Public Health Problem
Obesity in the US has become a critical Public Health issue that has raised concerns throughout the nation. An estimate 97 million adults and 12.5 million children in America are obese, causing more than 160,000 “excess” deaths a year (CDC). Obesity is defined as a medical condition where there persists a high excess of body fat, enough to cause serious health issues. Through a biological view, obesity is an energy balance problem. Extra energy is stored as body fat when the energy consumption surpasses the energy expenditure. Obesity is characterized through Body Max Index (BMI), distribution of fat, measuring body composition, and insulin resistance (WHO).
Obesity is a public health issue due to the complications it leads to later in life. Obese individuals are more susceptible in obtaining health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, therefore have a higher risk of mortality (WHOgoogle). Yet not only is obesity a problem of the individual but of society as well. In 2008 US spent an estimated cost of $147 billion on medical cost of obesity, almost a 70 billion dollar increase since 1998(CDC). Both the detrimental health issues it leads a too and the excessive amount of cost it causes, obesity is epidemic that must be addressed.
Many factors including genetics, lifestyle, environment, and mental health can lead to this chronic disease. Obesity is a major feature in several syndromes, such as Prader-Willi syndrome which is a rare genetic disorder causing excessive feel of hunger and therefore overeating. By examine certain genetic patterns studies have also found that 80% of the offspring of two obese parents were obese (webmedcenteral). Although genetics does play a role in obtaining this ...
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...ease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/
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The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. (n.d.). The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/theplan.php
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What Causes Overweight and Obesity?. (2012, July 13). National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes.html
Obesity remains an extremely serious issue worldwide. Once considered a problem for wealthier counties, overweight and obesity are now dramatically increasing in low and middle income countries (WHO, 2011). In American, the rates of obesity continue to soar. CDC (2009) recognizes obesity as a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health problems. According to NHANES over two-thirds of the US are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese (CDC, 2009). Treatment for this illness varies; it may include the incorporation of diet, exercise, behavior modification, medication, and surgery. Since there is no single cause of all overweight and obesity, there is no single way to prevent or treat overweight and obesity that will help everyone (CDC, 2009).
Obesity has been accepted in the American society as a norm. According to the U.S. office of the Surgeon General, in 1999, 6 in 10 American adults were classified as obese or overweight (McMurray, par. 5). In order for one to be classified as obese they’re body mass index (BMI) must be 30 or greater. The number of obese in America has continued to increase. It has been estimated by The World Health Organization that 300 million people will be obese by 2025 (Bailey 3). Since obesity comes with many health risks, many feel it should be treated as a disease.
There is no doubt that obesity has taken its seat as one of the top disease that strikes the world today. In America, obesity has now spread through the country leaving 2 out of 3 adults either overweight or obese, and worldwide 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Overweight). The cause of this disease stems from multiple reasons such as the increase in modern food production, putting out ample amounts of food causing the prices for meat, groceries, and especially junk food to plummet. Subsequently, Americans especially were more inclined to purchase more food and showed an increase in the average American house hold food intake by 1,000 more calories a day (Dreifus).
As you know obesity is a major healthcare issue globally. Scientist are still trying to understand this complex problem . Metabolism and behavioral factors appear to play a role in this serious condition. Food that our bodies do not immediately use or burn is stored as fat. This accumulation of fat can lead to weight gain, which can lead to obesity. We can fight obesity with simple nutritional changes and with a change in our everyday lives. Amercian views on obesity are not as strong as they should be .Obesity is a condition which is usually defined as person's body mass index (BMI). Obesity can also used as a general term for a person that has an excessive amount of body fat. Many people have argued that the obesity epidemic is very overblown and inaccurate, but they do not deny that obesity overall are indeed serious. A epidemic is a disease in which new cases appear in numbers far greater than what is expected. It was seen as a sign of h...
The obesity epidemic is a globally acknowledged serious population-level public health issue. Obesity is the number two cause of mortality behind smoking in ...
N.a. “What causes overweight and obesity?” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. N.p., N.d. Web.
Genetics plays a major role in obesity; inherited genes sometimes contribute to the accumulation of fat in the body. Over 200 genes have effect on the weight having repercussions from physical activity, food choices and metabolism. Therefore, genes may increase the vulnerability of a person to become obese. Family eating patterns and social tendencies can also trigger obesity. Moreover, environmental circumstances such as availability of food high in calories and fat and the increase of the portions and combination selections in meals contribute to the development of fat accumulated for years in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 277).
One hundred and forty-seven billion dollars. This is the estimated cost of obesity in the United States (CDC, 2013). Today, obesity is on trend to being one of the biggest public health challenges since tobacco (Perry & Creamer, 2013). In 2010 33.7% of US adults and 17% of children aged 2-19 were considered obese (CDC, 2013). While obesity is rising at an exponential rate, there is disconnect between how society views and defines obesity and the actual medical costs and future health risks the disease holds (ACSM, 2010). This is where medical professionals need to bridge the gap of medical and social construction.
As a health care professional it is our position statement that obesity should be considered as a disease. Overweight and obese adults are considered at risk for developing diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and certain type of cancers. An average of 300,000 deaths is associated with obesity and the total economic cost of obesity in U.S. was about $ 117 billion in 2000. As health care professionals it is our responsibility to increase public awareness of health consequences of over weight and obesity. Obesity as a disease: Obesity fits all the definitions of ‘disease’, that is, interruption in bodily function.
"How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Dec. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
In a study from 2010, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) found that the number one cause of death, killing 597,689 people each year, is heart disease. A major cause of heart disease is obesity, meaning that obesity kills many people in the united states each year. “In 1999-2000, 27.5% of men were obese, and by 2009-2010 the prevalence had increased to 35.5%” (Ogden, et al. 4). It is obvious that obesity is on the rise in our country. “the most recent national data on obesity prevalence among U.S. adults, adolescents, and children show that more than one third of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents were obese in 2009-2010.” (Ogden, et al. 6). If the trends continue, obesity will become an epidemic, killing thousands of people. The CDC defines obesity as having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher. In some instances, this can be misleading. For some people, say athletes that have plenty of muscle and not much body fat, their BMI can indicate they are overweight. Nevertheless, it is still a good indicator for the general public. And studies have shown, using the BMI system, that obesity in America is on the rise.
Obesity has been associated with energy intake and expenditure imbalance, genetics, cultural, socioeconomic, behavioral, and situational factors all play a role in eating and weight control (Bray, 2005). To get an idea of the scope of the problem, the American Journal of Health Promotion states that the rates of obesity has more than tripled among children and adolescents over the past 30 years (Gollust, 2014).
Obesity is a severe public health problem which can threaten our health. This is because obesity is a factor that can develop into certain chronic diseases later life, for examples diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular disease (L. Cai, J. He, Y. Song, K. Zhao, W. Cui, 2013). Obese persons have higher risk of many health conditions, such as sleep apnea, mental health conditions, stroke and osteoarthritis(CDC, 2011). Cardiovascular diseases can be caused by obesity and they were the top cause of death in 2008. BMI 25.0 to 29.9 has higher risk of co morbidities and BMI more than 30 has moderate to serious risk of co morbidities. Underweight less to cause dea...
Wellman, N. S., & Friedberg, B. (2002). Causes and consequences of adult obesity: health, social and economic impacts in the United States. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 11(s8), S705-S709.
Some parents or people do not understand why or how their children become obese. There are many explanations for this. One can simply be consuming too much food into one’s body.