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Sociological approach to obesity in america
The Impact of Technology on Healthcare essay of 200 words
It is no secret that the average weight of a person has gone up significantly over the last decade
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How Diet, Exercise, and Culture Effects Obesity Obesity rates have skyrocketed within the last 10-20 years. This is in direct correlation with the diet and exercise habits of cultures. As cultures begin to incorporate different culture’s cuisines into their own cultures, the obesity rate starts to increase. This is most likely caused by their heritage history being accustomed to their culture’s cuisine history. Then diet and exercise come into play as well. We live in a time where technology has almost taken over our lives. In modern day, we can drive wherever we need to go, we do not have to walk everywhere anymore; we do not have to even go to the grocery store anymore because Amazon.com has now made their website into a grocery store in select parts of the country where we pick what we need online and it is delivered to our house. This program is set to go nationwide soon, and eventually globally. This is the epitome of laziness and why different cultures are becoming obese; especially America. Diet and exercise have almost become a thing of the past in America. Yes, there is still a large amount of humans that still exercise daily, but not the average American. The most active age group, worldwide, is 22-34 year olds with an average salary of $20,000 or less (Thompson 2013). Cultures such as the Native Americans, Mexicans, Chileans, and the culture that tops the list; Americans, are among the world’s most obese cultures (Downey 2011). Obesity Trends in America In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most U.S. states. By 2010, 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher, and 12 of those had obesity rates of 30 percent or higher. (CDC) Today, nationwide, roughly two out of three U.S. ... ... middle of paper ... ...behavior of being lazy. These are most likely the main reasons why obesity rates in pre-school and schoolchildren more than doubled over the past decade. The terms overweight and obesity are used interchangeably quite often, despite the fact that they are not identical. Overweight is defined as an increased weight (not necessarily excess fat) for a certain height, while obesity indicates an excess in fat mass. Even though the long-term effect of overweight and obesity on morbidity and mortality in children has not yet been as well documented as in adults, multiple studies have shown that adiposity in childhood is correlated with the rising incidence of diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis observed in this age group. The consequences of overweight and obesity imply that the definition of who is overweight, and especially who is obese, is of utmost importance.
Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discuss about childhood obesity. With CDC, this research is very useful in helping others understand what overweight and obesity is. Having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, bone, muscle, water, or a combination of all is being overweight. Obesity is just having excess body fat. It states about obesity occurring to children and adolescents that has passed since 30 years. The first stage of this phenomenon starts as a person being overweight which will lead to obesity. More than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. The result for both of these terms is a caloric-imbalance which is an amount of too few calories that is consumed and is affected by many genetics, behavioral, and environmental factors. From this source CDC gives a specific estimate percentage of children aged 6–11 years that is more overly obese. In the United States in 1980 who were obese increased from 7% to nearly 18% in 2012. Furthermore over the same period, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21%. Additionally, there is a list of health effects of childhood obesity and inform immediate and long-term health effects. Tips are also included here to prevent any other health problems relating to obesity. It does not clearly teach every step of how to prevent it, but giving out ideas on how to solve the problem yourself.
"Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2011–2012." National Center for Health Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. .
Currently about 30% or more of citizens in the United States are obese. Majority of the citizens with obesity are adults with the rate of one-third (35.7 percent) of adults overweight and two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are overweight and obesity together. Also, more than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity, about one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be overweight or obese, and more than 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are
Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999-2008. Journal of Medical Association. 303, 235-241.
According to the USDA, at the start of century 21st American people have increased their daily caloric intake by consuming five hundred calories more than in 1970. As cited by Whitney & Rolfes (2011), there are many recognized causes of obesity such as genetics, environment, culture, socioeconomic, and metabolism among others; but the cause most evident is that food intake is higher than the calories burned in physical activity. Excess of energy from food is stored in the body as fat causing an increase of weight. During the course of the last 40 years, obesity has grown enormously in the United States and the rates remain on the rise (pgs. 272-273).
