Obesity In America Essay

Obesity In America
Pound for Pound the BIG Problem in America "Obesity happens one pound at a time, so does
preventing it"("Why Obesity..."). Though is does not seem like a big deal, gaining just a few
pounds a year can have a huge toll on life. Preventing obesity can lead to a happy, long, and healthy
life. The average American does not get enough exercise or eat the proper amount of nutrients that
the body needs. These days most people eat unhealthy, processed, and sodium–filled foods that,
according to the Daily Mail, are shortening American citizens' life spans with every new generation
("Being Overweight at 40..."). Because America looks at fast food as an easy and quick option,
people eat excessive amounts of this unhealthy food. Because of this, Americans...show more
content...
There can be many solutions to this issue. Is a solution to this epidemic putting laws on the
consumption of fast food? Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of NYC, says it is. He says, "The increase
in sugary drink consumption is the largest single cause of the rise in calories in the American diet
in the last 40 years. Many studies show consumption of these beverages is linked to weight gain
and obesity, and more recently, diabetes and heart disease." Mayor Bloomberg has passed a law
prohibiting sugar–rich drinks in more than 16 ounce bottles to be sold ("Combating Obesity"). He
has a point, proportion size limiting might help, but it is not necessarily a solution. The consumers
of these products think they need more. They are not going to be stopped from getting their XL
soda! Instead, they could just get two 16–ounce bottles. If this epidemic is to come to an end, the
American population needs to be taught to change their ways of life and choose better options that
would not only prolong their life, but also enhance the way they live and the way they
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Obesity in America Essay
Introduction For a long time, obesity has been one of the notable health concerns that America has
struggled with during the last five decades .Obesity as a health concern is not limited to America
alone, it is a serious concern among other affluent societies like European countries. A considerable
number of Americans spend a significant amount of money trying to lose weight. Obesity become
an important focus in the news items during the year 2002.According to research findings, the rate
of obesity among the American was at an average of 12% in 1990 and this rate was at 23% in the
year 2005(Menifield, Doty and Fletcher 83–8). As obesity continues to persist as health concern
within American communities, the question on who is most...show more content...
According to Harvard Health Publications (11–12), the causes of obesity are interrelated. By
understanding how these various factors interrelate and eventually how they cause obesity, we
can be able to draw a conclusion whether the problem of being overweight is as a result of our
own fault or it is a problem that people do not have control over. The factors that interact with one
another and result in one person being overweight compared to another include; genetics and the
person's weight, influences from the external environment, physical inactivity and the behaviors
that have been learned by a person. A person's genetic make up has a significant influence on
whether the person will become obese or not. If both parents are obese, the likelihood that their
children may end up being obese too is higher compared to a situation where neither of the parents
is obese or where only one of the parents is obese. This is particularly so because genetics
influence the way the body stores energy and how energy is used. This can be seen in the
differences that have recorded in the basal metabolic rates (BMR) among groups of people who
differ by age, gender and the make up of their bodies. People who have a low metabolic rate have a
higher risk of becoming overweight. The genetic similarities shared by members of one family can
explain why people who come form certain families end up being overweight (DeBruyne, Pinna

Introduction This essay will discuss obesity in America and the statistical data found surrounding the
subject. This is an interesting and personal topic and something very interesting to learn about. The
essay will cover different vantage points of obesity including obesity's relationship to poverty in the
U.S., parents' fight for more physical activity in schools to combat childhood obesity, statistical data
about America's obese population and even a spurious correlation between obesity and sleep
duration in children. The relationship between obesity and health has been a major factor in drawing
national attention to the growing prevalence of obesity. As the second leading cause of preventable
deaths in the United States, obesity...show more content...
Obese and overweight persons also represent 67 percent of those with type 2 diabetes. That is a
huge number and main indicator of how unhealthy it is to be obese. Increases in weight gain,
whether modest or large, can increase one's risk of illness and death. For example, individuals
who have gained 11 to 18 pounds double their risk of developing type 2diabetes, while those who
gain 44 pounds or more have four times the risk of type 2 diabetes. Strong evidence suggests
short–term weight loss (as modest as 5 percent to 15 percent of excess total body weight) in
overweight and obese individuals reduces risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Statement of the Problem The obesity rates in the U.S. are on the rise and so many children are
moving the direction of the adults they see each day indulging in unhealthy eating habits. In a
study conducted by Thomson Reuters, approximately two thirds of the sample population had a
Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or greater which put them in the overweight category. There is a
need for awareness about the growing problem of obesity and this report will explore, in some
part, promote that awareness. By 2001, almost 21 percent of adults were obese, representing a
nearly 75 percent increase. Because these data are based on self–reported height and weight, obesity
rates are most likely even higher than these estimates suggest.

