Obesity In Texas

The HP 2020 (2014) reported that obesity is one of the twelve leading health indicators clusters with supporting data, posing concerns at a national, state and local level, needing an evidence based promising practice. The HP 2020 provides access to cross sectors, a 10-year national goals, objectives and evidence based interventions resources to improve health practices. Specifically, the HP 2020 (2015) identified goals that can reduce the obesity epidemic:

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. With such a significant percentage of the population (68.8% of Americans are overweight or obese) dealing with weight issues and with food marketing pushing cheap, fast food options, Americans are suffering from serious health consequences.

Obesity Under Texas, abbreviated as O.U.T, is dedicated to ending obesity in the state of Texas. The main focus of this agency is tacking obesity in children age 2-13. O.U.T proposes to integrate after school programs that educated kids on nutrition and exercise in the Brazos Valley. Another proposal O.U.T plans to conquer is the addition of safe sidewalks and parks so children are able to exercise safely.

I was shocked when I read in our text that obesity in the United States (U.S.) has increased in one decade from 12% to 70% (Knickman & Kover, 2015, p. 125). Obesity is linked to many preventable chronic diseases and pushes health care cost between $147 billion and $210 billion per year (The State of Obesity, 2015). Even though the metric for obesity, the body mass index (BMI) is an old metric for judging health, the data is staggering and needs to be addressed.

2. Improve services provided by the local health departments. The three objectives that have been set forth, can all be accomplished with proper health services at a county or local health department. For example, the health educators in New Jersey Health Departments can spearhead an Obesity Prevention Program. Additionally, they have the resources to provide nutrition counseling and assist the residents in making healthier food choices for their families. Lastly, health screenings can be offered at health departments, to assess residents BMIs and vital statistics. Generally, holding general health clinics can be kept inexpensive, but prevention programs and nutrition services may be costly. The CDC reported that “The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.” Therefore, although these

Obesity has become an epidemic in adults and children in the United States. Moreover, children are at risk of obesity because they do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and do not obtain enough physical activity. Also, children have a higher chance of developing health diseases related to obesity such as hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and pulmonary disease. In addition, obesity in children from ages one to seventeen is an issue in Texas, since children are not aware of the serious consequences of being obese. Therefore, Texas should find ways to prevent obesity by authorizing healthier school lunches and allowing a school program to help obese children lose weight. Also, television advertisements are

The United States was once one of the most healthiest countries in the world ranking second, but after some years the United States has plummeted to rank thirty-seven. The current problem of poor health in the United States is caused by the United States government’s lack of innovation in keeping America healthier that has damaged every American’s evolution to stay healthy in the day and age of technology. According to The State of Obesity there are now four states that have over thirty-five percent of their citizens who are obese, all states having above twenty percent obesity rates and thirty percent in twenty-five states. All together over thirty-five percent of the United States population is obese (including super obese) that and of

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess fats have grown and accumulated to the point of harm, and a shortened life expectancy. Obesity is a problem that has been more prominent in the 20th and 21st century and is now a main concern for both society and the government. It is the citizen’s duty to resolve this epidemic known as obesity in the United States.

In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous burden on both the health and healthcare of those affected. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. According to the Centers of Disease Control, as of 2013, 34.9% of our population is considered overweight or obese. America is the richest yet the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein, 1994).

Lee (2015) theorizes that failed financial incentives, lack of knowledge and training in medical education and limitations of the physicians’ role regarding infrastructure and other policy making decisions have a direct impact on the obesity and subsequent disease processes that are impacting the nation.

“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.

to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Demonstrating, obesity is taken an impact to

Overweight and obesity are serious problems in America today. Over 37 percent of adults are considered to be

During the past 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. More than one-third of U.S.

The topic of obesity and the impact it has on a person’s life is a daily discussion in my career. I currently work as a nurse coordinator for a bariatric surgery program. Obesity is caused by many different reasons including genetics, environment, behaviors, physiological issues, psychological problems, and the person’s metabolism. Many times judgements are made regarding the severely obese individual that if they stopped eating so much they would lose weight. Granted, that is the cause for some people, but many people eat very little and can’t maintain any significant weight loss. The classification of obesity as a disease is accurate since once a person’s BMI reaches a certain point it is almost impossible for the individual to lose a significant amount of weight. I meet people every day that have tried every diet, exercise or pharmaceutical drug option and continue to be unable to find any success. In fact, many patients regain weight when weight loss drugs are stopped (Burchum, Rosenthal, 2016, p. 998). There are many reasons why weight loss surgery is the best option for the severely or moderately obese patient.