on the Aztec Solar Calendar and was celebrated for the entire month. The Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations commemorated this day by using skulls to honor and

Mrs Hexter explains that some patients can find it difficult to avoid having a sedentary lifestyle, as exercising can be more challenging.

The publics idea of health has evolved over the decades, similar to fashion in that it is continuously morphing and even trends have resurrected with new twists. Recent developments have seen widespread awareness of the importance of regular exercise and many benefits of a balanced diet. Yet despite the plethora of health and fitness methods and resources, the general population has never been so physically sedentary and out of shape. According to the national center for health statistics, America life expectancy has declined despite advances in the fitness industry, concerns over secondary conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes has created an urgency of public health officials as they try to mandate new strategies to fight this national epidemic.

What can Americans do to make a sedentary lifestyle change? Despite Americans unhealthy habits and the obesity epidemic plaguing the Country, a change in sedentary lifestyle such as: Regular physical activities, and better eating in conjunction with a better diet are steps that can be taken immediately to remedy the situation and put Americans on the path of recovery.

The World Health Organization (2018) estimates that 1 in 4 adults are putting themselves at risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and premature death. Tremblay et al. (2017) defines sedentary behaviour as activities with a very low energy expenditure such as sitting, sleeping and watching TV.

This data shows that both males and females are spending too much time being sedentary. This is a big issue and has been seen to cause increased rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease later in life.

Susan Scutti in the article “Yes, Sitting Too Long Can Kill You, Even If You Exercise” claims that sitting can reduce one’s lifespan. Scutti supports her claim by presenting a data that shows that people who spend more time on a chair, died much earlier than people who were more active. The author’s purpose is to raise awareness that sedentary behavior has a negative impact on health. The author writes in an formal tone for the general

Over 40 years ago, John F. Kennedy predicted today’s society in America. Kennedy states that Americans were pathetically out of shape in the 1950s compared to Europeans. I believe that in today’s society technology has advanced at a high rate ultimately making American citizen’s more sedentary.

The stigma of the sedentary lifestyle is not limited to working. Many sedentary habits develop at ones home. Watching television and playing on the computer have proven to be one of the least engaging metabolic activities. Riding, driving and reading have proven to have higher metabolic rates then watching television or playing a game on the computer. Working and watching television consumes many American’s time (Medical Center). Based on a study done in 2012 the average American under the age of two watches approximately thirty-four hours of live television a week and three to six hours watching taped programs a week (Hinckley). In the end, a small fraction of the day is left to burn calories and raise ones metabolic rate (Medical Center).

With new technological advancements and the changing of times, people have become increasingly sedentary in their daily lives (“Pounding Away”). With all of our cars and motorized vehicles, few people are forced into strenuous physical activities that would burn the calories needed for a healthy lifestyle. With the creation of robots and mechanized devices to make working more efficient and cheapen labor costs, less than 20% of jobs in the private sector now require moderate physical activity (“Obesity in America”). What had once required for you to get up and walk to the other side of the room can now be done by writing an email or picking up a phone. This decrease in activity in the workplace would be fine if it were counterbalanced by steady leisure exercise. Sadly, many people in their leisure time do not exercise. What do they do instead? The average American spends “55% of his waking hours sitting down” (“Obesity in America”), whether it’s in front of a TV or a computer. Another outcome of the modern age is the change in eating habits. Serving sizes have steadily increased and many fast food places now offer an option to super-size their meals, e.g. McDonald’s, for just a few cents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2014), only 21% of Americans are sufficiently physically active according to the guidelines set forth in 2008. Thus, living a sedentary lifestyle has become an epidemic, and one that is not without consequence. The CDC (2014) further states that one’s risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, depression, some cancers, and early death is noticeably higher for those living a sedentary lifestyle. Certainly, then, promoting physical activity is a simple intervention providers should practice to prommote overall health and prevent or delay the onset of disease. A motivational interview was conducted with Cherish Brown, a 22-year-old

Obesity rates have continued to raise over the years. In America 1 out of 3 adults were considered to be obese. Due to these statistics obesity has become a huge concern for our country. Factors that are related to obesity are heart diseases, health issues, diabetes, and hypertension. To not be another statistic we must have a healthy nutrition and have physical activities in our daily routines. Aerobics is a great way to start a healthy lifestyle. As said in myDr, "Regular aerobic exercise improves your cardiovascular fitness by increasing your capacity to use oxygen. It does this by increasing your heart’s capacity to send blood (and hence oxygen) to the muscles." Cardiovascular exercise is extremely important because reduces health problems, improved bone and muscle health, and controls your weight.

Thank you for your thought regarding depression. You have made several valid points in your discussion.

Thankfully, it is hard for most people to imagine a tiredness and weakness of body that would keep one confined to a bed. There are people today who have lived a very active lifestyle for years and have suddenly found themselves burdened by a feeling of bodily weariness they never knew was possible. It all happens so swiftly and surprisingly that many are terrified by these changes taking place.