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Obesity occurs when a child weighs above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is a serious issue in the United States and around the world because the extra pounds may lead children to health problems. Overweight is defined as one have more body weight from fat, muscle, bone, or water for their height and obese is defined as someone who has too much body fat. In the article “Childhood Obesity Facts” the Centers for Disease Control explains that childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades in the United States and is becoming an epidemic. The American Heart Association reported in the article “Overweight and Obesity” that 23.9 million children between the ages two to nineteen in the United States are overweight or obese.
The CDC states that, “[o]verweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height… Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.” (1) Their data shows that “[i]n 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” According to the information they provide, this translates to a more than quadruple increase since 1980. These statistics prove that this pro...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) there were 90.6 million obese individuals in 2010 (Ogden, Carroll, and et al). This represents approximately 36% of the total population. In 2010, it was determined that out of the 36% of obese person...
Being overweight has become an issue in society today. Often associate overweight people with the word fat, which is demeaning to overweight people. Obese people are now facing the same prejudices what comes from being different in this so-called prefect society. According to Dictionary.com “obese” comes from the word obesus which is past participle of obedere to eat away (“Obese”). There are at least five major theories on what causing childhood obesity epidemic: “1) genetics (the “thrifty gene “) 2) the “weight set point,” 3) low metabolism, 4) the food-rich environment, and 5) sedentary lifestyle” (Pretlow 2). In society, people have a busy schedule, and do not have time to plan meals. Not planning meals leads people to make poor food choices. One of the major contributing factors is the fast food industry. Often people stop at fast food establishments, because of convince, and low food prices. This might be associated to overweight. Being overweight is succumbing to obesity. According to the cdc.gov obesity is determined by using a ratio of height to weight. In general, a healthy weight for people height, determines the risk ones may have to certain diseases. Body Mass Index ( BMI) is the name of the ratio that give people a way to determine healthy weight. (“Defining Overweight and Obesity.")
The invasion of technology has long been assumed to contribute to the large number of Americans who are considered overweight and do not get an adequate amount of daily physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of Americans who can be classified as obese. More than one-third of adults in the United States and approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are considered obese ("Obesity and Overweight," 2012). However, the number of unhealthy Americans is not the only thing rising.
There’s no surprise that there is an obesity problem in America. Food is in all places that we happen to look; provoking you through the television commercials, calling out to you through advertisements, and coupons in the paper (Taylor, 2011). There is no way to get away from the never ending advertisements from fast food restaurants like; McDonalds, Wendy’s, Sonic, Braum’s, Pizza Hut, etc. These places are where obesity initiates; overwhelming your body with more food servings than it needs. People are also overweight due to the lack of exercise; there is more time spent sitting on the sofa in front of the television watching shows, or playing games, than there is in the gym of just being outside enjoying life.
Childhood obesity is a serious medical problem that affects children. Obesity is a medical term, commonly defined as being extremely overweight, which is only half the case. (www.wikipedia.com) Many parent’s ask if their child is obese, or at risk of becoming overweight, and they ask what to do about it. MD, Dennis Clements tells parents: “Obesity is a family event, not an individual event”.
Parents are not teaching children how to eat healthy. They feed them cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and fries. Kids are not being exposed to a regular diet of health fruits and vegetables. Now some people are just naturally overweight, but being “overweight” is not the same as being “obese.” Someone who is overweight has reached a maximum weight limit for their height. When someone goes beyond this maximum limit, then they are considered “obese” (Kiess 1). Research shows that “obesity is generally defined as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue” (Kiess 1). The increase in childhood obesity today is mainly the fault of the parent because they are unable to tell their children “no” when it comes to junk food (Kiess 104). Parents are the one buying all the food that comes into the house. They are the ones buying the sugary drinks and chips. They are the ones allowing the children to “have what they want.” Because parents are not teaching their children how to eat healthy, we will continue to see childhood obesity increase. Unfortunately, overweight children will be the ones who suffer because statistics show children who are overweight are more likely to become obes...
Health, nutrition and fitness are the three interrelated areas that determine an individual's sense of happiness and well being.