The Obesity Epidemic Essay

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

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

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.

This topic of obesity has been a rising issue for many years. There are many different reasons and predictions as to why the number for this disease is rising in America. Recent epidemiologic studies of diet and health outcomes including obesity have changed the focus to the overall diet quality and dietary pattern instead of single nutrients, such as dietary fat (Hu et al, 2000; Fung et al, 2001a, 2001b). The process starts with the lack of physical exercise and the food that people eat. As Americans, we need to picture more healthier foods to eat, have more physical activity to help food digest easier and faster. According to Campbell “to date, interventions have focused on improving the more amenable determinants of obesity: physical inactivity

Adult overweight and obesity have become a worldwide issue that has very dangerous consequences on health. World Health Organization defines obesity as the “epidemic of the 21st Century”. WHO reports show that 1.9 billion people with 18 years age and older are overweight, and 600 million of them are obese. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem today that results from overconsumption of high-fat food and sugary food with lack of exercise. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reports show that the obesity rates are above 20 percent in all states. Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue because of their high rates of mortality and morbidity. People who are considered overweight or obese are at increased

The obesity epidemic proves to be an issue in America and continues to grow with time. In simple terms, obesity is a disorder where the subject has increasing amounts of fat, leading to health problems in the future. This epidemic has steadily increased in American bodies for decades and researchers have tried to find the root causes of this problem. Though there is controversy as to what is the primary cause of this rising epidemic, it is clear that there are many factors that contribute to the fluctuating weight gain among many American citizens. With these factors, there are multiple perspectives of the epidemic. One of the primary perspectives is that an unhealthy diet contributes to obesity in Americans; with the popularity, convenience and cheap prices of fast food, statistics have shown direct relations of increasing obesity rates with an unhealthy diet. A secondary factor of rising obesity rates is the lack of exercise or activity in the body. Without a way to burn off excess calories, they sit in your stomach and there is not a good alternative to burn them off like in a workout. Additionally, with the strong presence media plays in society, there is an idea that women have to be stick-thin as the norm. As a result, there is a new perspective that being overweight is due to societal standards of skinny figures and the increasing media, creating weight bias. These different perspectives all provide a basis for researchers to explore this issue and find ways to

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.

Obesity is becoming an outrageous and alarming health issue in today’s society. Children are rapidly getting engulfed by this pandemic every day. According to the book Public Health 101: Health People-Healthy Populations, pandemic can be defined as, “An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people” (Riegelman, Kirkwood, 2015). The World Health Organization estimates that 43 million children worldwide are overweight or obese, with the United States leading the numbers (WHO, 2016). About one in three children and teenagers in America are obese. Obesity can lead to a variety of other serious health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, and other health risks. Finding effective interventions and programs to reverse obesity rates is essential. Obesity is one hundred percent preventable and treatable.

The non-genetic causes of obesity in all over the world are increase in uptake of high caloric junk food, increase in inactive lifestyle, increase in luxurious travelling [5]. Obesity seems to emerge as a major health epidemic due to the sedentary so called modern lifestyle [2]. The change in our behaviors toward food and physical activities has resulted in the shape of high obesity levels world-wide. When high caloric food is consumed, excessive amount of energy is stored in the form of fats in adipose tissue. The use of energy is in the form of basal metabolic rate, including the thermic effect of food and physical activity (both exercise and non-exercise movements). With the passage of time, if the lifestyle remains sedentary along with

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

Obesity is most common amongst people living in Western society, with evidence suggesting that about 24% of men and 27% of women in the United States being regarded as thus (Williamson, 1995). It therefore comes as no surprise that an estimated 24% of men and 40% of women are dieting at any one time (Brownell & Rodin, 1994). However, even though it appears that we are aware of

Between 1980 and 2000, the obesity rate has doubled among adults in the United States (US). About 60 million adults, or 30% of the adult population, are now overweight. Similarly, since 1980, overweight rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. The increasing obesity rate in these years is exposed to the health risks of obesity. The reasons why obesity rate among adults in US is high is because US citizens usually eat larger portion sizes of meals. In addition, based on the researchers, US people have only limited chances for activity

The increased prevalence of obesity through the last years is not an unexpected number, the world has change in personal, social and economic aspects, an inactive life in front of tablets, television, or phones, increase daily, accompanied of lifestyles changes, unhealthy diet habits, and scarce motivation for exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), release significant adult obesity facts:

Obesity is linked to both health and physical implications. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, one third of the world’s population is now classified as obese. Exercise and nutrition education are key components to treating this growing issue, and are affected by societal factors. A person’s socio-economic status influences access to exercise or physical activity, what quality of nutrition is available, and connected directly to obesity.

Over 60% of the people in the U.S are obese, obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. What you eat is what you are. More and more people are becoming obese which is not healthy. People who suffer from obesity are going to face severe chronic illness or stress. A person who is obese is not necessarily overweight but has too much body fat. Many experts use BMI index for an accurate measurement for a body fat. BMI is calculated by a formula that includes a person’s height and weight. One important cause of insulin is obesity. Insulin is supposed to transport blood sugar into the cells of the muscle and fat. Since the year 1980 the obesity rate in the U.S. has changed. In 2000 the obesity rate was 30% percent but in 2013 it