Obesity in the United States
Obesity has lately been quoted as a major health issue in recent decades. Industrialized countries like America, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK have increased obesity-rates, but the United States are among the highest in the world. Even though health issues in these countries – and especially America – have been a major issue, the rates are still continuing to grow. Statistics shows that one third of the American population is overweight and has led to 120.000 preventable deaths each year. Not only is this issue costing the American society an estimated 117 billion dollars, it is also slowly killing the poor civilized. But who can we blame? Over 45 million people in the United States live under poor circumstances
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One reason stems from the fact that many low-income neighborhoods lack safe, accessible places to exercise”. A big factor of this issue is also caused by the food deserts who lack access to large grocery stores who sells fresh products. An estimated total of 23.5 million people in America do not have the access to the supermarket within a mile of their home. As the targeted people get used to the unhealthy lifestyle, it is also known that American restaurants have improved sales with bigger meal sizes because of the growing urge to be satisfied. Not only is “health experts warning that the current generation of children may be the first in American history to have shorter life expectancy than their parents”, but food companies are producing enough foods for each American citizen to consume an overwhelming number – 3800 – calories everyday where as the average human only need 2350 calories in order to survive. Another big factor in obesity is the sedentary lifestyle which provides no irregular physical activities but rather activities such as playing videogames and watching television. This constant overeating added up with a sedentary lifestyle obviously results in obesity and risks of several sickness’ such as type 2. diabetes which is the most common sickness caused by the
The highest obesity rates in the entire world may be found in the U.S. Obesity has become a problem among the youth and grown ups living in the U.S. due to the big servings and greasy foods of fast food restaurants. A fast food restaurant can be found at almost every street corner in America. Most of the population is always on the go and busy, so they rely on something quick to quench their hunger. This leads to overeating and makes people forget to watch how many calories they take in. People would say fast food restaurants do not have a relation with obesity but through evidence and statistics a clear link between obesity and fast food restaurants is visible
Today about one in three children in the United States are obese, and is the number one cause of death in America. Childhood obesity is now more concerning to people than drug abuse and smoking. Obesity not only has disgusting physical effects, it also will have negative changes to a person’s personality. Even though many people are aware of the problems obesity brings, there still has been at least a 50% increase in obese people since 1980. Obesity will cause extreme health problems and possibly death if people don’t change their diets, activity levels, or emotional needs towards food.
Over the past century, America portion sizes and waistlines have grown exponentially. In 1975 the largest soft drink size was seven ounces, today a child’s size is 12 ounces. Also in the seventies high fructose corn syrup was invented and became a common ingredient in fast foods. Technology has contributed to our laziness and the ease of not leaving your couch to order more food. Obesity is a big problem caused by portion sizes, processed food and sugars, and technology.
Every child in America can rattle off ten or fifteen different sugary snacks that they like with no problem, but not nearly as many can name the same number of fruits or vegetables that they enjoy. Junk food marketed towards children is a real threat to their overall health as they are too young to recognize that it isn’t healthy or good for them, they only see a brightly colored package and something that they think tastes good. Children in America are more obese than ever before due to the accessibility of junk foods, by letting children eat these foods adults are doing them a great disservice. Junk foods contain unhealthy or even cancer-causing chemicals that get added into the body, it can destroy mental health, and is the leading cause of obesity in America. Most junk foods like snack cakes, cookies, chips, and anything canned or frozen contain preservatives.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America? I am sure many beautiful things come to mind, yet we must look beyond the beauty and face the facts. Did food cross your mind as well? How about fast food? I mean, fast food may come to mind when considering the tremendous number of available options.
The lifestyle in the United States has drastically changed with the raising of health care prices and other factors. Many economists believe that the American middle class is in trouble because average income has drastically decreased while the cost of living has increased. The cost of basic needs such as health care and child care have dramatically risen, causing many families to have to budget every aspect of their lives. The Center for American Progress said that “for a married couple with two children, the costs of key elements of middle-class security… rose by more than $10,000 in the 12 years from 2000-2012,” (Erickson, American Progress), while at the same time, family incomes have remained practically the same. Some researchers attest that the increase of health care prices is the result of
Obesity kills lots of people with other diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might hurt their health. If a person's body weight is at least 20% higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese. Junk food is one reason people get overweight and have diseases that kill them. There are things people can do to get rid of obesity in America.
In an article NBC news (4/22/14), it tackles the obesity epidemic in the United States. “The main reason we're getting fatter — all of us — is because we are surrounded by tasty temptations that cost very little, from fast food menus to processed snack foods.” According to the article by Linda Carroll and Madelyn Fernstrom nothing contributes to this epidemic as much as this one factor alone. Inaccessibility of healthier alternatives is a minimal problem in today's age. “Data show that fruits and vegetables, for example, have become increasingly available and affordable over the past decade.”
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.
Obesity has become a major dilemma within America, mostly childhood obesity which has become in my eyes an epidemic. Childhood obesity will bring about adult obesity, health issues, psychological problems, and will even damper on sociological issues when pertaining to relating to culture and other people on a daily basis ( ex: brings about bullying or being bullied, social issues with kids, and low self-esteem and confidence). These include but never restricted to the fact of physical, social, environmental, psychological, and health issues all within a wider scale mostly if the pattern of obesity starts at an early age and then progress to adolescence and adulthood. The factors given in obesity has once again become a worldwide issue and concern for family, friends, and the child.
Americans today are fighting an obesity epidemic. According to a study published by Genomics & Genetics Weekly, the number of severely obese Americans has increased by 70 percent in a 10-year span (2012). The study also claimed that over 15 million Americans have a body mass index of greater than 40 percent (Genomics & Genetics Weekly, 2012). To put that number into perspective, people with a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29 are considered to be overweight while people with a BMI of 30-35 are considered to be obese. Some may ask what has led to this significant increase in obesity?
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2002 survey) determined that approximately 65% of the U.S. adult population was either obese or overweight. This survey also indicated that an estimated 16% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 years are overweight. And, there is no doubt that obesity is on the rise in our country! Why the upwards trend in obesity? As most of us are aware, Americans have fallen prey to high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie diets (common in fast food restaurants).
Throughout the years, the obesity rate in America has been dramatically increasing. Obesity is when a person has too much body weight which can be defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. ("Obesity." 1). There is a difference between feeling fat or being slightly overweight and being obese. Feeling fat is a thought or perception that someone has about themselves or someone else.
America is one of the fattest countries of 2014. According to Fox News, Americans who make more than $90,000 are obese. People with an annual income of $36,000 or less are also considered obese. Overall, 31.8 percent of the population of the United States is obese. Obesity is abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Obesity rates have increased dramatically in the United States over the last several decades. Concurrent to this rise in obesity was the rise in treatments for obesity related co-morbidities. Costs associated with rising levels of obesity are cited as a significant reason for increasing health care costs (Hammond & Levine, 2010). According to the Center for Disease and Control, one third of all U.S. adults are obese.