Week 5 Assignment– Obesity in America
GEN499: General Education Capstone
Instructor: Mark Bowles
Final Paper: Obesity in America 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....show more content...
After including additional keywords (fast food earnings, food oppression, food insecurity,
minorities and low income paired with initial keywords and searching the reference lists of those
articles already found, an additional search yielded a plethora of articles to choose from , some
of which were actual research studies and others that were descriptive articles or summaries. The
three articles in this review are the ones I found most profoundly supported my main arguments in
my thesis statement. The research used to support my arguments employed qualitative methods
for obtaining data which was supported by statistical information, professional and educational
sources and articles from scholarly sources (Freeman, A. (2007); Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J.
(2009); Kumanyika, S. & Grier, S., (2006). Kumanyika, S. & Grier, S., (2006), looks at obesity
from the perspective of the government's role in the situation, or lack thereof a presence in
combating situations where they know people are getting taken advantage of through heavy
influence from lobbyist groups. Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J. (2009), looks at the situations
surrounding lifestyle choices, for example the availability of low cost foods, access to quick
processed items versus nutritious ones and the poor quality of areas in these coined phrase, food
deserts. Freeman, A. (2007), looks at the corporations and governments angle at keeping this an
ongoing epidemic and ways in which they

Obesity In America
Over the past several years obesity hasn't just increased drastically, it has doubled. Due to the drastic
increase and the rate of obesity health factors have also went up significantly. Obesity contributes to
many major health complications such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer
. In this paper we are going to explore the causes and effects of obesity, and what we as nurses can
do to help. Obesity is an increase in the body weight beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical
requirement, as the result of an excessive accumulation of fat in the body. It has become a long–term
health problem that affects the entire population. Obesity has increased to epidemic portions over
the past several years. The reason for this epidemic in general is...show more content...
The reasons for the rise of obesity in Americans today are the poor nutritional choices and the lack
of physical activity in their everyday life. In this day in age, our generation is built around
convenience. We are all after a quick fix, and that includes a drive–thru window at the local fast food
restaurant on our way to and from work. Other causes of this health issue can be traced to a number
of other factors including specific genetic traits that may convey metabolic predisposition, behavioral
factors, and environmental circumstances. (Hindle, 2012) All of these shortcuts and contributing
factors come at a cost. They have a long–term effect on your health. The negative effects obesity can
have on your body include such things as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
Other issues include pyschological effects pertaining to low self–esteem, embarrassment, and poor
personal decisions. Obesity also affects relationships with family and friends which can lead to
stigmatisation and social isolation. (Rabbitt, 2012) There is an abundant amount of ways to keep
such things from

"This might be the first generation where kids are dying at a younger age than their parents and
it's related primarily to the obesity problem" (Judy Davis). Obesity in America has been a rising
issue in the last few years. There have been a lot of different predications on to why the number is
rising so much in American people. The food that people are eating and the lack of physical activity
has a lot to do with this big rise. People aren't exercising as much as they use to and the food
surrounding the people in America isn't as good as it used to be either. More and more food places
go up every day and it isn't good for the people in society. Fast food industries are the leading cause
of obesity in America today. Reasons are fast food...show more content...
Children are hit hard with all of the advertisement of fast food places and although the results are
positive for the companies, the health of these children ends up in a negative. Obesity has a lot
of bad side effects. It is not a good thing and it is not healthy at all. People don't realize that when
they are eating food from these fast food places that it is actually affecting them in a really bad
and negative way. It just has become such a normal thing to go out with friends, to go to these
places when in a rush, or just going to these places when not feeling the need to cook a dinner that
night. So many people and families buy this food without knowing some of the side effects that it
could possibly bring. "So when you look at the rise in the obesity rate of people and the rise in the
success of the food chains they parallel each other" (Eric Schlosser). The rise is obesity is rising
at the same rate with the success of fast food companies. This means that more people are
becoming obese and more fast food places are going up at the same time. It also shows that people
are consuming more and more and not like how they use to. There are so many bad choices in
where to go for meals during the day that surround people, it's hard not to pick fast food. "Our
environment doesn't support healthy lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity" ("What Causes

