Adolescents Obesity and Intervention Strategy Adolescents Obesity Intervention and Prevention Strategy According to Schwarz and Peterson (2010) “adolescents’ obesity in the United States has many important implications for both the health and well-being of the individual and society.” The negative health consequences of obesity include many diseases, chronic health disorders, psychological disorders, and early death. This contributes to billions of dollars of health care costs each year. The healthcare costs due to the adolescent obesity rate are estimated at more than $14 billion per year. The direct and indirect cost totals more than $140 billion dollars annually. The United States spends six to 10 percent of healthcare on costs caused by obesity compared to 2 to 3.5 percent in other western countries (Schwarz & Peterson, 2010).
Common Causes of Obesity According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually twenty percent over an individual’s ideal body weight, and about one third of the U.S population is obese. People who qualify as obese have a high percentage of body fat that in time puts their health at risk. “Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death” (Ford-Martin & Frey, 2005). This is the reason why obesity has become such a big concern among Americans, but what is the cause of this epidemic? Many adults survive on high calorie diets without knowing and do not find the time to exercise as much as they should, and obesity is the result of this behavior.
Yatin Patel Noel English 101-132 December 2, 2010 The Future of America is Fat Childhood obesity is quickly becoming a major crisis for children across the nation and around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Approximately 300,000 deaths a year in this country are currently associated with overweight and obesity” (“Satcher”). Also, statistics from the article show that, “Obesity incidences among American children have dangerously climbed from 5% in the 1980s to 15.3% in 2000” (“Fighting”). Schools are partly to blame for childhood obesity because of the high-fat, high-calorie, and sugary food they serve. We have a crisis on our hands with childhood obesity on the rise.
| Why | About bad habits with food, increases in eating fast food that is high in fat | When | Over the last 25 years | Where | In EUA, Europe, Britain and around over the world even in Japan. | Case difficulty cube How: X Analytical Conceptual Presentation 2. LONG CYCLE PROCESS | A. Problem | root | Governments and influential health advocates around the world are cracking down on the marketers they blame for the explosion in childhood obesity | Governments and influential health advocates around the world, spooked that their nations’ kids will become as fat as American kids | In the United States, roughly 30 percent of American children are overweight or obese | Some people say advertising is to blame, particularly ads aimed at children, such as those that use celebrities to market high-calorie foods. According toUSA Today , one study found that the average American child sees 10,000 food ads a year, mostly for high-fat or sugary foods and drinks.
Thomas 1 Elton Thomas Ryan Shiroma Engl 60 25 April 2012 Obesity In America. “During the last 20 years in America, there have been dramatic increases in obesity and, unfortunately, those rates continue to stay high. Obesity means having too much body fat, which is commonly confused with being overweight” (Adult Obesity Facts par. 5). A person can be overweight but still be healthy.
According to the American Obesity Association (2002), obesity is a “complex, multi-factorial chronic disease involving environmental (social and cultural) and genetic, physiologic, metabolic, behavioral and psychological components.” AOA points out that approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, with 60 million being obese. Overweight is defined as a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or more and obesity is 30 or more. Added to the health problems engendered by excess body weight is the social stigmatization faced by excessively overweight people, mainly young women and youngsters. A 2001 scientific study found “clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination….in three important areas of living: employment, education and healthcare” (Obese people suffer bias…). In addition, overweight and obese people are portrayed in a negative way in the media, including television and movies.
The Modern Plague: Obesity With one of the highest obesity rates in the world, many Americans are affected by this disease, however, they continue to make poor choices in regards to their health. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that over 65% of U.S. adults were overweight, 32% were obese, and about 5% were extremely obese (Marchiondo). Considering that more than half of our population is at risk for obesity, Americans do not seem very distraught. Even with all the dieting techniques, negative depictions in the media towards heavier individuals, advanced technology to help combat obesity, and being one of the world’s most developed nations in terms of resources
The benefits of developing healthy eating habits include a life free of crippling diseases. Unfortunately, the lack of attention that has been paid to childhood obesity directly affected its continuing rise. There has been documented evidence of the continued rise in childhood obesity. "During the past three decades, the incidence of childhood and adolescent obesity has more than doubled in the United States, coupled with increases in the severity of pediatric obesity and the prevalence of illnesses associated with obesity among the pediatric population". But just like the evidence of the problem, there is also documentation that supports how it can be rectified.
Situational Analysis Health care costs in the United States are rising at an alarming rate. The reason behind this is because obesity contributes to other types of disease such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (Fortunato, 2011, p. 21). Medical costs related to obesity range anywhere from $147 billion to $210 billion (Trust for America's Health, 2012). Obesity has become a major epidemic in the United States. By the year 2030, estimates of lost economic productivity are as high as $580 billion per year (Trust for America's Health, 2012).
Although there are numerous advantages of globalization, it has influenced people’s life negatively in some aspects. Obesity is one of these aspects. Puska, Nishida, & Porter stated that obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight, of which at least 300 million of them are clinically obese and major contributors to the global burden of chronic disease and disability (1). However, obesity is a complex condition, with serious social and psychological dimensions, affecting virtually all ages and socioeconomic groups. In fact, obesity is a problem not only for developed countries but for developing countries, too.