Obesity is one of the largest health issues that currently plagues the United States. Over one third of the United States population is obese this is an issue because it not only affects someone's health, but also affects society. At an individual level the health conditions someone could be at risk for are Type II Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Stroke, and various other medical conditions. There are estimates that US spends between 147 to 210 billion dollars nationally dealing with the medical issues caused by obesity every year. (State of Obesity, 2015) The billions of dollars that are being spent on preventable medical issues could be allocated towards finding cures for other diseases. Research on obesity in the US has also shown that obesity …show more content…
The Healthy People 2020 has a topic that is critical to reducing with obesity, which is nutrition and weight status. In nutrition and weight status topic are objectives to reduce adult and childhood obesity through proper nutrition. Reducing obesity for adults and children will only be possible if people are taught what really is good to eat, and what is not. This objective is just not solely on working with the individual, but working at a greater scale to make policies that promote a healthy lifestyle. This is extremely important because if people are given healthy food environments and education on how to get healthy food. That could drastically change the prevalence of obesity in the US. Let's Move is a program created by Michelle Obama that aims to reduce childhood obesity. This program aims to reduce childhood obesity by educating children on proper nutrition as well as the importance of exercise. Let’s Move also promotes getting healthier food in schools, and communities. This program is addressing the aims of the Healthy People 2020 nutrition and weight status objectives by attempting to reduce children with obesity through not only education about food, but also by improving the quality of the food around children. There has also been more of a push for city/state legislation to tax sodas in order to promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce obesity. As sodas are a factor in poor nutrition which could lead to obesity. The reasoning from articles like Can Soft Drink Taxes Reduce Weight is that if taxes make sodas more expensives people will be less likely to buy sodas that are full of sugar. In Eliza Barkley’s article Berkeley's Sugary Drinks Are Getting Pricier, Thanks To New Tax a good example of a soda tax being passed is in Mexico. In 2014 Mexico nationally passed a soda, and has since seen a 6% drop in soda sales. This does not directly mean that
The article,“ Battle lines drawn over soda tax,” by Associated Press , the Press explains how there is an ongoing “national fight about taxing sugary drinks.” According to Associated Press, “ Health experts say the beverages contribute to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.” This quote demonstrates that sugary drinks can lead to health issues. Since sugary drinks leads to health issues, people are considering soda tax. This is because thirteen percent of adult minorities are diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes.
Aaron, Daniel G. and Michael B. Siegel. "Sponsorship of National Health Organizations by Two Major Soda Companies." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 52, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 20-30. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.08.010. The United States has the “highest rates of obesity in the world” which can be caused by the consumption of soda. A American drinks about 46 gallons of soda in the year of 2009, which gave the United States one of the highest rates of soda consumption. Americans consume sodas every day and is one of the reason people start to gain weight. To find ways to reduce consumption of soda is very important because it
Healthy People 2020 is geared towards betterment of health for the most citizens by year 2020.It is a carefully and exhaustively planned project by the different sectors of government and health agencies with the inclusion of the analyses of the determinants of health, and disparities, using different kind of public health models in order to make appropriate policies and programs that are feasible to implement and practical to abide for the benefit of the population served.
Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether.
Obese people account for thirty seven percent of the United States population, but obesity- related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension account for sixty one percent of healthcare costs in the United States every year. The costs increase to billions of dollars which puts a huge strain on not only the economy but healthcare also. Obesity is a big problem in America and everyone either knows someone who is overweight or they’re overweight themselves. Treatment for obesity is having an active lifestyle, weight loss medication, or weight loss surgery.
About 2.8 billion adults every year die of obesity (Diet). Rachel Epstein wrote the book “Eating Habits and Disorders” which talks about obesity being a disease. Obesity is a condition with extra body fat which often starts to form in childhood (Epstein 25). While obesity for some adults can be life-threatening (Epstein 25). It can also form psychosocial problems (Epstein 25). Being obese causes a risk in diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney trouble and more (Epstein 25). Being obese during pregnancy can cause many problems for the mom, and for the baby (Epstein 25). Any of these things could cause many problems either in the future, or in the present (Epstein 25). The worse the eating habits, the harder it is to cure (Epstein 25). The government needs to do more about obesity because obesity rates are rising, many kids are being victims of obesity and they don’t even know it, also Medical Care is taking a big part with the growing obesity rates.
Healthy People 2020 is a program for the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases, launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in December 2010. According to healthypeople.gov, this program has four overarching goals which are first to achieve healthy, longer lives free of preventable diseases, injuries, and premature deaths; to achieve health fairness, eliminate differences, and improve all groups’ health; also to produce social and physical environments that encourage good health; and last but not least to promote life’s quality, healthy development, and healthy behaviors through all life stages. This program has a vision of a community where people live long, healthy lives. Healthy People 2020 offers a comprehensive set of 10 years of nationwide goals and objectives that is meant to improve the health of the American population. Healthy People 2020 covers 42 topic areas with approximately 600 objectives, which include 1,200 measures. A smaller set of Healthy People 2020 objectives, has been designated to communicate high-priority health issues and actions that can be taken to address them, this objectives are called Leading Health Indicators. The program goes above and beyond these health indicators in order to provide the best care for the people of this country. These indictors cover from the access of health service, nutrition, physical activity, and obesity to substance abuse, environmental quality, injury and violence.