Obesity In America
Over the past few decades, there has been an excessive weight gain in young people in America.
This excessive weight gain problem is known as obesity. Obesity has been increasing worldwide
for many years. It is found everywhere and everyone knows it. Obesity is not something to blow
over; it is a chronic illness and harmful to one's health. This disease is very difficult and can cause
many problems later in life if something is not done about it. Most would agree that obesity can
lead to fatal diseases. It is the responsibility of young adults to live a healthy lifestyle.
Everything was different compared to now. Everyone would sit down and eat dinner together
instead of eating dinner with the company of a cell phone in hand or the TV on....show more
content...
The government can make money by taxing unhealthy fast food and use it for education and less
expensive gym memberships. If there was money invested in more education about healthy eating,
young adults would have a better understanding of what is healthy. The teachers could teach the
class on how to eat healthy and what kinds of healthy foods there are. The extra money could be
used for a nutritionist or a chef that specializes in healthy foods. The less expensive gym
memberships would mean that more people would afford to join. The nutritionist expert believes
that putting in more money into school programs would increase the healthy food intake. Mark
Bittman, author of Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables states, "Rather than subsidizing the
production of unhealthful foods, we should turn the tables and tax things like soda, French fries,
doughnuts and hyperprocessed snacks" (35). Most would believe that unhealthy food should be
taxed rather than healthy food. If the the government wants the people to eat healthy, then start
taxing the unhealthy food, so the healthy food is cheaper. A hamburger cost $1 and a salad costs
about $5. Which one would the people want to buy? The hamburger because it is cheaper and
delicious. The salad may be healthier, but the hamburger is way cheaper. A study has shown that a
penny–per–ounce tax on unhealthy food would generate about billions of dollars in income and it

Obesity In America
"Did you know that the average weight of an American has increased twenty–four pounds since
1960?" (Stewart). Obesity is a growing issue in America and the government and society want to
have a say in this issue. The government can not stop a person from becoming obese. In order to
understand why the government and society is too involved in obesity, one needs to understand
the physical and emotional effects society has on America, and how media affects views on
obesity, and the government controlling food portions in schools. Society has an effect on
American's emotionally and physically. Over the years, society has set an example of how
people should look. There is not a set size people should be. A lot of girls believe they are too fat
because they look at supermodels and they are extremely skinny. For example, many girls are
afraid to go in front of large crowds to perform or present because they believe they are not skinny
enough....show more content...
Obesity has increased a lot over the years and health problems have not gotten any better. "...
[T]he average person has increased 24 pounds since 1960" (Stewart ). The government has a
reason to be concerned and worries about our obesity rates raising. Society likes to include
themselves in every problem America has, and since obesity is a growing problem in America it
is understandable why society wants others to be healthy. Even though it is understandable why
the government wants to be involved, society and the government is too involved in the growing
issue of obesity. The government cannot have a say in how someone wants to live their life. "A
New Jersey woman, who now tips the scale at 604 pounds, said it's be a "fantasy" to gobble her
way to fame and someday weight 1,000 pounds" (Li). The government cannot control how people
want to live their lives whether it be healthy or

Obesity in America
Good news! We're Number 2! As declared by a 2013 report from the U.N., America has only the
second highest obesity rate in the world at 31.8%, second to Mexico with an obesity rate of
32.8%. America has held on to the title of most obese country for over 60 years. From 13%
obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased right up to 2013's 32.8%. This may sound like
good news, but the harsh truth is that America didn't reach the number 2 spot through sweeping
diet changes or social conscience or sheer determination of a will to live longer, healthier lives. We
made the number 2 spot solely by the fact that someone else had a higher increment than we did.
Our numbers increased and are expected to continue to increase to nearly 43% by...show more
content...
With such a limited understanding of the consequences of obesity, coupled with statistics and the
facts mentioned above, it is clear that methods to educate American about obesity have not been
effective. Just what is obesity? Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat.
Obesity occurs when a person's weight is far above their ideal body weight. The root cause of
obesity is widely debated. An inactive lifestyle, environment, genetics, family history, health
conditions, medicines, emotional factors, age, pregnancy, and lack of sleep are many factors that
can contribute towards obesity. Many times we can find multiple overlaying factors, for example,
we may see a family history of obesity, along with an inactive lifestyle all while in an environment
that reinforces overindulgence. Obesity and its cause is a complex issue, but the main causes can
be generally grouped into three headings: poor diet, lack of exercise and lack of awareness. Major
labor–saving technological changes of the 20th century gave rise to the industrial processing of
food. In the 1950's and 60's we saw a rise of supermarkets and the spread of fast–food eateries. The
growth of supermarkets and fast–food eateries gave way to a new method of consumption. No
longer was food's route from the local farm or ranch to the

