Obesity and Occupational Therapy Position Paper

Obesity is a common, but very serious health issue in America. It has become so common that people often blame a healthy, slim person for being underweight. Although a small percentage of people are underweight the main percentage of people are obese; this percentage is increasing daily. Individuals often place the fault of obesity’s increasing rate on factors causing it, but in actuality the lack of self-control is the main cause.

In June of 2013, The American Medical Association (AMA) officially recognized obesity as a disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2014), one in three Americans are obese, from 1980 to 2008, obesity rates have doubled for adults and tripled for children, approximately 35.7% of U.S adults and 17% of U.S. children are obese. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of the increasing prevalence of obesity in the world; that childhood and adulthood obesity is a chronic condition that leads to many other long term health problems and there are many different ways it can be prevented.

Obesity has caused great dilemma in America. It was known as an adult disease. “Over two thirds of adults are over weight or obese.”(Obesity, Jerry R Ballenttne) these numbers are increasing rapidly. Obesity is not just a appearance regard, but a chronic medical disease that can lead to many other diseases; Many diseases such as insulin resistance, gallstones, congestive heart failure, even cancer. Even the most common diseases now in days which are type two diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack and strokes. All caused from “obesity”.

Obesity is a social issue in the United States that has been increasing in these recent years. It has become a serious issue since it has and is ruining many lives. If the numbers keep going up, “more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer” (Grady). Hence the causes should be examined and steps should be taken to eradicate this problem.

One of the most commonly discussed issues of America in the last few decades has been obesity. It remains one of the biggest problems in American society and requires a careful, systematic but also immediate solution. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. Today, 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight and half of those are obese. The rates for children are smaller but they are not satisfying either: 15% are overweight and another 15% are headed that way (Lemonick). Besides the aesthetic problems for many people that this condition creates, it is most importantly known as the main cause of serious health problems as well.

According to last researches, published on the Obesity society website, “almost 35% of all adults and 17% of children ages 2-19 years” have obesity. It means that society needs to take seriously all factors and causes leading to obesity. Having healthy eating habits, controlling amount of food consumed during the day, staying physically active can prevent the risk of obesity

It is no secret that the average weight of a person has gone up significantly throughout the last decade or so. While people are becoming more and more overweight, they get closer to being categorized as obese. Obesity is a condition in which the body becomes grossly fat or overweight. It is not the same as simply being overweight, which may just be caused by extra muscle, bone, or water, along with having too much fat. If a person’s body weight is 20% higher than what it should be, then he or she is considered to be obese. If the body mass index, a statistical measurement derived from height and weight, is between 25 and 29.9, a person is considered overweight. If the BMI is 30 or over, one is considered to be obese. Someone who is obese is much more prone to health issues and disease. In the United States, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable deaths and is viewed as one of the most serious health problems facing children today (Staff). It is up for debate about who is to blame for this issue.Throughout the years, obesity has become an epidemic, and something needs to be done to change this.

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight, which means weighing too much. Someone may be overweight from extra muscle, bone, or water, as well as from having too much fat. (Bing health). Obesity is a major problem that is occurring in parts all over the world. Currently, the fattest nation is America . Many people are overweight because the do too little or no exercise at all. This is especially true in countries like America, where as people are bombarded by fast food stores on virtually every corner. Obesity can not only cause health problems, but as well mental ones. Obese people may think of themselves as a useless human being because they are too fat and can’t accomplish anything, because of their weight. Though this is incorrect, many people believe this and end up taking their life. In this paper we will describe the causes of obesity and ways to combat the “everlasting epidemic.”

It is a common misconception to interchangeably use the terms ‘obesity’ and ‘overweight’ when in actuality, there is a stark difference between the two. Barbara Bresnahan, doctor from the Medical College of Wisconsin in the Division of Nephrology, lucidly distinguishes this difference. While body fat is beneficial for certain bodily functions such as conserving energy or keeping important organs safe, an overabundance can be dangerous for people, especially children. Obesity can be defined as the measurement of disproportionate body fat relative to normal standards, whereas as the term overweight can be referred to as having a body weight that is considered abnormal. This weight can be caused by several elements ranging from bones/muscles to fat (Bresnahan and Saad). It is crucial to understand the contrast between to two to fully grasp the severity that obesity poses.

Obesity is rapidly increasing in the United States. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), obesity is the fasted growing health problem in America1. When looking at the trends in the United States, it is estimated that approximately 33% of the adult population is obese and 15% of children, ages 6 and older, are obese1. Although not falling into the obesity population yet, two-thirds of the adult population may be considered overweight, and making their way into the obesity category soon1. It may be startling to most that current evidence suggests that by the year 2030, approximately 90% of all American adults would have become overweight or obese, and 51.1% of them would be obese1.