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Outline the causes of obesity
Outline the causes of obesity
Obesity in america papers
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Obesity is an epidemic that plagues our nation. No minority or group is excluded from being affected because of the way we choose to live. We as a nation are fat, and decadent in the way that we live our lives. How many times do you eat fast food a week? How often do you actually eat a well balanced meal? If I had to guess not often, but you are thin so you believe that you are healthy. During the past forty to sixty years obesity has grown exponentially. In our country nearly one third of adults are considered obese. Obesity has become such a problem in our country because of our avoidance of exercise, cost healthy food, and the incorporation of numerous fast food chains across our nation. Our avoidance of physical activity, as well as exercise is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to truly understanding why we have gotten so fat and unhealthy. Obesity has spiraled out of control over the past forty to sixty years. Think about looking at old photos of your grandparents and their siblings when they were younger. In your memory do they seem to be fit, or fat? Probably fit, for the simple fact that pack in the fifties and sixties, people were used to hard work and exercise and didn’t sit in front of the television at all waking hours of the day. Michael Butler, a close friend of mine shared this with me: “I remember seeing pictures of my great-grandfather always hanging in my grandparent’s living room and I always thought that my great-grandfather looked like a superhero. In the picture you could see him wearing overalls in front of his plane (he was in the air force for almost 25 years) and he towered over his two friends in the picture. I always asked my grandpa why he was so big and he would always tell me that it was because... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Bird, Beverly. "How Much Have Obesity Rates Risen Since 1950?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Bittman, Mark. "Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?" The New York Times. Http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really- cheaper.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, 24 Sept. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Bennett, Katie "Healthy Food vs. Fast Food." Telephone interview. 16 Nov. 2013. Butler, Michael. "Lack of Exercise." Telephone interview. 16 Nov. 2013. Butler, Michael. "Healthy Food vs. Fast Food." Personal interview. 16 Nov. 2013. Kelly, Samantha "Healthy Food vs. Fast Food." Telephone interview. 16 Nov. 2013. McNight, Clay. "Healthy Food vs. Fast Food." Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2013. "Obesity & Genetics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed.
Obesity in America is a very serious problem affecting many Americans currently and is a problem that continues to grow each year. “Over the past 40 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the United States” (Wimalawansa). This issue is known to many but believed not be an issue to care much about but this is not true. Obesity in America affects everyone regardless if they are obese or not. In order to resolve the problem, we can slaughter all the adults that are currently obese in America.
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).
The primary causes of the obesity epidemic is generally an excessive amount of caloric intake, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of physical exercise (“Obesity in latino,” 2006). Obesity in this minority group causes many underlying health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancers. Obesity not only effects the wellbeing of individuals, but also has an economic burden on society and healthcare.
Today, 78.1 million American adults and 12.5 million children are obese. Obesity in America is a unstoppable epidemic. Since the 1960s, the number of obese adults have doubled and the number of obese children have tripled. Because of America’s obesity problems, Surgeon General David Satcher issued a report saying; "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight," said that obesity "have reached epidemic proportions" in America. Obesity in America has no doubt reached epidemic proportions. Since 2001, America has been the most obese country in the world. This essay discusses what obesity is and how it is affecting today’s America by answers the following questions:
Since the 1960?s obesity in America has more than tripled regardless of sex or race. Today 30.5 percent, or 69 million, American Adults are considered obese (?AOA Fact Sheets? np). In addition, 13 percent of children aged 6-11 years old are considered overweight, and well on their way to becoming obese. Obesity causes over 300,000 deaths a year and costs the country $117 billion dollars, prompting health care providers and the government to label it an epidemic (?Overweight and Obesity?? np).
It is said that an obesity epidemic is sweeping the country and that the numbers are astronomical. Approximately 31% of all adults and 15% of children, ages 6-19 are obese. Obesity is also severe in a variety of ethnic groups. For example, 50% of non-Hispanic black women are obese. Many researchers believe that the trend in obesity as a lot to do with cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Simply stated I think it can be attributed to genetics, portion size as well as food available and cost, and laziness.
Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).
Paul, Maya W. “Healthy Fast Foods.” Help Guide. Help Guide, 10 Sep. 2010. Web. 9 May 2011.
Center for Disease control and Prevention. (2014, July 7). Nutrition. Retrieved from Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.bam.gov/sub_foodnutrition/index.html
In the 20th century children played sports more often, walked to school and more. The children of the 21st century make choices that are completely opposite. The sports children play these days include watching television, playing games and eating junk food. Watching television and playing millions of videos games are excuses to help children avoid exercising.
Organic vs. Conventional Foods. (n.d.). Organic vs. Conventional Foods. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/organicvsconventional.aspx
Society should consider the physical and emotional problems of obesity in our nation. “Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat (Mayo Clinic).” American society has become increasingly obese, “characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthy foods, and physical inactivity (cdcinfo@cdc.gov).” Our nation increasingly has become consumers of a fast food diet. It is so simple to just pick up food on the go and not deal with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up afterwards. What are nation needs to acknowledge is the health risks they will obtain if they do not acquire a healthy life style.
Many folks who become obese are people who abuse the calories their body needs on a daily diet. As stated in “Overweight and Obesity Statistics”, everyone body needs a certain amount of energy from foods to have a proper balance. If the calories you have eaten sum up to the amount of calories you have used or have not burnt, you will start to have a problem if this eating habit continues. You will now be in the stage of overweight, if you do not burn the extra calories you consumer. In March 2004 the CDC publishes a study showing that poor eating habits and lack of exercise were the second leading death in the Untied States (“Chronology”). For example, one major reason why people become obese in America is because the environment is full of fast food restaurants. If you look to your left you will see McDonald’s, you look to your right, and you see Jack in The Box, you look behind you and there is Carl’s Jr, and if you look in front of you and you see a Burger King. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “17% of children and adolescents (aged 2-19) are obese. The prevalence of obesity in America has risen dramatically over the past two decades and continues to increase” (qtd. “Weight Control and Diet”). You see these places all over the place and not to mention food advertising is a big cause for obesity. According to What Causes Overweight
Over the course of the last few decades, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in the spread of obesity. Through the rise of large-scale fast food corporations, the blame has shifted toward the mass consumerism of these global industries. It is, however, due to poor lifestyle choices that the U.S. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity. In 1990 the percentage of obese people in the United States was approximated at around 15%. In 2010, however, it is said that “36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher”(Millar). These rates have stayed consistent since 2003. The obesity problem in America is