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Obesity in the us problems and solutions
Child obesity literature review
Child obesity literature review
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Obesity in America is an epidemic affecting nearly 38% of adults across the nation, and we need to work together to cure it. Obesity, being a nation wide issue, will be immensely difficult to put to an end, but it’s not too late to stop its spread. Obesity rates have been on the rise since the early 90’s, and we are going to set out and find a way to stop it in its tracks. Obesity has a longstanding relationship with the United States. The rates of obesity have risen exponentially over time, and don’t seem to be stopping. In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the U.S. population. Although, by 2010, obesity rates were 25 percent or higher in 36 states, and 12 out of those had a rate of 30 percent or higher (An Epidemic of Obesity: …show more content…
The first leading cause of obesity is a poor diet and a lack of physical exercise. “If a person eats fewer calories than he or she metabolizes, he or she will lose weight. Therefore the most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity.” (Jerry R. Balentine). This demonstrates how improper eating can cause people to gain weight. “Epidemiologic studies have shown that diets high in fat contribute to weight gain.” (Jerry R. Balentine). This is just one fact that proves how poor diet leads to weight gain. The second leading cause of obesity is genetics. “A person is more likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese.” (Jerry R. Balentine). This shows that adults with tendencies for obesity, are more likely to pass those tendencies on to their children. “Genetics also affect hormones involved in fat regulation. For example, one genetic cause of obesity is leptin deficiency.” (Jerry R. Balentine). So not only can poor diet choice affect your weight, but even your genetics can affect …show more content…
The amount of obese people in America has been growing exponentially. The State of Obesity’s statistics state that, “Nationwide, diabetes rates have nearly doubled in the past 20 years from 5.5 percent (1994) to 9.3 percent in 2012.” (The State of Obesity). These stats put into perspective the amount of growth that obesity has had over the years. The State of Obesity statistics also state, “According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 13.9 percent of high school students were obese, and an additional 16.0 percent were overweight.” (The State of Obesity). This shows that obesity is gaining ground even in our school system. Also, healthy food being expensive is also causing a large amount of the obesity in our youth. The State of Obesity statistics state, “More than 15 million U.S. children live in "food-insecure" households — having limited access to adequate food and nutrition due to cost, proximity and/or other resources.” (The State of Obesity). When cheap junk food is all that is available to people, then that’s what they’ll purchase. They also state, “Lower-income individuals often have more limited access to affordable, healthier food options — living in neighborhoods with fewer grocery stores with less healthy options — and that have more available less expensive food options, such as processed or fast foods, are of lower nutritional value
As the world strives for convenience and a fast-paced lifestyle, an epidemic of poor health is on the rise. With constant life struggles, fast food readily available, and little time for preparation, citizens of the United States are not paying attention to what they’re putting in their child’s mouths. The state of Mississippi has developed the highest percentages of childhood obesity in the United States. Although this percentage has decreased in recent years, the numbers are still astounding. The children of Mississippi are slowly being poisoned by their parent’s poor choices. Due to parent’s poor nutritional education and poor health habits, the children of Mississippi will continue on the destructive path of obesity
Obesity in the United States, which the media has labeled a national crisis, has also been connected to poverty rates. Big fast food industry’s target poor communities, and spend millions of dollars each year to create advertising that appeals to these specific areas. These industry’s also target naïve children when advertising because they know that eating habits developed in childhood are usually carried into adulthood. Children who are exposed to television advertisements for unhealthy food and who are not educated well enough on good nutrition will grow up and feed their families the same unhealthy foods they ate as kids. A big way fast food giants are able to make certain young people have access to unhealthy food is by strategically placing franchises in close proximity to schools. They will often place three times as many outlets within walking distance of schools than in areas where there are no schools nearby. The way fast food advertising is targeted towards children is very alarming considering how important good nutrition is for young people and how a child’s eating habits can affect their growth and
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.
