Carter 1Why Are The US Citizens Rapidly Becoming More Obes.docx

Carter 1
Why Are The US Citizens Rapidly Becoming More Obese?
Results of a first-of-its-kind trend data analysis involving 188
countries worldwide indicate that the highest percentage of
people with obesity – 13 percent of the world’s total – reside in
the United States, a nation that accounts for just 5 percent of
the overall global population. Approximately 160 million US
citizens are either overweight or obese, with almost 60 percent
of adult women and 75 percent of grown-up men living in the
country constituting this population group. American youngsters
are not spared either, as nearly 30 percent of girls and boys
aged 20 years or younger are plump and flabby, indicative of an
11 percent increase in the number of obese American children
since 1980 (Murray et al.). Indeed, a majority of US citizens is
currently fatter than the recommendation of medical science,
and weights are still on the rise despite efforts to educate
individuals about the health risks associated with obesity. Why
are Americans rapidly becoming more obese? This paper argues
that the US citizens are becoming more overweight because of
American culture, technical changes in the preparation of food,
and inactivity.
The importance of researching why Americans are increasingly
becoming overweight is manifest in the costs of obesity for
individuals and the nation at large. Obesity, which in simple
terms refers to an excess of body fat that causes adverse effects
in the health and overall wellbeing of individuals, exacerbates
the risk for contracting various illnesses and impairs life quality
for both children and adults (Rippe 1131). The health risks
include heart disease, osteoarthritis, polycystic ovarian disease,
sleep apnea, gout, and a wide range of cancer types, such as
liver, kidney, pancreatic, and breast cancers, all of which can
lead to death, causing pain and distress to the relatives and
friends of the deceased person. Fatness also increases the

possibility of developing metabolic conditions, such as diabetes,
fatty liver syndrome, and hypertension (Cusi). The burden of
such illnesses is not trivial, as they can lead to premature death,
disability, and lost productivity, all of which have significant
implications for the obese individual, his or her family and
friends, and the United States at large.
Obesity also leads to an increase in the financial resources that
Americans spend on healthcare either as individuals or as a
nation. Indeed, the medical costs associated with being grossly
fat are enormous and increasing, evident in the findings of a
study conducted by experts in the medical care sector from 2008
to 2015. The results of the research indicate that the United
States expends at least $209 billion of its medical care budget
on obesity (Kim, & Basu 602). Putting that into perspective,
consider that the figure is nearly half of the estimated US
deficit for the year 2018, implying that the country spends
almost one in every five dollars allocated to healthcare in the
treatment of obesity-related illnesses. The expenditure is also
high among individuals, as evident in the outcomes of a survey
that found that obese US citizens spend 80 percent more than
normal-weight Americans on prescription medication (Cusi).
Hence, obesity directly or indirectly affects all people living in
the United States. Gaining an understanding of the reasons why
the US inhabitants are rapidly becoming fat will help in the
formulation of approaches that Americans can adopt to prevent
corpulence and ensure a healthier and brighter future for US
children.
One of the principal reasons why the US population is quickly
becoming overweight lies in the country’s culture. The
American society is organized around a culture of productivity
and long hours of work that leads to unhappy people,
unbalanced lives, and an unhealthy lifestyle. Sadness and stress
stemming from workplace pressures can stimulate an individual
to overeat, leading to obesity. Moreover, for most Americans
that struggle between paychecks and long working hours, the
foods that make the most sense are those that are processed and

packaged. Such food normally contains a significant amount of
calories that lead to plumpness when consumed in excess.
Additionally, the US has a tradition of overindulging during
holidays, when most American citizens consume sugary treats
and junk food (Cusi). As such, the taste buds of US children
develop based on sweetened and fatty food choices, a habit that
follows them into adulthood, resulting in the rapid increase in
the number of obese Americans.
Technical changes in the preparation of food are another reason
why US inhabitants are increasingly becoming fat. Up until the
21st century, the majority of American families cooked their
meals and consumed them at home. However, since the turn of
the millennium, the United States has experienced a tremendous
revolution in mass food production (Philipson). Technological
innovations, such as vacuum packaging, microwaves, deep-
freezing, artificial flavors, and enhanced preservatives have
enabled manufacturers to prepare food centrally and distribute it
to the end users for rapid consumption. Such changes have led
to processed, packaged, and fatty food such as French fries that
contain high caloric levels being the dominant forms of
nutriments that US denizens eat (Forman et al.). Technological
transformations have also led to reduced costs of food
preparation, leading to consumption of more meals and a
resultant increase in caloric intake that contributes to high rates
of obesity among Americans.
Lastly, Americans are rapidly becoming obese because of lack
of exercise and overall inactivity. It has been decades since
most US citizens worked on factory floors and in agricultural
fields, and currently the majority of the people residing in the
country sits throughout their workday. According to the
findings of one study, only 20 percent of today’s American jobs
require at least a moderate level of physical activity in
comparison to 50 percent of occupations five decades ago.
Moreover, a significant proportion of the American population
travels by automobiles or train when they go to work or school
rather than walking to their destination. At the end of the day, a

