(social/cultural)
Bigger meals, less healthy options, GMOs, cost of healthy food rising, and people being less active than they used to be are just a few of the many deadly factors that cause obesity. Today’s culture downplays the effects of constantly eating junk food and not being active, and promotes the life of video games, TV, fast food, and unhealthy food. This has resulted in roughly 2/3s of the USA's population being obese or overweight (Ron Finley 2010). Children who have parents that are overweight are significantly more likely to become overweight themselves. This results in an endless cycle of being unhealthy (Mrs. Obama 2009).
Culture is defined as a pattern of ideas, customs and behaviours shared by a particular
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In 1960 the obesity rate in people in the USA was about ten percent; today the obesity rate is about 40 persent and is expected to be over 50 percent by 2030(center for disease control 2016). This rise in weight can directly be related to children and adults spending more time inside. People ages 8-18 spend an average of 7 hours, 38 minutes a day watching TV, playing video games, and spending time on the computer.(LA Times, 2012). This number is up from less than an hour a day in the 60s. When children don't go outside they don't get enough exercise, resulting in weight gain. Researchers have estimated that 16.9 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 9 are obese, and 31.7 percent are overweight. This translates to more than 12 million children and adolescents who are obese, and more than 23 million who are overweight.
While the majority of people realize that obesity is a problem and social and cultural habits are at the center of the issue, there are those who claim that obesity is not an issue and culture has no effect on it. Those who say that it is not an issue of culture say so because they either don't believe that obesity is an issue or, don't believe culture is at the heart of it. The evidence clearly proves that culture is a part of obesity because in areas such as Mississippi and Alabama, which are some of have some of the highest concentration of obesity in the country, where
Culture is the pattern of action and the ways of perceiving, feeling, and thinking acquired growing up in a particular group of people
Culture can be defined as the behaviours and belief characteristics of a particular social, ethnic,
I am interested in CAMP because I have practically grown up in a hospital. My Mom, Sharon Fields, has worked in the White County Medical Center- and now Unity Health in Searcy -for 35 years. I can remember being a small child and coming into the ER to visit my mom. Sometimes the doctors and nurses would give me stickers; one of which has been stuck to the back window of my Mom's car since I was five. It wasn't just the stickers though. I got to see patients at their worst, and then I got to see the entire staff step up to help. Did the nurses know the wounded man coming in on a stretcher? No, they didn't, and yet they still helped everyone and anyone who came through those sliding doors needing help. I want to be that kind of person, a person
In America today one in three adults are considered to be obese. Over the years the rate of obesity keeps climbing up and up. Some people blame fast-food or the environment Americans live in. After all,someone can purchase a chocolate bar at a bookstore nowadays. But, most people are looking at the incorrect factor to blame. Although the food industry is a huge contribution to obesity in America, people are ultimately responsible for their own health.
America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.
In my honors language arts class, we are reading the novella, The Call of The Wild. To be honest, The Call of The Wild,was probably not my favorite book I have ever read, but it was still entertaining and exciting. It was about a dog, Buck, that was taken from is home to be sold as a sled dog, in Alaska, during the Klondike Gold Rush. Also, about Buck meeting new people and concurring struggles he had never faced before. Chapter 1, consist of Buck being taken from his home and sold to a complete strangers.
In 2012 CDC statistics show that “over 35 percent of adults and 32 percent of children in the United States of America are recorded as obese (30kg/m2), the obesity rate has doubled since 1971.1” Not only is epidemic growing in numbers of victims but also in expenses. The United States spent 147 billion dollars in 2008 on medical expenses costs and that does not include the programs that fight against the problem. “In 2003 over 300,000 died due to obesity related health problems, diseases and cancers.6” One of the most important battles we wage on American soil is the war for citizens to be fit, and it nearly always starts in the childhood. Since 1971 the problem of childhood and adult obesity started to grow annually due to many reasons related to our ways of living. Now the food industry, including fast food has been getting more and more unhealthy due to unnatural modifications. What Americans eat is not organic anymore and is taking its toll on American lifestyle. The fast food industry has been making advertisements and foods focused upon youth. Since the original commercials directed towards children, it has nearly tripled since the rise of technology. Technology has been growing rapidly as obesity is, statistics show that with the advancement of technology, the population starts to slow down, stop exercising and eating healthier foods. As long as there is childhood obesity, there will be adult obesity, with effects on children causing obesity, there will be a
Various regions of the world have different responses to the issue of obesity. Some cultures view obesity as necessary and attractive while others are taking drastic measures in an attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle. Although some of these drastic changes seem a bit invasive and controversial, policy makers are debating whether it is effective and even whether or not such a policy should be adopted in the United States. According to the article written by Gallagher, a culture sensitive approach should be implemented in order to tackle the issue of global obesity. A study of children of Mexican descent showed that about 32.6% of Mexican children occupying the U.S. are overweight and about 19.2% are obese (Gallagher 2010). The parents observed in this study were serving their children unhealthy foods, such as those from cans and fast food restaurants, due to price and convenience (Gallagher 2010).