Obesity in America is a very serious problem affecting many Americans currently and is a problem that continues to grow each year. “Over the past 40 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the United States” (Wimalawansa). This issue is known to many but believed not be an issue to care much about but this is not true. Obesity in America affects everyone regardless if they are obese or not. In order to resolve the problem, we can slaughter all the adults that are currently obese in America.
Genetics plays a major role in obesity; inherited genes sometimes contribute to the accumulation of fat in the body. Over 200 genes have effect on the weight having repercussions from physical activity, food choices and metabolism. Therefore, genes may increase the vulnerability of a person to become obese. Family eating patterns and social tendencies can also trigger obesity. Moreover, environmental circumstances such as availability of food high in calories and fat and the increase of the portions and combination selections in meals contribute to the development of fat accumulated for years in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 277).
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).
Instead of vilifying fat and impoverished people, this country needs to consider the roots of our obesity epidemic. Although obesity is largely biological, and some people are more susceptible to weight gain, there are other ways in which we can tackle the obesity issue without needing to change someone’s genetic makeup. Work can be done to reform the institutional disparities that make maintaining a healthy weight difficult for people with lower incomes. A healthy lifestyle is not cheap. More nutritious, higher quality foods are often more expensive and harder to come by in poorer areas. A step in the right direction would be to encourage supermarkets to open up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods through creating tax-incentive programs and adjusting zoning laws. The unfortunate truth is that obesity is affecting our nation’s youth as well as adults. One way to aid this problem is to increase funding for public schools in low-income areas, which might translate into better quality food in the cafeterias and more nutrition and physical
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.
Since the 1960?s obesity in America has more than tripled regardless of sex or race. Today 30.5 percent, or 69 million, American Adults are considered obese (?AOA Fact Sheets? np). In addition, 13 percent of children aged 6-11 years old are considered overweight, and well on their way to becoming obese. Obesity causes over 300,000 deaths a year and costs the country $117 billion dollars, prompting health care providers and the government to label it an epidemic (?Overweight and Obesity?? np).
Obesity has increased rapidly throughout the years, especially in the United States. As of today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults in the U.S are considered to be obese. We all know that obesity is becoming a serious issue in the lives Americans. The effects of obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and in serious cases, death. So the question we can all ask is, “What is the cause?” The cause of obesity can come from, but is not limited to, some of these things: eating habits, lack of exercise, or a medical condition.
I. Introduction: You’ve probably heard it a million times that obesity is an issue on the rise in America. Well, why if everyone knows that it is a problem is nothing being done to fix it? I’m here to propose a solution to this problem affecting over a third of the adult American Population.
Obesity is a growing concern in America because it puts people at risk of disease. Obesity does not fit the definition of a disease and can be readily prevented or controlled by diet and regular exercise. A person’s genetics may not always allow them to be at an ideal weight, but eating right and staying active will keep them healthy and decrease their risk developing obesity related diseases. The government’s recent push to see obesity as a disease is ineffective and may result in some negative repercussions. With the proper strategies and knowledge there is no limit to what size a person must be to live a full and completely functional life without being diagnosed with a disease.
It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).
The United States needs to do something to change the amount of childhood obesity in the nation. If the government requires children to take classes that require physical activity, abolishes school vending machines, and teaches children about healthy eating, then the amount of children that are obese in the United States will decrease significantly. Obesity is defined as the increase of body fat over time to the point where it can impact health in a negative manner and decrease life expectancy. Since the 1980’s, obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. Children have been greatly impacted in the increase of obesity. This is a major problem as someday these obese children could possibly turn into obese adults. If the population of obese adults and children keeps increasing, than not only will our country have a lot of severely unhealthy people but the cost of health care will increase dramatically.
Over the course of the last few decades, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in the spread of obesity. Through the rise of large-scale fast food corporations, the blame has shifted toward the mass consumerism of these global industries. It is, however, due to poor lifestyle choices that the U.S. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity. In 1990 the percentage of obese people in the United States was approximated at around 15%. In 2010, however, it is said that “36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher”(Millar). These rates have stayed consistent since 2003. The obesity problem in America is