substantial percentage of US inhabitants do not get sufficient
physical exercise (Public Health). Add that to the high amount
of caloric intake among Americans, and you get a perfect recipe
for the rapid weight gain that is prevalent in American society.
As is evident from the results of the research study, various
factors, including the American culture, technological changes
in food preparation and inactivity explain why the US citizens
are increasingly becoming more obese. Obesity directly or
indirectly affects all people living in the United States. It
exacerbates the risk for contracting various illnesses, leads to
premature death, which causes pain and distress to the relatives
and friends of the deceased, and results in an increase in the
financial resources that Americans spend on healthcare either as
individuals or as a nation. Without a doubt, the US needs a
more effective, systematic approach to dealing with the obesity
epidemic, which has sunk to the bottom of a vast reservoir of
health problems that currently plague the nation. Gaining an
understanding of the reasons why US inhabitants are rapidly
becoming fat can help in the development of preventive
interventions that reduce the high rates of obesity in the country
and ensure a healthier and brighter future for American
children.
Works Cited
Cusi, Kenneth. “Our Fight with Fat: Why Is Obesity Getting
Worse?” The Conversation, The Conversation Africa, Inc., 26
Dec. 2017, theconversation.com/our-fight-with-fat-why-is-
obesity-getting-worse-86601.
Forman, Evan, et al. "Could Technology Help Us Tackle the
Obesity Crisis?" (2016): FSO151.
Kim, David D., and Anirban Basu. "Estimating the Medical
Care Costs of Obesity in the United States: Systematic Review,
Meta-Analysis, and Empirical Analysis." Value in Health 19.5
(2016): 602-613, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27565277.

Murray, Christopher, et al. “The Vast Majority of American
Adults Are Overweight or Obese, and Weight Is a Growing
Problem among US Children.” IHME, Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation, 28 May 2014,
www.healthdata.org/news-release/vast-majority-american-
adults-are-overweight-or-obese-and-weight-growing-problem-
among.
Philipson, Tomas. “Innovation Caused The Obesity Epidemic-
Will It Also Reverse It?” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC., 19 Sept.
2014,
www.forbes.com/sites/tomasphilipson/2014/09/19/innovation-
caused-the-obesity-epidemic-will-it-also-reverse-
it/#1a3ad5857051.
Public Health. “Why Are Americans Obese?” PublicHealth,
PublicHealth.org, 2018, www.publichealth.org/public-
awareness/obesity/
Rippe, James. Lifestyle Medicine. CRC Press, 2014,
books.google.co.ke/books?id=8mzB7ceBz2EC&printsec=frontco
ver&dq=Lifestyle+Medicine+by+James+Rippe&hl=en&sa=X&v
ed=0ahUKEwj74u77vv7fAhWNDxQKHYDFCucQ6AEIKDAA#v
=onepage&q=Lifestyle%20Medicine%20by%20James%20Rippe
&f=false.
Carter 2
Shanta Carter
English 1302
Annotated Bibliography

This journal article report of scientific research by Kenneth
Cusi was published in December 2017 to educate the Obese
about the rising statistical evidence of the rise in cases of
obesity in America which he places at 40% of the American
population. The author, Kenneth Cusi, is an endocrinology
professor at the University of Florida.
The article advises the obese on the ways to reduce weight
through other means rather than the most popular as working
out and avoiding deserts. It also provides a lot of statistical
evidence on the rise of the obese part of the population. The
book is relevant in the obesity contacting and rate reduction as
it traces the history of weight gain among Americans and sheds
light on the eased to develop it and the difficulty to recover the
gained weight. The statistical evidence provided in the article
also gives the affected the light to see through the figures and
the need to live a healthy life.
The cited journal article report of scientific research by
Evan Forman was published in 2016. The author aims to educate
those at the risk of developing obesity and the obese how to
avoid developing the condition as it provides strategies that can
be used to cope with food cravings. The fact that the text was
published in 2016 makes it relevant to be used as a source in
that it is within a five year range from 2016.
The article highlights and criticizes existing strategies for
coping with food cravings for relying on principles with
paradoxical effects. The study reported is a novel evaluation on
48 obese women to help them develop strategies on how to cope
with food cravings. The article is relevant in obesity avoidance
and management in that it touches on strategies for managing
the condition using new strategies for those with the tendency
to engage in emotional eating and those susceptible to the
presence of food.

