Overweight and Unhealthy: A Modern Day Problem

1324 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Obesity and its effects on society

Overweight and Unhealthy
In a fast pace, more technological advanced world, everything is growing, including people's diets and health problems. In today's world, it seems like everything is getting larger in size and quantity. This is true of the rapid increase of obesity. Unhealthy, unfit and extremely large are things associated with obese people. All are true, but these problems go so much deeper than physical problems including stress on the body and social issues. In the past decade, both child and adult obesity has rose drastically. According to nih.org, adult obesity from 2009 to 2010 affected an alarming 69 percent of the population with more than 78 million adult Americans alone being obese (Public). Globally, the number of obese adults are even higher. In 2005, around 400 million adults around the world were obese and an estimated 700 million will be by 2015 (Shah). With the ever growing number of adults getting to an extremely large size, children are also letting themselves get to that point also. Though obesity rates are much higher in adults, child obesity is not a problem to look over and is still growing quickly. In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has doubled in children ages two to five, tripled in children six to eleven and more than tripled in adolescence between twelve to nineteen. Almost 17 percent of adolescence from 2 to 19 are obese (Public). Obesity is a large problem and is growing not only in America but all over the world. The health risks associated with being obese are drastic and cause for much deeper health and psychological issues than ever before.
Defining obesity isn't simply looking at someone and deciding but is taking measurements of the body, height and weight. Obesity is most accurat...

... middle of paper ...

...n which physical attractiveness is a specific idea, obese people are constantly comparing themselves to an ideal figure. Obese children experience harassment or rejection from peers at school creating a constant negative environment starting as young as preschool aged students. With the rejection from peers, co-workers and society, obese people can have mass amounts of anxiety and experience despair (Stern). The overall quality of life is also a problem in obese people. Often obese people face discrimination in school, work and social activities. Obese people are considered "lazy or weak-willed" and blamed for being as unhealthy as they are thus it is not uncommon for obese people to have a lack of romantic relationships and lower income. "Disapproval of overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias, discrimination, and even torment" (Sharp).

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of The Discrimination At Large

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Things are less confusing now that I know the non-fats are superior to me, regardless of their personal habits, health, personalities, cholesterol levels or the time they log on the couch.”, stated by Jennifer Coleman in the passage Discrimination at large which shows that obese people seem to have a lack of self-esteem. I do not blame them for having a lack of confidence in themselves. They feel valueless because of

    Read More

  • Obesity

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity has been a health problem ever since infectious disease had began in the first half of the 20th Century. The person with obesity is not the only person who is affected by their disease. In the case of childhood obesity, It can affect the parents because they might be the cause of the child’s issues. It can also lead to many different health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems, and it can also even lead to death. Obesity has affected the world in many ways: task forces have been formed to address the issue, people are suffering from health problems due to obesity, and others suffer psychological and social issues.

    Read More

  • The Globalisation of Obesity

    3548 Words  | 8 Pages

    Interest in the social aspects of obesity is nothing new. Jeffrey Sobal has written extensively about the social and psychological consequences of obesity , including the stigmatisation and discrimination of obese and even overweight individuals (Sobal 2004).

    Read More

  • Goffman and Stigmatization: The Stigma That Obese Individual Suffers From

    2594 Words  | 6 Pages

    In order to take a sociological viewpoint into account when one examines obesity, first it is important to understand how obesity is recognized in current society. According to today’s news articles and magazines and advertisements and other mass media about health and healthy life, one can easily realize that a great number of people have an eagerness to be healthy. Also, one can assume through these mass media about health that everyone wants to be attractive, and they are even prone to transform their own behaviors to gain attractiveness. This is because most people live a life where social interaction is frequently required and must engage themselves into social interaction every day of their life. Therefore, based on these ideas and proofs throughout this mass media, obesity is regarded as one of the characteristics that is disgraceful and undesirable in society.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Childhood Obesity

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    A national epidemic is occurring, the war between food and people. In the United States, about “32% of children (from 2 to 19 years old) are obese” (Bernadac 1). As the years continue to go on the rate of obese children are increasing as well. In the past the problem did not have much consideration due to a low rate of affected children. Now families are suffering the long-term consequences of having an obese child. Some of those health effects are “Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis” (CDC 1). A problem with this type of drastic effects may have a solution; method prevention for the future generations and correct treatment for those who are already obese can lower the rate.

