The Nightmare of Obesity Essay

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

Obesity has played a major role in media over the last decade. With growing concern over the issue, a controversy over whether obesity is a disease itself or not has developed. Obesity, by definition, is a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body, usually indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater. According to the currently accepted definition of disease, a condition of the body or one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, it can be concluded that obesity does not meet the criteria to be classified as a disease.

How would you feel if I told you that there is no one state with an obesity rate lower than 20%? Take this information and compare it to twenty years ago when every state had an obesity rate lower than 15%. Obesity has become not only the number one cause in death, but according to David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of “Don’t Blame the Eater”, it is the number one cost in health care with numbers rising well over 100 billion dollars a year (196). There are many people we could blame, such as the food industry or the government, but before we start pointing fingers elsewhere, individuals need to stand up and take personal responsibility for their own actions and health. Either way it is evident a

do not get much physical activity at all. The conveniences and technology of today contribute to

Why do Americans overeat to the point of becoming obese and what are the effects on the body? As the world looks at society today, clearly Americans have an issue with being overweight and becoming obese especially compared with other countries. “Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese,” and “more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese” (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2013, Data and Statistics).

Obesity is a developing issue in the U.S. today, principally created by physical latency and indulging. Along these lines, an increment in body weight can likewise be brought about by mental elements, innate qualities, using certain pharmaceutical furthermore through a man 's conduct and culture. America is among the wealthiest nations on the planet also, the fattest country and our stout rears are the objects of jokes in other lands (Klein 28). This developing pattern remains a noteworthy worry as heftiness influences an individual 's condition of prosperity, therapeutic services costs, efficiency levels and social criticism (U.S. Bureau of Health). Weight is an incessant condition characterized by having an abundance measure of muscle to fat ratio ratios. Grown-ups above 35 years of age are thought to be stout if their body mass record is 30. Then again, youngsters are viewed as overweight, on the off chance that they have a body mass list more noteworthy than or equivalent to the 95th percentile for their age (Bell). Be that as it may, a few people wind up being wrongly sorted as large or overweight (Sturm, 2002). As per a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 60 million individuals in the United States weigh more than 25 percent of their body 's optimal weight. The article "Fat Times" states, "If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called a pestilence" (Elmer-Dewit 58).

For my discussion, I chose to write about Susan Bordo’s “Reading the Slender Body”. In the article, it discusses the lengths people would go to to achieve the “perfect” body. A young, athletic runner, was interviewed and she said, “Between the hunger and the muscle pain from the constant workouts? I can’t tell you how much I hurt. “A lot of people would take dramatic measures to ensure they achieve the body they want. I think the cost is only worthwhile if people learn how to diet and exercise correctly. When people want to lose weight or get healthy, they often have to give up junk food and eat smaller portions. I think those costs would be worthwhile. Some people tried to starve themselves just to achieve looks but do not realize they are

Over one-half of all Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases. Women generally have more subcutaneous fat than men, but appear to suffer a greater cardiovascular risk from a given degree of fat than women.

Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in

Obesity rates are soaring throughout North America (What Is Obesity?, 2013). With obesity reaching almost epidemic proportions in the United States, and the threat of a global epidemic, we must watch this alarming increase carefully ( Health Risks of Obesity, 2013). Obesity is defined as: "…an excess of adipose tissue…" (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014). The two most common measures of obesity are Body Mass Index (BMI is a ratio of weight to height) and relative weight index, such as percent desirable weight (Body Mass Index , 2013). BMI is the most frequently used measure of obesity as it has a strong correlation with more direct measures of adiposity, such as underwater weighing (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2013). Some

Obese men and women are beginning to accept themselves for who they are and the health issues that come along with it. Obesity has been a dire issue for quite some time in the United States and is getting worse as time progresses. “The nation will spend… about $190 billion a year- paying for the health consequences of obesity.” (Brady 519) Although obesity rates are skyrocketing, individuals demand that every body is beautiful and the curvier the better, but when does too curvy lead an individual onto an episode of My 600lb Life? All forms of social media have been normalizing those who are unhealthy. Shows like My Big Fat Fabulous Life shows off the beauty of being plus-sized, and how individuals treat you if you are a larger individual. Mainstream media had flocked to obesity and its tabu nature in extreme ways; people are disregarding the health effects of being plus-sized and are crediting it with daring to be different. Growing obesity rates have been one of the main situations that are threatening the health care system. “...the American diet of highly processed food laced with added fats and sugars is responsible for the epidemic of chronic diseases that threatens to bankrupt the health care system.” (Pollan 514) Plus-sized model Tess Holliday is a size 24 model who believes her weight is healthy and acceptable. Her confidence has inspired

Today, a large majority of women will admit to being dissatisfied with the way their body looks. This is because of a thing called body image. Body image is the way one thinks their body should look like, and how they think others see it. This has become a major issue mainly because of the media. The media effects body image because they use women with what is considered the “perfect body” for advertising purposes. They are all over social media, on television, and on the cover of magazines. Since the media only shows women with one certain body type, this puts pressure on other women to look that way. The media should stop pressuring the perfect body type because it can lead to self-esteem problems in women, anemia or bulimia, and can even

What are the diet pills health consequences? Diet pills can cause insomnia, numbness of the skin, rise in your blood pressure and heart rate and liver problems, to name a few (Henshaw, 2012). In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration, also know as the FDA, proclaimed that the Meridia pill increased the chance of a heart attack. In 2006, the Aberrant Crypt Foci, also known as the ACF, found out that the Alli pill could potentially develop colon cancer (Thomas, 2009). Also, in 2009, the FDA started to check in on Alli. They were investigating because there had been cases where people had severe liver problems after using this drug (Staff, n.d.). Hydroxycut pill was reported to the FDA in 2009 as a pill that also gives liver problems (Smith, 2013). All these diet pills that are supposed to make you slimmer only create more health issues. Pills don’t define beauty.

Beefy, big, blimp, butterball, and chunky all these names are what people are called in today's society, I believe this is what prompts people to go on a diet. Every day, thousands of people try to lose weight, but not for all the right reasons, the majority of people want to lose weight with little or no effort involved; some watch infomercials’, see magazine advertisements, music videos featuring fit and trim women and men. There are several types of dieters; I am discussing three types of dieters. The dieters who jump on every new diet fad they are called the “bandwagon dieter”, the “promise dieter” is the person who promises’ him or herself they will really stick to their diet this time. The “compulsive dieter”, this type of dieter

Obesity has become an epidemic in our over indulgent North American society. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. Society often views obesity to be a disease when it is actually a sign of a disorder, genetic or environmental. The percentage of our population that is growing overweight is increasing every year, and can become a very serious issue if it is not dealt with urgently. Problems relating to self-confidence, self-consciousness, and isolation can occur as a result.