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Causes of obesity and effects
Causes of obesity and effects
Causes of obesity and effects
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More than a third of U.S. adults and nearly 17 percent of children are obese (Brody 1). Obesity remains a significant health problem in the United States. It has affected millions of Americans and the effects are gruesome. The United States is the fattest nation among 33 countries with advanced economies (Murphy 60). There are many things that can lead to obesity and the state of the economy in our country is not helping fight this issue. If the government does not create stricter food policies and restrictions then people will suffer from the effects of obesity and eventually die.
Obesity today is a very serious and deadly problem in the United States. Today, “obesity in childhood continues to grow in prevalence among adolescents in the United States. In some states, obesity is found in nearly forty percent of children” (“Obesity-Related Diseases” 3). Children have gotten in the path of obesity and have been affected by it. On top of that, our adults have been playing a key role in obesity and have been affected as well, “more than a third of American adults and nearly one in five are now obese” (Brody 1). The question is asked, why are Americans becoming so obese? There are many reasons for obesity. Obesity is a very serious subject and a problem to be discussed. Obesity can start at youth and progress over time. Our children can become obese from the advertising they see. A key problem in the growth of obesity is advertising. Fast food chains have been marketing an abundance of ads for unhealthy foods. Kelly Brownell, a Director of the Yale Food Policy Center, states, “Children are exposed to a massive amount of marketing for lots of unhealthy foods” (Olson 1). But who is responsible for this excessive marketing? The government is the one that is allowing this. Brownell also states, “We believe that children deserve protection from that—that
Everyday Americans die from the diseases they carry from obesity. Many Americans overeat because of their social problems or because they are hereditary. Many plans have been discussed, but finding the solution is the problem. Junk foods and unhealthy beverages have corrupted children’s minds all over the nation, and putting a stop to it could lead to other benefits. Unhealthy foods and drinks should be taxed and healthy foods should be advertised to help prevent American obesity.
Children are waiting endlessly to leave paternal cares and use their man-given freedom. After leaving the nest, we often come to find diverging roads that don’t have clear answers. It’s all about making the “adult choice.” Whatever that is. David Zinczenko, a health aficionado, argues that the fast-food industry is to blame for America’s obesity epidemic.
Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether.
In the documentary Killer at Large, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona remarked that “Obesity is a terror within. It’s destroying our society from within and unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist event that you can point out…” Carmona is indeed right, with the rapid increase of obese children, America is on the fast track to producing a generation with a life expectancy shorter than their peers. One of the main factor is the media representation of obesity (Greenstreet 2008). In today’s society parents are not only worrying about televisions influence on their kid’s behavior but their weight and health, too. According to study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, that researched the role of media in childhood obesity, stated the obesity increased by 2% for every hours of television in adolescent’s ages 12 to 17. The advertisement of food and beverages present a very strong influence on the children. Most of the products being advert...
Obesity in the United States, which the media has labeled a national crisis, has also been connected to poverty rates. Big fast food industry’s target poor communities, and spend millions of dollars each year to create advertising that appeals to these specific areas. These industry’s also target naïve children when advertising because they know that eating habits developed in childhood are usually carried into adulthood. Children who are exposed to television advertisements for unhealthy food and who are not educated well enough on good nutrition will grow up and feed their families the same unhealthy foods they ate as kids. A big way fast food giants are able to make certain young people have access to unhealthy food is by strategically placing franchises in close proximity to schools. They will often place three times as many outlets within walking distance of schools than in areas where there are no schools nearby. The way fast food advertising is targeted towards children is very alarming considering how important good nutrition is for young people and how a child’s eating habits can affect their growth and
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 has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.
According to the American Heart Association, 23.9 million children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. In addition to them, 154.7 million adults are pudgy. That means more than one-third of children and two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight (Pages 1-3). Many Americans know about the high rates of obesity in our country. Michelle Obama, along with several other politicians and health professionals, push for recognition of these facts. They believe too many citizens are overweight and something has to change. The statistics raise several questions and problems, but of these conflicts, which ones are worth solving?
Obesity is an epidemic in America, greatly impacting youth, the health care system, and economically vulnerable populations. Among all of the high-income countries in the world, obesity rates remain the highest in the US. According to Harvard, US obesity rates have more than doubled since 1980, although they have remained the same since 2003. (Harvard School of Public Health) Approximately 31.9% of children and adolescents from the ages of 2 to 19 are obese or overweight (NPLAN), while roughly 69% of adults fall into the category of overweight or obese. (Harvard School of Public Health) With obesity rates this high, America is facing a huge crisis that could become greater in the future. In order to understand the issue of Obesity in America it is important to evaluate the extent to which the problem effects large populations of children and adults and how the fast food industry has served as one of the major causes of this epidemic.
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).
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).
...ance, there needs to be organizations that limit food advertising; just as was done with cigarettes. Even though it is evident that fast-food companies are winning the marketing battle, their success depends solely on their returning customers. Should people stop eating the tempting fast food, and start making time in their day for exercise, not only would fast food companies suffer greatly, but we might have a chance to veer away from our heavy fates. Most importantly, media productions that educate people on the truths of the fast food industry should continue to focus on the risks and consequences of obesity, particularly on groups most susceptible to targeting from fast-food companies? marketing campaigns: minorities and children. With increased education and a pro-active stance on regular exercise, people can start to reverse the trend of obesity in America.
According to “Burger Battles” from the Weekly Reader, obesity is defined as a person whose weight is 20 percent higher than recommended for their height (Burger Battles 1). When this condition begins to affect children lives, it is then known as childhood obesity. Within the United States of America, around 15 percent of children are considered to be obese (Holguin 3). Increasing tremendously, this outbreak has actually tripled in the amount of obese teen and doubled in children up to the age of thirteen (Burger Battles 2). One of the factors that is usually overlooked in the cause for obesity is the role of television. Not only does it reduce the amount of physical activity, the advertisements and commercials are targeting innocent viewers. In a survey completed by Gary Ruskin of Commercial Alert, the average child watches nearly 19 hours and 40 minutes of television a week (Ruskin 2). With that amount of time spent watching television, advertisements for fast food will be entering the children’s minds.
It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).