A survey conducted by the CDC, that was composed of 1.5 million people, showed that there was a 50% increase of Americans who were 100+ lbs more overweight from the year 2000 to 2005. With obesity now being considered an “epidemic” in the U.S, the chances of increasing the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and osteoarthritis are through the roof. Because obesity is becoming an “epidemic,” it can also be found in all age groups, race, and education levels (Budrys, 2010, pp 93). Using the Body Mass Index (BMI), that measures body fat based on weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meter squared) and is given in a percentage, is a way of calculating if the body fat is in an underweight (<18.5), healthy weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), obese I (mildly: 30-34.9), obese II (moderately: 35-39.9), obese III (morbidly: ≥40). The BMI signifies where our weight is compared to the ‘ideal’ weight based on our height.
Obesity is becoming an increasingly significant health concern in the United States, nearly to the point of epidemic proportions. To be considered obese, one’s body weight must be at least 20% over their ideal body weight; unfortunately with this definition, over 30% of all Americans are obese. Alarmingly, approximately
Fed up is a documentary that investigates the recent obesity epidemic; the obesity epidemic is considered “recent” because there has been a steady rise in obese and overweight Americans since the 1980s. This film formulates its analysis of United States’ obesity epidemic by denouncing US politics and the food industry for their immensely adverse influence on America’s overall health. Moreover, there was also an emphasis on the science of obesity and childhood obesity.
The film Fed Up is an American made documentary that examines the obesity epidemic, as well as, the food industry in an effort to uproot the underlining causes of exponential growth rates of obesity in America. The main objective behind the documentary is to educate and expose the current threat of obesity and the associated health complications in an attempt to motivate viewers to reevaluate and alter their current food choices. Fed Up utilizes data gathered through various professional interviews conducted with medical and food industry personnel to propose and support various claims. The film also includes personal stories provided by various children who are confused about and struggle with their obesity as an effective way to establish
The United States of America is known for having a high obesity level. According to David Frum from CNN, except for Mexicans, American citizens are more likely to become obese than any other nationality. Some obese countries have enforced an extra high tax on fast foods and other high calorie foods, and many people believe that the U.S. should adopt the fat tax as well. According to Dictionary.com, the fat tax is “a tax imposed on or proposed for high-fat or otherwise unhealthy foodstuffs”. Although a tax on junk food could reduce obesity, the low prices could protect low income families from going broke, and therefore a tax on junk food would not be beneficial to America.
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,
Today in America obesity has become a horrific epidemic and Americans are trying to find the cause and a solution for it. For the first time ever in America obesity has become such a big problem that is said to be big as the dealing of drugs in America. It seems that in America today obesity and overweight Americans have become the new normal. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in America and type 2 diabetes goes hand in hand with obesity. Obesity causes heart disease, cancer,and high blood pressure which are also some of the leading causes of death in America. Obesity doesn’t just happen to people it happens because of the unhealthy foods being eaten and the lack of exercise on top of that. This obesity epidemic is not only the fault
The sociological aspect of obesity shown through the impact of families, the government and the economy. The rapidly growing, fast-paced, technological society creates an epidemic of sorts. Families pursue the use of technology, restaurants and fast-paced eating as well as single parenting and parental denial. The government sets a significant health care cost to obesity, which prevents a solution and increases risks. A non-stable economy brings about a society filled with unemployment or multiple jobs as well as both parents working to stay above absolute or relative poverty leading to distractions from a healthy lifestyle. Obesity is a concern, not just for an individual but also for
In the beginning, it was just a few grains of sand. Now, those grains have seemed to triple in amount. The 1960’s were great, as many might recall. New rock bands from other countries were jamming out making number one hits on the billboards. Times were actually changing in more than just that one way though. Hiding behind the curtains, an “epidemic,” was about to break out. Unlike many epidemics, this one only pertained to the United States. The United States of America is very unique in many ways compared to most other countries of the world. Ranging from activities and the way they live, to the way its government is ran and how different the means of education
In the United States, there are several problems occurring, but people would rather go on with their lives as if everything is fine .Being unaware of distressing circumstances is less arduous than being aware. But being aware allows one to adjust,because if people are knowledgeable than they are able to prevent or control the situation.
The United States of America is the fattest country in the world. Obesity in America has reach epidemic proportions. Obesity and weight gain has become major concern of public health in the United States. In every state, at least twenty percent of adults are obese, and in twelve of these states the obesity rate is above thirty percent. Mississippi currently holds the highest rate of obesity with 34.9 percent of its residents being obese. On the contrary, Colorado has the lowest rate of obesity with 20.7 percent. CNN estimated that annual medical care costs due to obesity reached $147 billion, but the Institute of Medicine estimates it is closer to $190 billion.
Affecting over 36% of the population, obesity is a rising epidemic within the United States. An estimated 75% of adults over the age of twenty are classified as overweight or obese (Kolata, 2016). The disease affects women more significantly than men, with a greater prevalence within African American and Hispanic ethnic groups. Extreme obesity (BMI >40), affects six percent, and growing, of the American populace. This rise in obesity correlates not lonely with a lower life expectancy but also a rise in numerous other non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, pulmonary ailments, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues. Although the obesity epidemic is seen mostly within developed countries, such as the United States, the non-communicable disease is showing advancing prevalence and incidence rates worldwide, including low and middle income countries. The World Health Organization estimates one billion people are classified as overweight or obese (Kapil, 2016). In addition to the plethora of additional health care problems, obese patients are often hard to treat as the health care system does not yet have the equipment to detect, measure, or treat possible underlying problems. The treatment of obesity and related conditions is currently estimated to reach $100 billion within the United States (Kapil, 2016). Accounting for more than 100,000 premature deaths each year, the disease is the second highest noncommunicable and preventable disease
Obesity has dramatically increased in the United States over the past two decades. Along with obesity come many serious, preventable health conditions. Currently, more than one-third of adults in the United States are obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). If current trends continue, experts predict that half of all Americans will be obese by the year 2030 (CDC, 2015). Body mass index (BMI) is said to provide the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity (National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), 2015). Using tools such as the adult BMI assessment, health care providers can identify problems and work with patients on a solution to decrease the incidence of obesity and maintain
The obesity epidemic in America is a serious problem. Over the years there have been many proposed solutions to help reverse the effects obesity has on American society. The cause of this problem is most often blamed on fast food alone. However, upon closer inspection, the problem is not just fast food. It’s the rest of the American diet. With a society so deeply permeated with food culture, it becomes extremely difficult for the average American to avoid fast food and junk food at all costs. In addition, most proposed solutions suggest for Americans to stop eating unhealthy foods altogether. This solution is not effective in a place like America where food is as apart of American culture as the American flag itself. The best solution to help
In the United States, a crisis is breaking out known as the Obesity epidemic. For the first time in history, it is possible for the children of this generation to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Millions of Americans are exposed to ads that are luring them into eating the cheap, fast food of billion dollar companies such as McDonald’s. Obesity has established itself as the fastest growing disease in the nation and continues to make an impact on the general population. The issue of Obesity is directly related to todays technology through television, cell phones, video games and all of sorts of new gadgets.
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.