Unhealthy Lifestyle of American Citizens

The United States of America is one of the most advanced mass producing countries in the world. With vast technological and agricultural advances, physical activity and minimal production of crops has become obsolete. An epidemic as defined in An Introduction to Community Health by Mckenzie, Pinger, and Kotecki, is “an unexpectedly large number of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other health related event.” Diabetes, heart disease and cancer are all forms of lifestyle diseases, and each of these diseases of the human body can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices, particularly affecting those who are overweight or obese. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, obesity is defined as a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. Medically defined, it is an “abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.” More than 35.7% of Americans are obese and the medical costs for those who were obese in 2008 spent $1,429 higher than those that were considered a normal weight. Obesity rates are also higher in different ethnic groups. Some of the leading causes of obesity that will be explained further include sedentary lifestyles, health conditions, and food chains. Although obesity is an issue that is currently rising due to our country’s advances, it is completely curable and avoidable if people were further educated about this problem.

To medically diagnose an individual as overweight or obese, one must first have an understanding in nutrition and science as to what considers a person being obese. To measure whether or not someone is obese, one must first ...

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... an 86% risk of them becoming obese. If people became more aware of what and how much they are consuming on a day to day basis, eating out occasionally is acceptable behavior, but making a habit if ingesting these unhealthy harmful foods certainly effect ones health in the long run.

In conclusion, each of these issues discussed has lead the United States of America into a difficult and possibly deadly path of obesity. Obesity is one the major health issues Americans face today. If people are simply more aware of the medications they take, diseases they acquired, their daily meal choices, and overall willing to change their lifestyles and chose to partake in a more physically active lifestyle, obesity in the U.S. can become an issue that is obsolete. With more recognition of what we as a nation in our everyday lives, can live longer, healthier, and prosperous lives.