Unhealthy America Research Paper

Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution

Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J. (2009). Reducing Obesity: Motivating Action While Not Blaming the Victim. Milbank Quarterly, 87(1), 49-70. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 0009.2009.00547.x

According to the USDA, at the start of century 21st American people have increased their daily caloric intake by consuming five hundred calories more than in 1970. As cited by Whitney & Rolfes (2011), there are many recognized causes of obesity such as genetics, environment, culture, socioeconomic, and metabolism among others; but the cause most evident

When discussing the issue of obesity in America, it seems to be that there is plenty of blame to go around and most of that blame falls on fast food companies. When searching for a concrete answer to the question used as my title, you will find none because there isn’t one. When asked this simple question, it is easy to blame the obesity problem on fast food considering 8 out of 10 Americans consume fast food according to a report done by the Huffington Post. But after doing more research you will notice that this isn’t necessarily the case. American obesity can be blamed on a variety of things; lifestyle, accessibility of fast food, and what we are taught about food growing up. However, when the only options you are provided with by the food industry are all unhealthy, obesity cannot be avoided.

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

Obesity is the most preventable health issue in America. It is considered the main problem in the United States and also has been around for centuries. Despite the fact that countless individuals are unaware about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese. When discussing the obesity epidemic in America, many people name fast food companies as the number one cause, but there are several factors besides fast food that further deepen the obesity epidemic. Medication, stress, psychological issues all contribute to the obesity epidemic in America.

The United States of America leads the world as the country with the highest obesity rate. Obesity is a life threatening condition and a prerequisite for many other conditions such as diabetes. Along with causing life threatening conditions obesity can cause day to day problems such as lack of energy and poor mental performance. Both of these day to day problems brought on by obesity and poor health in general affect many students in school and adults in the workplace, causing low productivity and low moral in both students and employees. It is important for healthy habits, such as a healthy diet regular exercise, to be encouraged and required by teachers and employers through out the U.S to ensure every student and employee is working at their personal maximum performance.

Admittedly, two out of every three Americans are considered to be obese or overweight. The centers for disease control, predict that nearly half of the population will be obese by 2030. Obesity rates have more than tripled in the past three decades- which already places a $190 billion

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 66 percent of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese, and three out of ten are obese. The CDC began gathering data on obesity in 1960, and at that point, thirteen percent of Americans were obese. Obesity slowly began to increase until the 1980’s when it began to rise rapidly. Now, the number of obese people has nearly tripled since then (Stern, Kazaks 15). These trends continue to increase, and now, more than ever, organizations and institutions are pushing to create a healthier America. The problem with obesity is that is preventable, but difficult to overcome due to certain circumstances. Many factors play a role in determining the likelihood of an individual becoming obese. These circumstances include poor diets, poor energy balance, culture and family history, and environment among other things.

According to report of survey of 2007-2008 by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) by Ogden (2010) approximately 32.4 percent of adult population of US above 20 years of age have a basal metabolic interest (BMI) over 25 which indicate that they are overweight. About 33.8% of adults above 20 years of age are obese (BMI>30) and 5.7% are extremely obese (BMI > 40). These figures are alarming and obesity is of serious health concern. Americans are less physically active. The price of food in America has declined significantly due to changes in technology which have improved the effectiveness of food production and its distribution. Additionally, technology has reduced the requirement for physical activity during work or for movement. For most Americans, doing physical exercise requires a conscious dedication to exercise, which comes

Obesity in our society continues to grow at an alarming rate. America is the richest country but has the largest population of obese people in the world. “Nearly 36.5% of American’s are obese (Adult Obesity Facts).” It is important to note that obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of “30% or more” (The Socioeconomic Causes of Obesity). People become obese over times for many reasons like feeling there is less of a need to exercise and eat healthy. There are also more fast food selections, which lead to bad eating habits and so on. This causal argument will cover the topic of obesity, why it is important and how it has become major issue in America today. Obesity in America is due to many factors that include: lack of

America is the number one country with the highest obesity rate, as well as many others struggle with this. Obesity can be stopped and controlled by the consumers, but why blame it on them when the food industry is really the ones to accuse. This food is being handed to the consumers, healthy or unhealthy it is still given. Many different food industries are at fault for obesity, by the food proportions increasing to low cost food being unhealthy.

The US has always had a reputation for the struggle we have with obesity. Obesity is a condition of excess body fat. Obesity can affect any person from young children to older adults. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control and preventions showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. Many Americans are trying to fight the battle against obesity. Many aren’t winning. Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks that come with obesity in all ages. The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce more obese children, over-indulgent adults, and a dire need of new research in

Obesity has become a growing problem in America. Approximately 2/3 of adults with another 17% of children/teens are obese.(1) That is nearly a 5% increase since 2000.(2) How has this come to be? The problem lies in the diet that the Americans have taken. With fast food chains taking over the food industry, everyone is getting lazier at cooking and eating healthy meals. With the daily lives of most people being busy due to work and the other chores, people are settling for fast food. Fast food has been

As of today, the United States has the mortifying title of being the most overweight nation in the world yet is one of the wealthiest countries. One third of the population is obese and another third is declared overweight. The 1970’s was the kickoff to a major health decline that would soon demolish a wide range of citizens. Obesity and obesity related diseases, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance are now at the highest rates recorded. Portion sizes have expanded and processed food has become the norm to fulfil American’s cravings. Families have gone from being a two parent family to mostly single parent families. It is said that the current population of 18 to 26 year