Obesity has been identified as one of the risk factors affecting directly and indirectly the health outcome of the population. Even though many approaches and programs have been conducted in order to reduce the obesity rate, this health issue is still a big headache and keeps being put on the table. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overweight and obesity rate have been increasing significantly in the past two decades in the United States with more than 35.7% of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents from 2-19 years olds being obese ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). As Healthy People 2020 indicated, in the period from 1988-1994 to 2009-2010, the age adjusted obesity rate among U.S adults aged 20 and over increased from 22.8% to 35.7%, which means increased by 57% while the obesity rate among children and teenagers from 2 to 19 years old increased from 10% to approximately 17%, witnessing the increase of 69% ("Nutrition, physical activity," 2013). Obesity has impact both on economic and health of the nation. Obesity is the risk factor of serious chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, and other leading causes of preventable deaths ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). Moreover, obesity continues to be economic burden in terms of medical costs for either public or private payers up to $147 billion per year which increased from 6.5% to 9.1% (Finkelstein et al, 2009). In 2008, medical spending per capita for the obese or obesity related health issues is $1,429 per year, as 42% higher than “those of normal weight” (Finkelstein et al, 2009, p.8).
It is sad. People from all races and backgrounds are obese. In a recent survey done at Henry Ford College, 43 percent of students were overweight. Whether it is because they do not follow a healthy diet or they inherited it from their parents. Being overweight is correlated with lacking exercise or physical activity and not watching what is on the plate. Obesity can cause many illnesses, including diabetes, which is very common. As the debate whether soda tax should take effect arises, critics say that the tax will help those with obesity-related illnesses. What about exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? These two factors cannot be forgotten knowing they are the most important. Americans have consumed 12 percent of soda and become less active since 1970. A soda tax aims to stop consumers from buying soda to help those who are obese. This will not be effective. Therefore a soda tax will not be good public policy.
Obesity has been accepted in the American society as a norm. According to the U.S. office of the Surgeon General, in 1999, 6 in 10 American adults were classified as obese or overweight (McMurray, par. 5). In order for one to be classified as obese they’re body mass index (BMI) must be 30 or greater. The number of obese in America has continued to increase. It has been estimated by The World Health Organization that 300 million people will be obese by 2025 (Bailey 3). Since obesity comes with many health risks, many feel it should be treated as a disease.
Everyday Americans die from the diseases they carry from obesity. Many Americans overeat because of their social problems or because they are hereditary. Many plans have been discussed, but finding the solution is the problem. Junk foods and unhealthy beverages have corrupted children’s minds all over the nation, and putting a stop to it could lead to other benefits. Unhealthy foods and drinks should be taxed and healthy foods should be advertised to help prevent American obesity.
One hundred and forty-seven billion dollars. This is the estimated cost of obesity in the United States (CDC, 2013). Today, obesity is on trend to being one of the biggest public health challenges since tobacco (Perry & Creamer, 2013). In 2010 33.7% of US adults and 17% of children aged 2-19 were considered obese (CDC, 2013). While obesity is rising at an exponential rate, there is disconnect between how society views and defines obesity and the actual medical costs and future health risks the disease holds (ACSM, 2010). This is where medical professionals need to bridge the gap of medical and social construction.
The Healthy People Plan, also known as Healthy people 2020 is a continuing tradition from the launch on December 2, 2010 of its ambitious yet achievable 10-year agenda for improving the Nation’s health. Healthy people 2020 is a result of a multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group of individuals and organizations. The main goal for the Healthy People Plan is visioning a society in which all people live long healthy lives. The focus areas and the objectives of the plan strive for ordinary citizens to change up their lifestyles for the better.
Health care professionals have always been striving for higher standards of individual health in the healthcare industry. The US is globally known for providing the best health care possible, regardless of nationality. Their providence of healthcare in the US does not stop at the doors of hospitals, rather it goes beyond to its research of identifying the microorganisms, making of vaccine, and developing a line of drugs with fewer adverse affects. In order to achieve these goals, the US government has provided immense support by sanctioning grants and hiring brilliant minds to work toward a common goal. Healthy People 2020 (2014) was developed to further the research in eradicating health problems by identifying goals for next the 10 years.
Andrew Entzminger from The Washington Times article titled, “Food, drink push back at soda taxes, junk-food curbs” states that, “State and local government across the nation are increasingly using the government’s power to battle rising obesity rates by taxing sugar-sweetened drinks, changing food labeling and promoting exercise.” Authorities have expressed concerns for the population’s health and wellness. America has had a rise in obesity over the years. As Jeanne Sahadi from the article “Should there be a fat tax on soda and junk food?” from CNN claims that, “Currently about 35% of adults are classified as obese.”