The Problem of Obesity in Chicago

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,

America is getting fat. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), obesity rates in America have tripled in the last 30 years; currently one-third of the population is considered obese (Albritton 94-95). Modern Americans have found themselves salivating at the drive thru window of one of the top fast food chains that rule this world, devouring foods that do not promote a positive well-being. Kelly Brownell, an economist and professor at Yale University, first suggested the concept of implementing a higher tax on unhealthy foods, therefore encouraging consumers to pursue a more positive route within their diet (Badilas 257). According to a general survey, the people of America are also beginning to have a change of heart,

many overweight children, for the first time ever the current generation of children is expected to have

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.

Health has become a very popular topic in today’s society; how to lose weight, healthy body mass index, proper foods to eat to give your body nutrition, certain exercises to help lose weight here or gain muscle there, lower prices for a gym memberships, it seems to be a topic we are hearing about all the time now. However, there seems to lack of conversation about the health of the younger generation. Obesity among children is a growing problem in today’s society (Ogden, Carroll, Lawman, Fryar, Kruszon-Moran, Kit 2015).

Obesity in America is a continually growing problem and even worse our own children are sharing in this problem. A commentary in the Washington Times reports that sixty million Americans are obese. What really is the meaning of obese? Obese is having a body mass index of thirty percent or more. In recent years, the percentage of obese Americans has risen. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, the percentage of obese Americans rose from 22.9 in 1984-1994 to 32.2 in 2003 and 2004. The study also says if you throw in the number of "over weight" Americans (body mass index of 25 to 29.9) the total jumps to 66.3

How many times a week do you go out to McDonald 's or Taco Bell for dinner? If you go more than once or twice a week then you really need to look at your diet and how healthy your lifestyle is. America is having a huge obesity crisis, too many Americans just don’t care about how much they weigh or unhealthy their lifestyle is. From the advertisement of the fast food companies, to people not being able to afford healthier foods, and people just being plain lazy, America has an increasing population of morbidly obese people.

Research has shown an ethnic and racial disparity in the frequency of childhood overweight and obesity. Specifically, minority children face a disproportionately higher chance of obesity; Taveras, Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards, and Rifas-Shiman agree: “…many risk factors for child obesity are more prevalent among black and Hispanic children than among white children (p. 693). ” They go on to write that additional variables affecting those two minority groups include belonging to a lower socioeconomic class, sleeping less than their white counterparts, and a greater likelihood of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food after age two .

According to the media article, Whose Fault is our Fat? Obesity solely stems from Americans not participating in enough physical activity. On the other hand, Family Stressors and Child Obesity, attributes the stem of childhood obesity to stressors, particularly family stressors. Another possible explanation for obesity, other than Americans not getting enough physical activity or stressors, comes from the movie, watched in lecture, The Weight of the Nation. This movie makes the connection of rates of obesity to living in poverty areas. The movie also firmly believes that Americans are turning to quick, processed, and readily made meals, instead of healthy food options.

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.

With obesity rates among children quickly becoming a national epidemic, efforts are underway to identify the disparities that exist within the populations of society affected by childhood obesity and plans to end the epidemic and its far reaching implications are underway. As an ongoing problem within the United States, childhood obesity has impacted millions of children and young adults over the past decade and the numbers continue to climb. The population of children affected by high obesity rates is directly related to children coming from families within poor socioeconomic status which draws directly to the level of their parent’s education, and racial background, thereby pointing to the origin of the health disparity among children and young adults, all contributing substantially to childhood obesity rates. As one of the factors weighing heavily among the disparities in children’s health, poor socioeconomic position within racial and ethnic minorities presents as the leading factor due to underserved and underrepresented communities having a shortage of access to health facilities, gyms, and exercise services within the communities they reside in. In addition inability to obtain and afford healthier food options is oftentimes out of reach for those in the poor

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported since 1960 adult obesity has tripled and since 1970 childhood obesity rates have also tripled (May, Freedman, Sherry & Blanck, 2013). However, in comparison with national averages, obesity rates amongst minorities remains exceedingly high. Currently, 38 percent of adults in America are obese (Segal, Rayburn & Martin, 2016). Meanwhile, 48.4 percent of Blacks are obese, 42.6 percent of Latinos are Obese and 36.4 percent of Whites are obese. Furthermore, childhood obesity rates for American children is 17 percent. Examination of the data reveals 21.9 percent of Latino children are obese, 19.5 percent of Black children are obese and 14.7 percent of Whites are obese (Segal, Rayburn & Martin, 2016). These gaps are significant and represent a major health disparity. Health disparities are the quantifiable variances in health outcomes amongst groups of people. Obesity

In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous burden on both the health and healthcare of those affected. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. According to the Centers of Disease Control, as of 2013, 34.9% of our population is considered overweight or obese. America is the richest yet the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein, 1994).

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

Good news! We’re Number 2! As declared by a 2013 report from the U.N., America has only the second highest obesity rate in the world at 31.8%, second to Mexico with an obesity rate of 32.8%. America has held on to the title of most obese country for over 60 years. From 13% obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased right up to 2013’s 32.8%.