Essay On Obesity In America

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 in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.

Are Americans, where obesity is found to be a major struggle, in jeopardy with the various aspects that may cause obesity, such as poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, etc.? Poor eating habits such as eating processed foods is one reason for weight gain in children and adults. These eating habits are affordable, tasty, and an easy way out when an individual does not want to cook. Obesity is a personal issue that many have struggled with all their life. There are many risks that come along with being obese as well as ways to overcome it. In order to explain this the research report will ask: do individuals who are obese know the various health risks that come along with the constant weight gain and how to lose the weight

“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.

Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).

You don’t have a lot of money on you and you’re hungry so you grab a bite to eat at a nearby fast food restaurant. Without realizing what you are putting into your body you continue eating these inexpensive meals every night on your way home from work. Weeks turn into months and the next thing you know your cloths don’t fit the way they used you beginning to notice yourself gaining weight. Obesity among young Americans is a problem and can have serious effects if nothing is done about it.

A lot of people wonder why we are so concerned about the obesity rate in America. Being obese causes terrible diseases and sometimes can lead to death. 18% of the deaths in the United States happened from 1986 to 2006 and were caused by the symptoms that came from being obese, these occurred mostly

Obesity and weight related disease are at an all time high and continue to plague the United States.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention claims that “obesity related medical care cost in the United States are at an all time high, and in 2008 dollars, these cost were estimated to be 147 billion. The annual nationwide productive costs of obesity-related absenteeism range between $3.38 billion ($79 per obese individual) and $6.38 billion ($132 per obese individual),” according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. An analysis conducted by Emory University own healthcare economist Ken Thorpe, Ph.D. C, titled “The Future Cost of Obesity” estimates that the annual of cost of health care will sky rock by an estimated 344 billion dollars by 2018 or about $20.00 per every healthcare dollar spent in the U.S, providing a financial imperative for obesity prevention initiatives.

An Obesity epidemic is disturbing the financial and social stability of the United States. As stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “our modern environment has allowed these conditions to increase at alarming rates and become highly pressing health problems for our nation“(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Efforts made by authority figures have been enforced to solve this severe crisis. Obesity has become a concerning problem in the United States. This epidemic is interfering with the success of American citizens and it is also impacting the American economy negatively. The obesity epidemic endures negative impacts to the United States’ economy; even though others argue it is contributing to the economy through the growing weight loss industry.

Obesity has been increasingly taking over the nation in the past 30 years or more. Although food choices are different from person to person, the underlying cause is not primarily the individual’s choice, but a combination of predetermined inherent attributes. Race, gender, social class, and age have significant roles in how obesity affects the nation.

Our great nation has become divided by issues such as same-sex marriage, amendments, symbols, and an array of other topics that people constantly debate about. Social media has fueled this division among the American people; one’s “wall” or “newsfeed” is where someone can develop an opinion, obtain knowledge, or share facts without any credibility to their statement. I am an American with my own opinions, but I never felt compelled to join the debate on same-sex marriage, gun control, or the confederate flag. I could not sincerely relate to either topic, so I opted out and refused to give my perspective. A recent visit to Australia gave me a reason to examine a growing concern in our beloved country. I was savoring a meal from Hungry Jacks, which is a popular fast food restaurant that resembles Burger King. This meal was the size of a kid’s meal and it cost a small fortune. What puzzled me was not the size of the meal or the amount; it was the only size offered that grabbed my attention. No medium, no large, and no supersized meal were available.

How can a nation so concerned with how one looks also be a nation with such staggering statistics on the growing population of obese individuals? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “about one-third of U.S. adults are obese.” Also reported in the CDC website from the National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), “… overweight and obesity conditions affect an estimated 97 million Americans, and are the second leading cause for preventable death in the United States.” Obesity is defined by the Health and Wellness Resource Center as the “excessive body weight that develops over time as people consume more calories than they expend in energy.” (Carson-De Witt, et al., 3) The body mass index, BMI, is a measure used

For years cartoons have depicted obese kids rolling down streets; however, this may become an unfortunate truth. The obesity epidemic in America has become an enormous issue. Obesity, which is the accurate term to describe being above overweight on the body mass index (bmi), is an epidemic with various causes that can have staggering effects. Industries have found ways to market their food products in order to gain money, uncaring of the trouble and harm they may be causing to others. Also, the obesity epidemic has become a an increasingly controversial political topic being discussed nationwide. The epidemic has gotten quite out of hand; notwithstanding, there are ways to fix this growing crisis.

The trend of obesity is increasing with every passing year. Without a realistic solution to this issue, the generations to come will be plagued with medical bills from obesity related issues such as heart disease and increased risk for cancer.