The summery of sources by David Kim and Basu Anirban is a
journal article published in 2016. It is intended to American
audience educating them on the financial costs associated with
developing and managing obesity. The source was published in
2016 falling in the five year range from 2019 making it still
relevant to be used in the study.
The source looks into the financial costs associated with obesity
in terms of development and management. The authors break the
costs into national, individual, being fat and being obese and
place the costs from 2008 to 2015 at 209 billion national
budgets on obesity. The authors argue that eliminating obesity
will go a long way in taming the budget deficit and in
improvement on the quality of life among individuals who also
spend a lot on medication trying to manage obesity.
among.
The report of scientific research by Christopher Murray is a
journal article published in May 2014. It contributes to the
debate of rise of obesity and its prevalence in the American
public and therefore is intended to the decision-makers, policy
makers and non-governmental organizations in this line of
practice in their efforts to help tame the risk factors. The year
of publication falls within the five year range making it an up-
to-date source viable for use in the ongoing debate on obesity.
The report was conducted to estimate the national, regional and
global prevalence of obesity and overweight in children and
adults between 1980 and 2013. The report calls for an increased

and widespread regular obesity and overweight monitoring in all
populations and uses mixed research methods to attain its
objectives. The article draws its relevance from the fact it
approaches policy and decision makers to intervene in the
management of obesity and overweight.
2014,
it/#1a3ad5857051.
The editorial journal article by Tomas Philipson was published
in September 2014. The health care economist from the
University of Chicago intends to reach food manufactures and
processors, researchers and policy makers to help stem the
rising growth of obesity in the American public by taming the
content of calories in manufactured foods. The year of
publication falls within the five year range from 2019 making it
an up-to-date source relevant for this study.
The author acknowledges the rising number of obesity and
overweight cases among Americans and blames innovation for
causing it and recommends that the same medical innovation be
used to reverse it. The author blames the use of technology,
automation and IT in the postindustrial America for the rising
obesity prevalence. The article draws its relevance to this effect
as it calls for innovation that will keep workers exercising as in
the pre-industrial times.
awareness/obesity/
The editorial website publication on the reasons for American
obesity published in 2018 aims to educate the public on
practices that increase chances for obesity development. The
year of publication, 2018, is a recent year making the contents
of the article relevant for this course of discussion on Obesity
prevalence, its costs and management.

The article provides statistics on the rise of obesity and
provides reasons why the American people are increasingly
becoming obese. It names the increase in portion sizes and diet
controversy as being the leading reasons for obesity increase.
The article’s contents are very essential in obesity management
in that it educates on obesity risk factors and provides ways to
individual obesity management making it a relevant source.
&f=false.
The scientific research report book James Rippe was published
in October 2014 and shed light on the need to research on why
Americans are increasingly becoming obese and goes through
the risk factors. The source is intended for the American public
for educational purposes as the year of publication assures the
relevance of the contents.
The book stresses on the importance on conducting numerous
research studies on the reasons behind the rising trends on
obesity in America. The books also names health risks
associated with developing obesity and contributes to the cost
debate. The source is relevant in that it gives suggest both
national and individual ways of reducing obesity prevalnec
among the American population.
Surname 1
Student’s Name
‘Professor’s Name
Course

Date
Why Are The US Citizens Rapidly Becoming More Obese?
Results of a first-of-its-kind trend data analysis involving 188
countries worldwide indicate that the highest percentage of
people with obesity – 13 percent of the world’s total – reside in
the United States, a nation that accounts for just 5 percent of
the overall global population. Approximately 160 million US
citizens are either overweight or obese, with almost 60 percent
of adult women and 75 percent of grown-up men living in the
country constituting this population group. American youngsters
are not spared either, as nearly 30 percent of girls and boys
aged 20 years or younger are plump and flabby, indicative of an
11 percent increase in the number of obese American children
since 1980 (Murray et al.). Indeed, a majority of US citizens is
currently fatter than the recommendation of medical science,
and weights are still on the rise despite efforts to educate
individuals about the health risks associated with obesity. Why
are Americans rapidly becoming more obese? This paper argues
that the US citizens are becoming more overweight because of
American culture, technical changes in the preparation of food,
and inactivity.
The Significance of the Research
The importance of researching why Americans are increasingly
becoming overweight is manifest in the costs of obesity for
individuals and the nation at large. Obesity, which in simple
terms refers to an excess of body fat that causes adverse effects
in the health and overall wellbeing of individuals, exacerbates
the risk for contracting various illnesses and impairs life quality
for both children and adults (Rippe 1131). The health risks
include heart disease, osteoarthritis, polycystic ovarian disease,
sleep apnea, gout, and a wide range of cancer types, such as
liver, kidney, pancreatic, and breast cancers, all of which can
lead to death, causing pain and distress to the relatives and
friends of the deceased person. Fatness also increases the

