The present day’s most visible- yet most neglected- public health problems is Obesity. With over 400 million people suffering from obesity, it has been aptly termed as a global epidemic. It cuts across all age, gender, socioeconomic groups and economies.
What is obesity?
The WHO defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.
Quick Facts1
• The worldwide prevalence of obesity more than doubled between 1980 and 2014.
Worldwide over 400 million who suffer from obesity.
• 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.
• Childhood obesity is on a rise, 42 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2013
• Most of the world's population live in countries
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Apart from the physical distress and social stigma, an obese individual is also at a high risk of developing non communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, depression, sleep apnea, some cancers (eg, breast and prostate cancers) fatty liver disease, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis and infertility.
What are the causes?
Human body has around 30 billion fat cells. As a response to weight gain, the fat cells start growing in size. With further increase, these cells aren’t able to contain the weight and number of fat cells start increasing.
• Energy imbalance: If calories consumed is greater than calories expended, it will result in weight gain.
• Genetics: An individual’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) i.e. the rate at which a person metabolizes food is determined by his genetic factors. A low BMR could be a possible reason for weight gain.
• Lifestyle Changes and Physical inactivity: Increasing sedentary lifestyle and usage of modern conveniences has been cited as a major reason for the obesity epidemic worldwide.
• Changes in food supply: There has been a global shift in diet towards increased intake and availability of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other essential
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.
Saletan gives more than enough information on how, when, and what is happening worldwide about obesity. Although he does not give a solution, he still made an eye opening experience while reading this essay. Obesity is now happening worldwide. Yes I said it, worldwide according to Saletan. “Egyptian, Mexican, and South African women are as fat as American”, he claims in the second paragraph.
In “Obesity within the United Sates” Richard Dirksen defines obesity as “weighing roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight” (Dirksen 1). The psychical appearance of obesity is something that in most cases is easy to tell. But the side effects of obesity are what remain silent for long periods of time. In most cases people who are obese tend to shy away from others because they feel simply as, if they do not fit in. Yet they continue to live a gluten full life style regardless of what others think as it satisfies their hunger and taste buds which is starting to make obesity a more common trend.
Asthma, diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, depression, and even death are all effects of a deadly epidemic that is surging through the adolescents of America (Johnson). This epidemic is known as obesity. It has become the second leading cause of death in America, simply because it can lead to so many other health problems (Johnson). This devastating epidemic needs to be taken seriously. This can be done by examining the problem itself, the causes and effects of obesity, and figuring out some at-home and overall solutions.
Being obese is one of the hardest things a person can put their body through. Obesity has many harmful effects on the body. Obesity has become such a major
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.
Behavior and environment has a big role to play in obesity too. Studies show that less than 50% of adults in America get a healthy amount physical activity. This means that grownups cannot get enough calories out and end up gaining weight because they choose not to live healthy or they have a disease. Also modern technology influences obesity because it makes labor easier. Computers and televisions keep Americans on the couch all day.
The World Health Organization says,"The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight . . .. is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended". (“Obesity”) It is much more complex than that, there are obesity is genetic, environmental, psychological, social and economic factors that come into play. In their article “Causes of Obesity,” Suzanne Wright and Louis Aronne explain that, how the food environment in America is set up in such a way that promotes overeating, portion sizes are too large, food too calorie dense and convenient and inexpensive.
What causes obesity? The answer is obvious, fast food. In a world where the obesity rates are rapidly rising, the biggest question is why? Almost 100% of the population believes that fast food is directly linked to obesity. According to facebook, it is nearly impossible to resist eating fast food.
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.
Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades, and is one of the highest in the world. Obesity rates have increased for all population groups in the United States over the last several decades. Between 1986 and 2000, the prevalence of severe obesity quadrupled from one in two hundred Americans to one in fifty. Extreme obesity in adults increased by a factor of five, from one in two thousand to one in four hundred. There have been similar increases seen in children and adolescents, with the prevalence of overweight in pediatric age groups nearly tripling over the same period.
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.
Obesity worldwide epidemic Today there is an epidemic that eventually has affected all humans thanks to this epidemic people tend to suffer health problems. This epidemic is call obesity and it is a worldwide disease, obesity a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. This disease affects all ages it can be female or male it doesn 't matter, but there are more than 3 million US cases per year.
Obesity is a major problem in the United States, and with all the special privileges given to its people, America has become very lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how the rates on obesity has risen over the years in America. Obesity is a major problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people of every gender, age, and race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled rather tripled within the last twenty years due to the many privileges that the American people have before us. Something must be done to overcome decrease the
It cause physical ,psychological , and social problems. This problem can effect on children's for the rest of their lives. Childhood obesity is one of the main reasons of adulthood obesity also earlier risk obesity-related disease in adulthood. Obesity is defined as the condition in which excess body fat accumulates to the point of causing adverse health effects. It is determined by the body mass index (BMI), a measure that corresponds to weight in length.