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. It is true that there are various interlinked reasons why obesity is so prevalent among adults in our society today; however, poor health education, limited exercise, and poor eating habits are the three main factors of this epidemic. “Twenty to forty percent over ideal weight is considered mildly obese; forty to one hundred percent over ideal weight is considered moderately obese; and one hundred percent over ideal weight is considered severely, or morbidly, obese” (Health and Medicine Encyclopedia - Vol 19) . “BMI is a common measurement that uses a person's height and weight to formulate a measure of overweight or obesity... Patients were divided along BMIs in four grades: pre-obese (BMI < 30), obesity grade 1 (BMI 30-34.9), obesity grade 2 (BMI 35-39.9) and obesity grade 3 (BMI ≥ 40)” (EurekAlert, 2010).
40 percent of Americans say they get no physical activity at all. According to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inactivity was associated with more than 9 million cases of cardiovascular disease in 2001, at an estimated medical cost of nearly $24 billion. When you do not move, from either choice or due to injury, you burn fewer calories each day. An excess of just 500 calories per day translates into a weight gain of 1 pound per week or 4 pounds per month. When you gain weight, you have an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and type two diabetes.
Analyze the main causes of a major problem in our society National Health Care Even before the recession cost millions of Americans their jobs a full 15% of the American population did not have health insurance and the majority of them worked full time (CDC, 2007). Indeed, while Americans equate work with health insurance the truth is that aboot 20% of working age Americans, people between 18 and 64 years of age, do not have health insurance (CDC, 2007). These numbers may seem small. However, additional investigation will show that this is only a small part of the problem in the country. The issue is not that all employers do not offer health insurance, but that Americans view health insurance as something only employers offer.
Although obesity in adults continues to rise, the citizens of this nation are accustomed and less attuned to this issue. Never in the history of this country have there been so many obese children; and we are not prepared to deal with the enormous consequences childhood obesity will bring. Physical and neurological impairment, that could lead to a nation plagued with chronic illness, insurmountable debt and financial ruin. Although all are at risk for obesity, none are more at risk than those who are poverty stricken. The poor in this country are not able to afford healthy food, nor are they in the position to spend time exercising, both of which could help reduce their chances of obesity; lowering the cost of healthy foods through government subsides, and creating programs that support healthy living and exercise in poor neighborhoods could be two solutions to this growing problem.
Childhood Obesity Kristy Unkel Walden University Childhood obesity is a serious chronic medical condition that affects millions of children in our country. It is a rapidly growing public health concern in the United States. As obese children grow into adulthood, their risk for health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension also grows (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.). Obesity is a difficult disease to manage since obese children are “predisposed to obesity for the rest of their lives” (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.). According to the surgeon general, in the year 2000, “the total annual cost of obesity and complications in the United States was $117 billion and more than 300,000 Americans died from illnesses related to obesity” (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.).
Type two diabetes is the most common type of diabetes; it affects 85-90% of people who have a form of diabetes. Although it is known to be more common in adults, more and more children and babies are being diagnosed. The pancreas of those People who suffer type 2 diabetes makes limited insulin, but doesn’t produce enough to enable the body to function effectively. Diabetes is a result of generic and environmental factors. The risk of diabetes type two is greatly increased by lifestyle factors such as; overweight, lack of exercise, poor diet and high blood pressure.
As Richard Carmona states in “The Obesity Crisis In America,” “Nearly two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese”(1). Why are Americans so overweight? I believe the three main causes of obesity in America are; the lack of motivation to exercise, the convenience of fast food, and America’s perspective that everyone is fine just the way they are. One of the primary causes of obesity is simple; lack of exercise. If we don’t even bother to workout, do we expect to magically lose weight and stay healthy?
2.01 Reflections Assessment 1. • “41 million Americans are estimated to have pre-diabetes. Most people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they make changes to their diet and physical activity that results in a loss of about 5-7 percent of their body weight.” – That is a very large number of Americans to have pre- diabetes, it’s scary to think that so many people are overweight and not working out. I’m concerned about this because like in the other facts, obesity and diabetes can cause you to die at a young age and that is a lot of people to have such a high risk. • “Only 28 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 participated in daily school physical education in 2003, down from 42 percent in 1991.” – This is sad but I can also agree that this is 100% true.
Tawsif Rafid Siddiqui Professor Abdul Ali EN101 8th November, 2013 Diabetes and Socioeconomic status Diabetes is one of the most important health issue for any American today. Around 8.3% of the total population of the America has diabetes, and that includes children, men and women of all ages. Many Americans’ don’t want to believe in the existence of the socioeconomic class, but it is really shocking, how SES is interconnected with the widespread of diabetes. BRFSS is a state-based, random-digit--dialed telephone surveyor. A survey by BRFSS shows how the chance of Diabetes for a woman is related to their SES (Socioeconomic Status).
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