    Read More

  • Junk Food Marketing Effects On Childhood Obesity

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity has been a common lifestyle in the lives of North Americans for many years. According to the Harvard Public School of Health, “the words overweight or obesity are ways to describe having too much body fat” (Cheung, 2016). Childhood obesity and adult obesity are different due to the growth rate of children. Childhood obesity has been a rising factor in today’s world. Obesity in children puts them at major risk for diseases such as cardiovascular disease and health problems earlier in age and well as mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Junk food or fast food marketing is one of the major reasons why childhood obesity is on the rise.There are many different aspects that have to do with childhood obesity such as genetics,

    Read More

  • Hilll Schwartz's Fat And Happy By Hillel Schwartz

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    This country places great value on achieving the perfect body. Americans strive to achieve thinness, but is that really necessary? In his article written in 1986 entitled “Fat and Happy?,” Hillel Schwartz claims that people who are obese are considered failures in life by fellow Americans. More specifically, he contends that those individuals with a less than perfect physique suffer not only disrespect, but they are also marginalized as a group. Just putting people on a diet to solve a serious weight problem is simply not enough, as they are more than likely to fail. Schwartz wants to convey to his audience that people who are in shape are the ones who make obese people feel horrible about themselves. Schwartz was compelled to write this essay,

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity in Monroe County, Kentucky

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity has been identified as one of the risk factors affecting directly and indirectly the health outcome of the population. Even though many approaches and programs have been conducted in order to reduce the obesity rate, this health issue is still a big headache and keeps being put on the table. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overweight and obesity rate have been increasing significantly in the past two decades in the United States with more than 35.7% of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents from 2-19 years olds being obese ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). As Healthy People 2020 indicated, in the period from 1988-1994 to 2009-2010, the age adjusted obesity rate among U.S adults aged 20 and over increased from 22.8% to 35.7%, which means increased by 57% while the obesity rate among children and teenagers from 2 to 19 years old increased from 10% to approximately 17%, witnessing the increase of 69% ("Nutrition, physical activity," 2013). Obesity has impact both on economic and health of the nation. Obesity is the risk factor of serious chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, and other leading causes of preventable deaths ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). Moreover, obesity continues to be economic burden in terms of medical costs for either public or private payers up to $147 billion per year which increased from 6.5% to 9.1% (Finkelstein et al, 2009). In 2008, medical spending per capita for the obese or obesity related health issues is $1,429 per year, as 42% higher than “those of normal weight” (Finkelstein et al, 2009, p.8).

    Read More

  • Overview of Childhood Obesity

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    Childhood and adolescent obesity is a problem of significant concern. Whether obese or at risk, excessive fat is based on the ratio of weight to height, age, and gender of the individual (Ul-Haq, Mackay, Fenwick, & Pell, 2013). Today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history thus, childhood and adolescent obesity is more prevalent than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents the obesity rate in children ages 6-11 in 2012 at 18% (an increase from seven percent in 1980), and adolescents at 21% (an increase from five percent in 1980). The obesity rate in children has more than doubled and quadrupled in adolescents over a 30-year period (CDC, n.d). The factors responsible for childhood and adolescent obesity are related to childhood lifestyle, family influence, and community factors (CMA Foundation, 2008). The Healthy People 2020 goal, NWS-10.4, is to “reduce the proportion of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years who are considered obese from 16.1% to 14.5%” (Healthy People 2020, 2013). Overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for severe medical issues that can last a lifetime. Interventions to reduce the incidence and improve the health of young people involve solutions at the primary (low risk youth), secondary (at risk youth), and tertiary (obese) levels (Sweeting, 2008). Parents, caregivers, and medical professionals can work together in diagnosing if the child is becoming obese or if the child is having a growth spurt (Ul-Haq et al., 2013).

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic in America

    2913 Words  | 6 Pages

    The healthcare community defines obesity as being 20 percent or more over a person?s ideal body weight, which is based on their height (?U.S. Health Professionals?? np). Usually this is 100 pounds or more over their ideal body weight. Researchers found that the two main causes of obesity are the overabundance of food and people?s sedentary lifestyles (?U.S. Health Professionals?? np). Other causes include genetics, lifestyle choices and environmental factors. These alarming statistics have prompted many to seek a solution for a problem that is clearly not going to go away by itself.