Childhood obesity is affecting 1 out 3 kids in our society. These children are being classified as being obese or overweight. Obesity has gained recognition as an important worldwide public problem and in the U.S., appears to be overtaking tobacco use as the number one cause of preventable death (Dennison, B. A., Edmunds, L. S., Stratton, H. H., & Pruzek, R. M. (2006). This is the first time we have ever seen our children in this state and the percentage of overweight or obese children is growing at a rapid rate. If something is not done about this issue, this generation will be the first generation to not outlive their parents because of the health issues that arise because a person is overweight or obese. Children are not being entertained outside anymore while getting exercise; the entertainment is inside on the TV, computer, or video-game console (Kid’s Health). Many kids are spending less time outside exercising than previous generations. In today’s world, a quick and easy solution to a problem is the most common answer; this is true for our electronics and our food choices. Families have little to no free moments to prepare nutritious, home cooked meals(Kid’s Health). Our goal has to be finding ways to prevent children from becoming overweight. This is the parent’s responsibility. Parents have to learn to adopt a way to lead a healthy lifestyle of eating healthy and exercising for their
The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”
Obesity is an epidemic that is putting uncomfortable strains on the American health care system. With just under two-thirds of the American adult population being overweight or obese, a lot of time and effort has gone into uncovering the causes of this rise in the weights of American citizens. Several theories have been developed to help solve the mystery of America’s rising size. Obesity cannot be traced back to a single factor, but rather many aspects have contributed to the rise of obesity in America. Parental influence, media exposure, and individual’s rate at which they metabolize food all play a significant role in contributing to obesity in America. The threat of obesity in this country is growing, and as a nation it is imperative that we understand the underlying cause of the epidemic, and prepare a comprehensive plan on how to tackle it. It is imperative for the nation heath to better understand the causes of obesity in America.
The environment in which people live in plays a huge role in the choices people make when it comes to food and activities. The subliminal marketing and the easy accessibility of junk food makes America a toxic place to live. It’s tough for individuals to make the right choices when bad influences are woven into the fabric of society. What can we do to fix this widespread epidemic that is affecting the country? Small changes in a person’s lifestyle can have a drastic effect on their health. Weight gain is closely linked to “a high intake of potato chips, potatoes, [and] sugar-sweetened beverages” (“Obesity in America”). So a change in a person’s diet to a healthier one can be very beneficial. Also, exercise and physical activity can help protect against sudden weight gain. Another culprit for obesity is TV, it is one of the biggest enemies of exercise and the friend of snacking. Under the protection of the First Amendment, manufacturers have the right to promote their products freely, regardless of the negative effects it has (“Pounding Away”). Thus, many people are overly exposed and tempted by many junk or fast food products that are heavily advertised. Putting down the remote and exchanging hours of surfing the net for leisure exercise can significantly change a person’s well
“Obesity affects nearly 1 in 3 American adults” according to The National institute of Health. Obesity clearly is a common problem the U.S. and will permanently alter our family dynamic. It had changed our social behavior and our culture as a country. These changes stem from are weight discrimination, negatively influencing other family member’s lifestyles, and an over-eating culture.
Culture is defined as “The ideas, attitudes, customs, beliefs, values and social behaviour of a particular group of people or society that are passed on from generation to generation” (Brentnall, A., n.d.).
The college campuses in the United States have the majority of the population that uses drugs among society (Wadley& Carlier, 2014). The ages of these students range from “18 to 24” that are the most likely candidates to use marijuana and are more susceptible to use and find themselves addicted while they are in college (College Drug Abuse, 2015). There is conflict on college campuses between the state and federal government laws because the college is ran by the state by falls under federal laws when marijuana is involved. The students may experience long term effects of the use of marijuana in their lifetime that they don’t factor into their health because they are not able to understand the risks involve with use. There are many aspects of marijuana that effect college campuses and the students need to find alternatives to stay on the straight and narrow path to become successful drug free adult.