Obesity in America Essay example
Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and
theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and
professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America's vast supply of resources, luxurious
living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to
advertisements offering a quick–fix drug. America's obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just
cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and
mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem
in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution...show more content...
Cancer is also a long term complication associated with obesity, causing the body to shut down in
one area depending on the type of cancer. These irreversible effects will plague a person with
constant pain and the possibility of a much shorter life span. Obesity is a sickness that many
people choose to have, the only true cure is a choice. The definition of obesity is someone who is
grossly overweight. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines obesity as:
"...labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given
height" (Causes and Consequences 1). Almost one–third (35%) of America's population falls under
the category of 'obese'. Colorado has the lowest statistics of obesity with less than 25% of its
population registering as obese. This percentage in the U.S. has been rising steadily since 1986
when the obesity rate registered less than 10% nation wide. This data states that in less than thirty
years, the obesity rate has exploded in North America and is still climbing. Many fear the rate might
continue climbing to dangerous levels in the near future. A study conducted by the American
College of Preventive Medicine (Obesity Forecasts Through 2030) reveals data predicting obesity
rates to skyrocket past 50% nationwide by 2030 (Finkelstein 1). This quickly growing rate has many
looking to the cause of this epidemic in an attempt to

Obesity In America Essay
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. "BMI tells you how 'big' you are,...show more content...
A way to provoke change in our nation is to encourage eating balanced diets. Humans are
heterotrophic, meaning they receive energy from food; Therefore, it is extremely important to eat
a balanced diet so that energy humans receive is fully capable of fueling the body. Also, balanced
diets are not only key to having plenty of energy, but also have additional health benefits. For
example, vegetable are good sources of vitamins and minerals and fruits are nutritious sources of
vitamins and fibers."In 1992, the USDA decided to display its nutrition guidelines in the form of a
pyramid. The shape of the original pyramid, which had six food groups, was ideal for showing the
proportions of servings needed from each group to create a balanced diet. For instance, grains,
which we need most, were at the base, while sweets and fats, which we should only occasionally
snack on, were at the top." (brainpop.com) Accordingly, there are United States Department of
Agriculture approved guideline as to how to consume a nutritious diet. In addition to balanced
diets, another way to be of aid in bringing the long lasting obesity epidemic in America to an end is
exercising. Consequently, exercise has a direct correlation with weight loss. Exercising on a regular
schedule can build up muscle and get rid of excess body

One of the most commonly discussed issues of America in the last few decades has been obesity.
It remains one of the biggest problems in American society and requires a careful, systematic but
also immediate solution. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than
what is considered healthy. Today, 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight and half of those are
obese. The rates for children are smaller but they are not satisfying either: 15% are overweight and
another 15% are headed that way (Lemonick). Besides the aesthetic problems for many people that
this condition creates, it is most importantly known as the main cause of serious health problems as
well. There are many causes that contribute to these high...show more content...
There is scientific proof that obesity is linked to many serious health conditions of our time.
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis [(National
Institutes of Health) (Haslam)] are just some of them and were responsible for almost 400,000
deaths in America in 2004 alone (Goldfarb). These conditions even if they do not cause death, are
serious enough to significantly decrease the quality of an individual's life. The aesthetic effects of
obesity, on the other hand, are known to cause depression and low self–esteem. Unfortunately, the
criteria that most people are judged and evaluated today are based on the stereotypes created by
advertisements and lifestyle in general. A thin, fit person has more chances of being likable and
preferable than someone who is overweight, in many aspects of everyday life, including the
workplace. All these situations create a very negative impact on the mentality of an overweight
person. Obesity is extremely expensive, too. The nutrition choices that obese people make not only
decrease their health levels, but also create a strong impact in American economy. In 2003
Americans spent 75 billion dollars in medical treatment for issues connected to obesity (CDC).
Half of those costs were covered by Medicare and Medicaid or, in other words, by the taxpayers. In
addition, it is worth mentioning the entire industry that has been created as a result of the need to
fight

Obesity In America Essay

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