Obesity is an epidemic in the United States that has risen steadily over the last 30 years. Obesity effects all populations in the US, from young and old to people with disabilities. . For children and adolescents age 2 to 19 years, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific CDC BMI-for-age growth charts. For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents for the past decade. On the other hand, more than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. This statistic is very startling because obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. This is a very important topic to me because …show more content…
She spoke about a specific population that is effected by obesity. I learned that compared with the general population, adults (≥18 years) with intellectual disability had a higher prevalence of obesity (38.3% vs. 28%) and morbid obesity (7.4% vs. 4.2%). While obesity prevalence in the USA is high among all populations, the prevalence of obesity among adults with intellectual disabilities was substantially higher compared with population. In the 18 to 39 year old age group, obesity rates were 54% higher; in the 40 to 59 year old group, rates were 34% higher; and in the over 60-age cohort, rates were 26% higher. One striking finding was the rate of morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40), among a younger population of adults with intellectual disability (i.e. 18 to 39 years), rates of morbid obesity were almost twice that reported in the general
While in the result section of the paper it is even stated that falling into the overweight BMI category is slight associated with a reduction in mortality, the paper has the vague title of “Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight and Obesity” (Flegal). Through Doctoring Data Kendrick exposes the discrepancies between the data in research and the way it is presented to the public.
Each year, there are about 112,000 deaths from obesity that are preventable. In the past few decades, the number of cases of obesity has been on the rise in the United States. It has tripled among children and doubled among adults. In 1990, Connecticut’s obesity rate was at 10.4 percent. Then, in 2000, it was at 16.0 percent and currently it’s at 26.0 percent.
Obesity has been a major problem in America for a long time every since junk food and fast food came into play. Now in America there is 78.6 million obese adults and counting (CDC). Obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke and even type 2 diabetes if worse enough. The estimated obesity medical bill was over 147 billion dollars in United States this shows that when you get obesity that is why you should stay active and eat more healthy foods. Obesity can be prevented by being active and getting enough exercise, eat healthy foods and try to stay away from junk food, finally reduce screen time and find other things to do than watching television.
In the United States, with an abundant, inexpensive food supply and a largely sedentary population, over nutrition has become an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in adults." In continuation, " As early as 1902, USDA 's W.O. Atwater linked dietary intake to health, noting that "that the evils of overeating may not be felt at once, but sooner or later they are sure to appear - perhaps in an excessive amount of fatty tissue, perhaps in general debility, perhaps in actual disease" (Atwater, 1894). Somehow, I told you so doesn 't get the message across when it comes to the previous statement given more than a century ago. The last part I underlined because it drives home a very important part of our challenge today, perhaps in actual disease. What obesity related diseases do we currently have today?
accepting soft drink and fast-food contracts because they provide large commissions for financially strapped schools. Obesity is a grave public health threat, more serious even than the opioid epidemic. It is linked to chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Obesity accounts for 18 percent of deaths among Americans ages 40 to 85, according to a 2013 study challenging the prevailing wisdom among scientists, which had placed the rate at around 5 percent. This means obesity is comparable to cigarette smoking as a public health hazard; smoking kills one of five Americans and is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
Children 8 to 18 spend 44.5 hours on average weekly watching television and using electronics (Fredericks 11). People wonder why obesity has affected so many americans and this is just the start of the problems. Some of the many contributions to obesity are poverty, gender, genetics, physical activity and diet. About 13 % of children and 61 % of adults are overweight, and with obesity causing 300,000 deaths annually those numbers sound even larger(Nakaya 33). Obesity is an easy problem to fix because of all the research that has been done and all the resources there are.
“Make sure to shop in the fresh sections of the grocery store for nutritious foods,” the doctor told the obese patient as they trudged out the door. How can I afford to buy these foods, the patient thought to themselves, when I only make $130 a week and am trying to feed a family of four? This situation is the harsh reality for forty-five million Americans. (emotional appeal) Of the many Americans who have been labeled obese, very few have the actual monetary means to fix their ailment. The war on obesity has consumed lower class America for several years and the end is nowhere in sight.
Many people know that obesity is a huge issue, not only in America; but, worldwide. However, many people do not know and understand that most of our obesity rates come from our younger generations. Majority of our findings on obesity come from our adolescent years of life. According to a study from Kansas City, Missouri, the research team reported adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at higher risk for obesity (Children’s Mercy Hospital, 2016). Within this paper, I will to explain why adolescents are obese (causes), what can be done to help reduce the number within this age group, and inform the parents steps they can take and how they can help children battle this horrific issue of America.
That there is an obesity epidemic in America and the western world in general is not in doubt, but there is neither single nor simple answer as to why. It is obvious that in the US, as elsewhere, many things contribute to those ever-expanding waistlines of the population. It can all be broken down into elements such as genetics, environment nature and nurture, the environmental aspect being simply that the majority of folks these days get far less exercise than they did after say, WWII. The average working man used to have a job dominated by physical activity, but such work has largely been replaced with much more sedentary employment, meaning that lack of exercise combined with normal eating easily translates to excess weight as time goes by.
However, it still remains that children surrounded by an obese culture are more likely to be obese, so the overweight adults need to be targeted too. She does briefly mention that clearer labeling should be required of fast chains,
“I grew up in West Virginia currently the third-fattest state in America. When I was growing up, my mother cooked dinner every single day. Almost all my memories of her are in the kitchen. And we never ate out, only on those few, rare special occasions. Today, families do it all the time, and they're paying for it -- not only with their wallets, but with their waistlines.”
Obesity is one of Americas leading health problems. Evidence shows that every 2 in 3 adults in the United States are overweight or considered to have obesity and 1 in 6 children are obese (“Overweight and Obesity Statics”). People are overweight when their BMI (body mass index) is about 25 pounds over their average weight, and they are obese when it gets over 30 pounds. This lifestyle is considered just a weight problem to many, however, obesity can lead to chronic disease and even death. This problem is not declining soon.
The obesity crisis in America, now referred to as “a worldwide epidemic” is on a scale incomparable to that of any other disease with an estimated death toll of “approximately 280,000 … subjects and 325,000.” One of the principle issues with this epidemic is the fact that that the illness and the consequent symptoms and deaths caused by the disease have not significantly improved over the years. An idea that is clearly visible when looking back at early newspaper articles that state that “Obesity on rise in U.S., may kill nearly 300,000 annually” and then to compare it to far more modern articles express that that obesity is at “the highest rate the country has ever seen” it is clear to see that the obesity epidemic shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
To understand when someone is considered to be obese, it is important to know the relationship among height, body weight, and body mass index (BMI). According to classifications by the CDC, a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight, between 18.5 and 24.9 is a healthy weight, between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, and above 30 is obese (Public Health, 2017). Something that many might wonder is: what makes America so obese? Research claims that the obesity epidemic in the U.S. exists because of large portions, poor education on healthy diets, and lack of physical activity. The increase of meat consumption, added fats, and fast food options are putting more weight on Americans because these foods are not healthy, especially in large serving sizes (Public Health, 2017).
Obesity has gained a lot of attention in the recent years especially in the 21st century. Right now in America, there is an ongoing epidemic. The cause is not by viruses or bacteria, but by human nature. There is no one way to solve this serious problem. With growing body sizes and serious medical problems associated with obesity, it is a problem that needs to be addressed and changed.