Obesity in society today

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For the last decade, obesity has become one of the most threatening issues in today’s world. In perspective, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that by 2005, nearly 1.6 billion people who were above the age of 15 were facing problems with obesity. This report further indicated that 40 million children under the age of 5 years of age struggle with obesity and more than 400 million adults suffer from obesity. In this regard, expert views indicate that if the trend is not controlled by 2015, then nearly 2.3 billion adults will be faced with the challenge of overweight while nearly 700 million will be obese (World Health Organization). The trend is actually worsening due to the changes in lifestyle as well as poor diets among people of different background. Although certain factors such as race and a person's background influences the rate at which obesity has spread, those factors still remain to be the main causes.
The problem of obesity has had varied consequences both to individuals and to society as a whole. Some of the problems that have been identified revolve around the economy. This is mainly because obesity, closely associated with health problems and the rate of productions, is an effect of a negative economy. In addition, the costs associated with obesity either in the prevention or treatment of the disease affect the economy directly or indirectly. Basically, direct costs are usually realized during prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity and other illnesses associated with obesity. On the other hand, individuals and the economy at large suffer indirect cost when the obesity gets to the level of exhausting their productive ability (Deakin University Australia). This study will focus on the medical aspe...

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...ful and Lethal Three-Year History — and Future | naked capitalism." naked capitalism | Fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics, and power. N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/19125-obamacares-shameful-and-lethal-three-year-history-and-future

Tanner, Michael. "Obesity Is Not a Disease." National Review Online. N.p., July 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/obesity-not-disease

Tanner , Michael. "Obesity Is Not a Disease: But calling it one is a symptom of our bloated federal government." Latest Articles. N.p., July 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/352626/obesity-not-disease-michael-tanner

World Health Organization. "WHO Obesity and overweight." World Health Organization. N.p., Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

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