    Read More

  • Obesity : Obesity And Obesity

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amongst one of the bigger health issues in United States children is obesity. Obesity is a condition in which a person has accumulated an excess amount of body fat that it has become detrimental to their health. To track this health professionals use the term “obese” when a person has a body mass index (BMI) of over 30. Although BMI should not be the only determining factor of whether or not you child is obese as it only takes into account of height and weight, it is one of the better known systems of telling whether or not a person is overweight or obese (Nichols). Obesity comes with a range of other health conditions that can include but are not limited to cancer, diabetes, and depression. Not only do children and teens who suffer from obesity acquire many health diseases, they also tend to get failing grades and are bullied amongst peers. Most Americans correlate being obese with having an unhealthy lifestyle, but according to a 2006 Fox News article there may be other factors that attribute to obesity that include smoking, medicine, pollution, technology and lack of sleep. (“10 Causes of Obesity Other Than Overeating”). One part that does although indeed play a role in to child obesity rates is economics.

    Read More

  • Obesity and Physical Deviance

    2442 Words  | 5 Pages

    Physical beauty is constructed by the society that we live in. We are socialized from a very young age to aspire to become what our culture deems ideal. Living in the United States, as in many other Western cultures, we are expected to be well-educated, maintain middle-class or upper-class status, be employed as well as maintain a physical standard of beauty. Although beauty is relative to each culture, it is obvious that we as Americans, especially women, are expected to be maintain a youthful appearance, wear cosmetics and fashionable clothes, but most importantly: not to be overweight. Our society is socially constructed to expect certain physical features to be the norm, anything outside this is considered deviant. Obesity is defined as outside the norms of our culture's aesthetic norms (Gros). “People who do not match idealized or normative expectations of the body are subjected to stigmatization” (Heckert 32). Obesity is a physical deviance; it is one that is an overwhelming problem in our society as we are always judged daily, by our appearance. Those who do not conform to the standards of beauty, especially when it comes to weight, are stigmatized and suffer at the hands of a society that labels them as deviants.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity

    1849 Words  | 4 Pages

    Childhood obesity is a serious problem among American children. Some doctors are even calling childhood obesity an epidemic because of the large percentage of children being diagnosed each year as either overweight or obese. “According to DASH sixteen to thirty-three percent of American children each year is being told they are obese.” (Childhood Obesity) There is only a small percentage, approximately one percent, of those children who are obese due to physical or health related issues; although, a condition that is this serious, like obesity, could have been prevented. With close monitoring and choosing a healthier lifestyle there would be no reason to have such a high obesity rate in the United States (Caryn). Unfortunately, for these children that are now considered to be obese, they could possibly be facing some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. All of these diseases have been linked to obesity through research. These children never asked for this to happen to them; however, it has happened, and now they will either live their entire life being obese, or they will be forced to reverse what has already been done (Childhood Obesity).

    Read More

  • Obesity: The Physical and Emotional Problems

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    Society should consider the physical and emotional problems of obesity in our nation. “Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat (Mayo Clinic).” American society has become increasingly obese, “characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthy foods, and physical inactivity (cdcinfo@cdc.gov).” Our nation increasingly has become consumers of a fast food diet. It is so simple to just pick up food on the go and not deal with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up afterwards. What are nation needs to acknowledge is the health risks they will obtain if they do not acquire a healthy life style.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Obesity and Overweight

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    Obesity and overweight have became a global problem in the last decade, according to the World Health Organization back in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults over the of age 15 were overweight, at least 400 million adults were obese and at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight. Experts believe if the current trends continue by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. The scale of the obesity problem has a number of serious consequences for individuals and government health systems. Obesity is a concern because of its implications for the health of an individual as it increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions. Being obese means having so much body fat that your health is in danger. However, being fat is simply not an opinion. Having too much body fat can lead to many diseases. Obesity and overweight have become a global problem in the last decade.

    Read More

More about Overweight and Unhealthy: A Modern Day Problem

Open Document