So who is at fault? Is it the people themselves or society? Greg Critser and Hillel Schwartz both wrote articles on this recent outbrake of obesity to look further into the problem and see what lies as the cause for this problem and what will solve it. In “Too Much of a Good Thing,” Critser focuses on the increasing rate of obesity in children. He states that in recent years, childhood obesity has been dubbed an epidemic by the surgeon general because “at least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese,” (Critser 355).
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.
David starts by teasing these overweight individuals that are bring a lawsuit against McDonalds, but then later admits that he used to be overweight as a child and was able to change his life around. He made a point to show health concerns with being obese and eating fast food regularly, such as type two diabetes which has risen about twenty-five percent since 1994. This raise in diabetes also requires much funding for the United States to spend to try to find a cure. David explains how there is very few alternatives for the youth of America because those health alternatives are more expensive and harder to find. False advertising is also another unpleasant practice that fast food companies use to lure in costumers.
It is considered a chronic disease that health care providers should monitor with frequent visits. The problem of overweight and obesity results from an excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body’s skeletal and physical standards. A person gains weight when the number of fat cells in the body increases. These fat cells first increase in size and then increase in numbers. An average size person has about 30-35 billion fat cells.
It can be because of many different reasons. A lot of the reasons can be physiological. Recent Studies show that the average American eats Fast food because psychological reasons like advertisement, Binge eating, and the inexpensiveness. Binge eating is probably the worse psychological reason why American eats fast food. Binge eating is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food.
corticoids and antidepressants.Previously considered as an aesthetic problem, obesity is now regarded as a real illness. Being severely overweight and obesity are responsible for a certain number of problems e.g. Premature death – according to international obesity task force (IOTF) obese women run three times more risk of being affected by a cerebral vascular illness than thin women. There is a high risk of thromboembolic diseases (angina pectoris, phlebitis and pulmonary embolism).Arterial Hypertension - is linked to obesity in 30-60% of cases, notably in western adults under the age of 40. Type 2 Diabetes – this diabetes which appears in adults, and where insulin, which reduces blood sugar levels, is no longer effective is closely linked with being overweight.
Abstract According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the past twenty years there has been an increase in obesity in the United States. The CDC data base points out that about a third of the American population is suffering from obesity and seventeen percent or 12.5 million of the American children and adolescents are also suffering from obesity. [1] This research will address several questions including: what is obesity? Are there any medical conditions related to obesity? What is the leading cause of obesity in America?
Many theories and conflicting conclusion have been seen. At the end of the day it is said that too much food and too little exercise is the cause. Let us look at how obesity is effecting us as Americans and what’s being done about this chronic disease. Epidemiologic/Statistics More than one third of the US as adults are obese. When you think about that number, that
The first factor is lack of exercise. Nowadays, many people who work in the office prefer to drive or take the bus to work instead of walk. People tend to watching TV and surfing the internet rather than doing some exercises during their free time. Thus, the excess calories in their bodies will be stored as fats and this leads to obesity. Next, obesity can also develop gradually from our unhealthy eating habits.
Along with many health problems, those who choose the modern lifestyle have a poorer quality of life. Why? Because they spend more time working and engaged in other activities rather than spending time with family and friends. Work becomes an overly important part of the routine which leads to a poorer quality of life. * Weight gain.