The Problem and its Consequences
Regular physical activity is one of the most important components to a healthy lifestyle. This can include running, walking, swimming, working in the garden or yard, as well as many other activities. However, American's are a more physically inactive society than they used to be, with as many as 31% of people currently being classified as inactive. The WHO (World Health Organization) places physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide, causing approximately 6% of all deaths (3.2 million) annually (2014). In the United States, it is ranked as the second leading cause of death behind tobacco use (Warren et al. 2010). The United Health Foundation (UHF) states that physical inactivity is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and premature deaths (2013). The WHO estimates that physical inactivity is responsible for 35% of all cases of heart disease, 27% of all cases of diabetes, and 21-25% of all breast and colon cancers (2014).
Physical inactivity is defined as anyone who has not been engaged in any type of physical activity other than their regular job within the past 30 days (UHF 2013). The WHO recommends that children get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day and adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week to gain substantial health benefits (2014). American's sedentary lifestyle can be contributed to several factors, such as the availability of more sedentary forms of transportation, decreased physical activities during leisure time, improvements in technology at home, as well as technological advances in many job areas, which makes physical work less common. The ...
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...th from liver and pancreatic cancer, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma.
Physical inactivity not only contributes to some of the most deadly health problems in America, but also costs approximately 24 billion dollars annually in direct medical costs (UHF 2013). The American Heart Association (AHA) says that obesity associated with physical inactivity costs American companies as much as 225 billion dollars annually in health related productivity losses (2013). The average health care cost per individual in approximately 3,000 dollars annually. An obese person costs employers an additional $460-$2,500 dollars in sick days and medical costs per year (AHA 2013). The numerous health problems along with the increased medical expenses associated with physical inactivity should cause concern for public health officials, and should be addressed immediately.
Not staying active: Because it has been proven that activity can help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol, all of these can decrease the workload of the
...ter for obese individuals than for average weight individuals. The healthier workers are, the fewer medical services they use. The five leading causes of death in the U.S., heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes — are directly linked to unhealthy lifestyles. Clearly, encouraging healthful habits presents an opportunity to improve workers’ well being, reduce the need for medical services and help control costs.
...ll, B, Willett, W, Manson, J, Leitzmann, M, Stampfer, M, Hunter, D, & Colditz, G (2001), 'Physical activity and mortality: a prospective study among women', American Journal Of Public Health, 91, 4, pp. 578-583
Image spending 24 hours,12 months and 365 days of just being inactive then BAM! you die. A 2012 study from the England University of Leicester showed that prolonged sitting was also linked to a greater risk of death from all causes. Exercising has become a norm in our society today with things such as gyms opening, vegan diets, and even television programs, but as of early 2018, 80% of adults don't get the recommended amount of exercise. I believe that exercise is important and everyone should participate in trying to improve their health. Just think about it and it might surprise you.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers (2009) “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior” (Akers, (2009, p. 1). Theory is a set of interconnect statements that explain how two or more things are related in two casual fashions, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
Specifically, physical inactivity increases the risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2015). In addition, older adults who are less active are at increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis and osteoporosis, and muscle weakness and imbalance can contribute to falls and injury (CDC, 2015).
The lack of exercise is a growing concern in the United States for all age groups, but especially for young adults. The increasing demands young adults face from school, work, friends, and family has made time constraints the number one barrier to healthy behaviors such as exercise (as cited in Pelletier & Laska, 2012). A study on college students found that young adults who are women, 4-year university students, or students in lower socioeconomic status were among the groups that were most affected by time constraints, unhealthy diets, and lack of exercise (Pelletier & Laska, 2012). Furthermore, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.b.), adults between the ages of 18-64 need 150 minutes of exercise each week. However,
It is estimated the US spent $190 billion on obesity related healthcare expenses in 2005. (Harvard T.H. Chan , 2016). Obesity related medical costs total $147 billion a year in the United States, and accounts for nearly 10 percent of all annual medical spending. Obese people spend 42 percent more on health care costs than healthy-weight individuals. (Ludwig D, 2009). Obesity continues to negatively affect the health of billions of individuals nationwide. The damage of cost associated with obesity consist of increased health care costs, decreased productivity and premature deaths (Hammond, 2010). Causes for the recent increase in obesity, can be seen from incentives for people to eat more or burn fewer calories (Cawley, 2012). Obesity is preventable, there is no justification for the economy to be overwhelmed by such a preventable
Staying healthy does not only mean to eat a healthy diet, but also to be active and to provide our body with stamina so it can fight various diseases. According to Myers (2003) around a quarter of a million deaths in the United States are caused by insufficient physical activity. The US Public Health Service (1996) has provided enough evidence towards the effect of physical exercise on cardiovascular (e.g. coronary heart disease) and non-cardiovascular health (hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer etc.). They followed a group of people for several years and found a positive correlation between the amount of participants’ physical activity and their health problems. So how much exercise is just enou...
Participation in sport, particularly in adults is shown to be rapidly decreasing. In The general Household Survey (2002, cited in National statistics) it was discovered that with the exclusion of walking, only 43% of the population had participated in some form of exercise in the four weeks prior to the research interview. It is accepted with recent statistics that participation rates in the UK are not adhering to the advised five times a week from the Department of Health, the author feels this is a worrying reality as there are many health implications resulting from a national neglect towards exercise.
"Physical Activity and Public Health." Scholar Commons of South Carolina. American Heart Association, 2007. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Sedentary lifestyles have greatly contributed to obesity, and to the diseases affecting to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It has been shown that physical inactivity reduces our strength, results in low energy levels, and causes obesity. It is therefore very essential to ensure we that lead a physically active life. Exercising regularly is the key to a healthy life. However, this is hampered by factors like lack of motivation, time and money.
There exists various lifestyles and behaviours, ranging from amount of nutrition intake, mental well-being, to the amount of physical activity engaged individually. Weighing the abundance of factors, this essay primarily aims to focus on the aspect of physical activity in relevance to how it possibly affects one's lifestyle. By cross-referencing to other lifestyles and behaviours, this essay will also demonstrate the importance of physical activity in possibly alleviating the issues raised pertaining to other lifestyles as well. Throughout this essay, there will be frequent references to the socio-ecological framework in examining the aforementioned factors.
Physical inactivity or having a sedentary lifestyle is being identified as the fourth common risk factor leading to mortality causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally and due to technological advancements. The statement of the problem is sedentary lifestyle of teens nowadays would eventually lead them to having certain health and social problems because nowadays teens in this century are now more focused on games on their gadgets and socialize on the internet instead of going out. With that said this leads to teens having less exercise than usual thus having a sedentary lifestyle which also contributes to social isolation where one prefers to be alone and not interact with others that said alone will affect ones social life which lead to bigger cases such as health problems physically whereas it may lead to obesity and socially where as it may lead to shyness and insecurity that will limit one’s social life. “Fast foods are likely to contribute to over consumption. A sedentary lifestyle interacts with over consumption and minimal exercise which produces obesity.” (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/)