possibility of developing metabolic conditions, such as diabetes,
fatty liver syndrome, and hypertension (Cusi). The burden of
such illnesses is not trivial, as they can lead to premature death,
disability, and lost productivity, all of which have significant
implications for the obese individual, his or her family and
friends, and the United States at large.
Obesity also leads to an increase in the financial resources that
Americans spend on healthcare either as individuals or as a
nation. Indeed, the medical costs associated with being grossly
fat are enormous and increasing, evident in the findings of a
study conducted by experts in the medical care sector from 2008
to 2015. The results of the research indicate that the United
States expends at least $209 billion of its medical care budget
on obesity (Kim, & Basu 602). Putting that into perspective,
consider that the figure is nearly half of the estimated US
deficit for the year 2018, implying that the country spends
almost one in every five dollars allocated to healthcare in the
treatment of obesity-related illnesses. The expenditure is also
high among individuals, as evident in the outcomes of a survey
that found that obese US citizens spend 80 percent more than
normal-weight Americans on prescription medication (Cusi).
Hence, obesity directly or indirectly affects all people living in
the United States. Gaining an understanding of the reasons why
the US inhabitants are rapidly becoming fat will help in the
formulation of approaches that Americans can adopt to prevent
corpulence and ensure a healthier and brighter future for US
children.
Reasons Why the US Citizens Are Rapidly Becoming Obese
One of the principal reasons why the US population is quickly
becoming overweight lies in the country’s culture. The
American society is organized around a culture of productivity
and long hours of work that leads to unhappy people,
unbalanced lives, and an unhealthy lifestyle. Sadness and stress
stemming from workplace pressures can stimulate an individual
to overeat, leading to obesity. Moreover, for most Americans
that struggle between paychecks and long working hours, the

foods that make the most sense are those that are processed and
packaged. Such food normally contains a significant amount of
calories that lead to plumpness when consumed in excess.
Additionally, the US has a tradition of overindulging during
holidays, when most American citizens consume sugary treats
and junk food (Cusi). As such, the taste buds of US children
develop based on sweetened and fatty food choices, a habit that
follows them into adulthood, resulting in the rapid increase in
the number of obese Americans.
Technical changes in the preparation of food are another reason
why US inhabitants are increasingly becoming fat. Up until the
21st century, the majority of American families cooked their
meals and consumed them at home. However, since the turn of
the millennium, the United States has experienced a tremendous
revolution in mass food production (Philipson). Technological
innovations, such as vacuum packaging, microwaves, deep-
freezing, artificial flavors, and enhanced preservatives have
enabled manufacturers to prepare food centrally and distribute it
to the end users for rapid consumption. Such changes have led
to processed, packaged, and fatty food such as French fries that
contain high caloric levels being the dominant forms of
nutriments that US denizens eat (Forman et al.). Technological
transformations have also led to reduced costs of food
preparation, leading to consumption of more meals and a
resultant increase in caloric intake that contributes to high rates
of obesity among Americans.
Lastly, Americans are rapidly becoming obese because of lack
of exercise and overall inactivity. It has been decades since
most US citizens worked on factory floors and in agricultural
fields, and currently the majority of the people residing in the
country sits throughout their workday. According to the
findings of one study, only 20 percent of today’s American jobs
require at least a moderate level of physical activity in
comparison to 50 percent of occupations five decades ago.
Moreover, a significant proportion of the American population
travels by automobiles or train when they go to work or school

rather than walking to their destination. At the end of the day, a
substantial percentage of US inhabitants do not get sufficient
physical exercise (Public Health). Add that to the high amount
of caloric intake among Americans, and you get a perfect recipe
for the rapid weight gain that is prevalent in American society.
Conclusion
As is evident from the results of the research study, various
factors, including the American culture, technological changes
in food preparation and inactivity explain why the US citizens
are increasingly becoming more obese. Obesity directly or
indirectly affects all people living in the United States. It
exacerbates the risk for contracting various illnesses, leads to
premature death, which causes pain and distress to the relatives
and friends of the deceased, and results in an increase in the
financial resources that Americans spend on healthcare either as
individuals or as a nation. Without a doubt, the US needs a
more effective, systematic approach to dealing with the obesity
epidemic, which has sunk to the bottom of a vast reservoir of
health problems that currently plague the nation. Gaining an
understanding of the reasons why US inhabitants are rapidly
becoming fat can help in the development of preventive
interventions that reduce the high rates of obesity in the country
and ensure a healthier and brighter future for American
children.
Works Cited

among.
2014,
it/#1a3ad5857051.
awareness/obesity/
&f=false.

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