The World Health Organization (Who, 2016) Has Recognized

An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese (Klein 2000). “"Affecting one in five Americans – or more than 22 percent of the U.S. population – obesity is one of the most pervasive health problems in our nation right now," said George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery and associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. "We need to implement steps to slow the progression of this national epidemic” (NAASO 1999). But the problem of obesity does not only affect the United States. "We now know that the growing prevalence of obesity is creating major health problems worldwide," said Dr. James O. Hill, president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Obesity was once regarded as unique to Americans, but it is now seen as a global health risk affecting developing and underdeveloped countries (AOA 2000). Obesity is increasing at an epidemic rate in the United States - 1.3% a year for women over 20. Rates of obesity among minority populations, including African-Americans and Hispanic Americans are especially high (AOA 2000). There is also a marked increase in obesity among children.

Over 60 million people are obese in the world today. The socioeconomic statuses of the Americans play a major part in the obesity rates across the country. People with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than people with lower incomes. One in every seven preschool-aged children living in lower income areas are obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). A 2008 study showed that obesity is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native (21.2 percent) and Hispanic Americans (18.5 percent) children, and it is lowest

In 2013-2014 37.7% of adults 20 years of age and older in the U.S were obese. Among racial ethnic groups white Non -Hispanics had the lowest rate of obesity at 36.4%. Black and Hispanics populations had rates of 48.4% and 42.6% nationally. The rate for Black non- Hispanic groups were 1.5 times higher than the rate for white non- Hispanic groups.("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 3).

Currently, the definition of obesity, determined by the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale, considers a child over the 95th percentile to be obese. Childhood obesity affects 17% of the children in the United States, and according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention, 12.7 million American children will have the prevalence of obesity. Roberto Ferdman argues in his article in The Washington Post that “American kids are still far more likely to be overweight than kids in most other countries.” Some children are more likely to become obese based on their race or gender. “The prevalence of obesity among non-Hispanic Asian youth (8.6%) was lower than among non-Hispanic white (14.7%), non-Hispanic black (19.5%), and Hispanic

Almost two out of every three children (ranging from 58 to 68 percent) in the five heavily minority communities were either overweight or obese, compared with 26 percent of children nationally and 23 percent in the predominately white community. (http://pweb1.rwjf.org/reports/grr/043026.htm)

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

The research was done in North Carolina in December 3, 2012 and consisted of 92 African American women. Their objective was to identify the association between nutrition knowledge, body mass index and diet quality. They documented that African American are prone to health disparities and low socioeconomic status (SES) contributed a major part. The most common barrier to consuming a healthy diet was the high cost of healthy food. Poor dietary intake among low income African American was a major reason for the higher obesity rate in that minority group. (Acheampong & Haldeman, 2013). Burke and Heiland did another research explaining gender-specific racial difference in obesity, using biased self-reports of food intake and physical activity. The authors used data form the NHANES surveys to perform a gender-specific obesity in order to determine the extent to food intake and physical activity. The research was a cross-sectional study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that included BMI and information regarding socio-economic behavioral characteristics through in-person interviews. They found out that among African women, lower level of physical activity contributed to higher obesity prevalence. In addition, higher caloric intake

There are many people who believe that obesity is a matter of personal responsibility. Many people think it is Americans are the ones who to blame and not the fast food industry. Many people may say that it is easy to blame obesity on what Americans eat. However, these people do not realize that many Americans cannot afford healthy foods. So, since fast foods are cheap and affordable, it may be why many people choose them. In the article “Physical activity and childhood obesity” Green, Riley, and Hargrove explain “a greater percentage of adolescents from families living in poverty are obese (23%), compared with those from families of a higher socioeconomic status (14%)” (915). Additionally, this statement demonstrates that although obesity may be caused by genes or psychological influences, the environment is the most important factor. When families are in poverty, they are not looking for what is healthy and what is unhealthy. They are looking for food to survive, and so many times fast food is the only option. Following this future, there is indication that obesity, extremely affects certain minority youth populations. The National Health and Nutrition Examination survey found that African American and Hispanic adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight at 21 and 23 percent, respectively, as compared to non-Hispanic White adolescents (14%) (915). Furthermore, these statistics show that there is a strong relationship among race or ethnicity, poverty, and

Unfortunately, childhood overweight and obesity rates in America have tripled the last three decades and tend to be much higher amongst African Americans. According to research done by UC Davis, “Nearly 40% of African American children are overweight or obese.”

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in all age groups is as a threat to health as well as an economic burden. These individual eating and activity behaviors and choices, however, are shaped by factors in the social and physical environments of communities (Hill, 2003). It has hit the Hispanic community the hardest with Hispanic Americans 1.2 times as likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic Whites, children 1.6 times more likely to be overweight as Non- Hispanic White children and Mexican American women were 40% more likely to be overweight, as compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (OMH 2012). Why Hispanic people? There is no one specific answer but the problems it causes are very bad. Obesity is a major contributor to the onset of type 2 diabetes. Among children and youth, obesity may affect academic performance and emotional health, as well as lead to diabetes and other serious complications later

Currently, more than one in six American children is obese, which is three times the rate as that of the 1970s [1]. There has been much attention given to childhood obesity as an epidemic in our nation. However, far less attention, has been given to the severe and rising rates of childhood obesity among communities of color, which usually have the least available resources to tackle with the consequences of obesity [2]. In terms of racial/ethnic disparities of childhood obesity, 22.4% of Hispanic and 20.2 % of African-American children are obese, compared to 14.3 % of white children. The statistics are even higher for Hispanic boys, with 24.1% of obesity rate [3]. Obesity contributes significantly to cardiovascular disease, different types of cancers, as well as diabetes. About 70% of obese children/adolescents have at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension, and almost 40% of obese youths have at

Childhood obesity is becoming one of the top public health concerns in the United States. “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled in the U.S., and today, the country has some of the highest obesity rates in the world: one out of six children is obese, and one out of three children is overweight or obese” (World Health Organization, 2015). With the drastic increase in obese children over the last 30 years and the huge healthcare associated costs many programs and incentives have been implemented to fight this epidemic. Although any child can become obese “racial and ethnic inequities persist among children; 22.5 percent of Latino children and 20.2 percent of Black children are obese, compared to 14.1 percent of

Why is it Sociological & Social? Obesity has become a large and dark reality in United States. For someone who does not have sociological imagination being overweight is the result of bad personal choices or genetic predisposition. (Crosnoe) Cultural beliefs and practices related to food and feeding vary among ethnic groups, and these differences may contribute to different patterns of obesity in children and youth, related to their ethnicity. As described in the epidemiological overview show higher than average obesity prevalence in non-Hispanic, black and Mexican American children compared to non-Hispanic white children at most ages. In boys excess obesity ages 2 through 11 compared to girls ages 6 through 19. (Kumanyika 61-70)

There are many factors that play into whether a child will become obese. Most of the time it is due to lack of physical activity but there are key features such as where you come from and what your race/ethnicity is. If you are from a wealthy family and like to buy a lot of junk food or fast food then you are more at risk to become unhealthily overweight. If you are poorer and come from a minority in some cases you eat the bare minimum which keeps you below the overweight line. This is an important factor to take into consideration.

The aggregates impacted by this problem are school aged children ranging from ages 6-19. Studies show that Black and Hispanic children are at an increased risk for childhood obesity.