Essay about Excessive Belly Fat Leads to Health Problems

Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in

Obesity has played a major role in media over the last decade. With growing concern over the issue, a controversy over whether obesity is a disease itself or not has developed. Obesity, by definition, is a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body, usually indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater. According to the currently accepted definition of disease, a condition of the body or one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, it can be concluded that obesity does not meet the criteria to be classified as a disease.

Over one-half of all Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases. Women generally have more subcutaneous fat than men, but appear to suffer a greater cardiovascular risk from a given degree of fat than women.

These problems can be connected to television because in the modern age screens sap away the majority of Americans’ time, leading to the neglect of exercise and an absence of stimulating brain activity; this is best reiterated in the quote, “A report released by research firm ChildWise suggests that…children spend more time in front of a screen in one day than they spend exercising in the entire week” (Thomas 2011 n.p). The first way that television can negatively impact American health is that it has been proven to be a prominent reason for the rise of obesity. “Researchers…found children who watched just one hour of television a day were 50 to 60 percent more likely to be overweight and 58 to 73 percent more likely to be obese, compared to kids who watched less than an hour” (Olson 2015 n.p). With weight issues, however, Americans are at higher risks to develop even worse problems such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, cancer, osteoarthritis, stroke, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (CDC 2015 n.p). Along with physical health complications come mental difficulties that can be traced back to television as well. According to the latest scientific studies done by neuroscientists in Japan, “Brain imaging (MRI) shows anatomical changes inside children’s brains after prolonged TV

Americans are known around the globe for being some of the most productive people. Taking a glimpse back into the United States history will yield evidence of monumental innovation and development. Some might say that the one industry that has stood tall in this forward progress is the food trade. It is not at all difficult to understand this businesses growth; as it is tied to the fundamental foundation of America itself – expansion. Since the first account of Europeans setting foot and exploring US soil, they uncovered a richness of natural resources needed to sustain a health and vibrant life. A particular era pointing to such vigorous growth is the 1950s when government lawmakers commissioned roads and bridges to be

In article one Maia Szalavitz, wrote an article titled, “Viewpoint: Defining Obesity as a Disease May do More Harm Than Good.” She is a neuroscience journalist from Time Magazine, who talked about the harmful effect classifying obesity will have on one’s life, as well as others around them. In article two Dr. Keith Ablow’s article is called, “Obesity is not a Disease- and Neither is Alcoholism.” He is a psychiatrist and a member of the Fox Medical A-Team who talked about the solution to obesity, may be as simple as raising someone’s self-esteem. Both these articles talk why one should not classify obesity as a disease, but only one talks about the solution to solve the problem of obesity. Even though Szalavitz and Ablow are similarly matched rhetorically by taking a world-wide problem and discussing the issue of classifying it as a disease; Ablow is more rhetorically effective, because he uses more examples and evidence from different sources to back up his reasoning.

Another thing I wanted to research was, what is a healthy amount of watching tv. I tried looking through a few sources to see a average and I found one. I found out that the average of all of the sources was around 2-2 ½ hours of watching tv. I find this kind of alarming because I watch maybe 2-3 hours more than that number every day. I should probably cut down on watching tv because it isn't the best for

The six year study mentioned prior, also states, “… that for every two hours of TV you watch a day, you’re 23 percent more likely to become obese (and 14 percent more likely to develop diabetes.)”(Cohen.) This also relates to the lack of physical activity due to the “couch potato” mentality.

In America, more people are becoming overweight or obese than ever, over 70 percent of the population. Much of this is occurring because of what the food industry is doing and because of many misconceptions in the minds of the ordinary people. These, along with other factors are generating an obesity epidemic in the USA. This documentary visits several experts and people with first-hand experiences with obesity. They bring to light many of the causes that induce people becoming obese, teach people how to avoid such things, suggest methods for restoring one's health, and reveal the benefits that come with good health and the hindrances that come with malnutrition. At the same time, it follows the fictional life of a woman as she makes the decision

More exercise will help, but if you have an inclination to eat too much you'll still need to count calories so that the fat you just dieted off doesn't come right back.

I've heard in that past that a skinny person could be considered "skinny fat" but never knew how exactly that could be. After reading the truth about belly fat, I learned that our bodies need some fats but where the fat is located can cause serious health issues. "Subcutaneous fat is the fat we can see, and visceral fat is the fat we can't." In my opinion, someone who can see that they are out of shape (Subcutaneous fat) will most likely attempt to improve their lifestyle than someone who thinks they are in shape (Visceral fat) but not aware that there is fat in their body that is hidden and is as bad or worse than subcutaneous fat.

Fast food is responsible for the increase of obesity rates in Western nations. In order to curb obesity rates, government regulation from the local level is necessary. The fast food corporations are responsible for the obesity epidemic because they make false health claims about their food and market heavily to children. But critics of regulation state that individuals, along with their food choices are responsible for the obesity epidemic. But regulation proponents believe that fast food needs regulation because of high obesity rates in poor inner city neighborhoods. In order to curb current obesity rates, local governments must intervene by implementing fast food regulations.

“More than one-third or 78.6 million of U.S. adults are obese”, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity does not only mean a bigger waist line, but also a greater chance at developing life-threating health problems. Preventable diseases such as “heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer” are increased in individuals who are considered obese (CDC). While physical activity plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle, what one consumes is also a significant factor. With obesity at staggering high rates, healthy food choices should be made more available and affordable, while the price of unhealthy food and drinks should be increased to help bring a decline to this ongoing epidemic.

Obesity has become the silent killer in American society. It is a risk factor for numerous chronic diseases including the four leading causes of death. Obesity can be linked to stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, all serious health problems that can be fatal. Obesity is linked to 300,000 deaths annually in the industrial world (Flamholz, 2001). Often in society and in the medical community there exists a lack of understanding that obesity is in fact a disease and needs attention, otherwise the rates of many diseases will continue to climb.

Why do Americans overeat to the point of becoming obese and what are the effects on the body? As the world looks at society today, clearly Americans have an issue with being overweight and becoming obese especially compared with other countries. “Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese,” and “more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese” (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2013, Data and Statistics).