Public Health Issue of Obesity

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Recommended: Obesity as a Medical and Social Problem.

The Public Health Issue of Obesity
"The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity particularly among children and adolescents is a severe public health problem" (Bray, 2005). According to our text, health education and health promotion are recognized increasingly as ways to meet public health objectives and improve the success of public health and medical interventions around the world (Gollust, 2014).
Obesity has been associated with energy intake and expenditure imbalance, genetics, cultural, socioeconomic, behavioral, and situational factors all play a role in eating and weight control (Bray, 2005). To get an idea of the scope of the problem, the American Journal of Health Promotion states that the rates of obesity has more than tripled among children and adolescents over the past 30 years (Gollust, 2014).
The present public health problem has become a great public concern and the future of these children and future adults has also been brought to attention. For example, "as obese children are more than likely to become obese adults, they are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and several cancers" (Gollust, 2014). Research has also indicated that the current generation of children are on track to have shorter lives than their parents because of increasing rates of obesity (Gollust, 2014).
This public health issue does not only effect individuals but the national as a whole in regards to the health care system costs. Obesity in children "costs the health care system $14 billion per year, much which comes from public funds" (Glanz, 2008). Also, obesity is expected to cause 112,000 deaths per year in the United States(Gollust, 2014). In addition, many changes seen in the health care sy...

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...ies (Glanz, 2001). Societal expectations and norms have gone more to the healthier side of eating and physical activity passed on people's perceptions. Childhood obesity is a main concern in the public health world and is matter that must be handled by not only the parents of the children, but policy development industries and health promotion organizations in order to increase their health and decrease the national obesity rate.

Works Cited

1. Gollust, S. E. (2014). Framing the consequences of childhood obesity . American Journal of Health Promotion to Increases Public Support for Obesity Prevention Policy, 28(3), 189.
2. Glanz, Karen (2008). Health Behavior and Health Education, 4th Edition; San Fransisco, Ca, John Wiley and Sons INC
3. Bray. (2005). International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrtion, 62(3), 270
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdMVcI-hrZ0

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