In the past decade, more people are becoming overweight or obese including children and adults of all ages. Obesity is “defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m2). A BMI over 25 kg/m2 is defined as overweight, and a BMI of over 30 kg/m2 is obese,” BMI standing for body mass index (“Obesity and Overweight” 1). While some people may disagree regarding whether or not there is a growing obesity epidemic, research proves indeed that the number of people that are becoming either obese or overweight has doubled in the past 30 years. All around, people are getting heavier. Weight issues are on the rise with “more than 1 billion adults overweight- at least 300 million of them clinically obese” and “an estimated 17.6 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide” (“Obesity and Overweight” 2). Without proper and consistent exercise along with healthy eating habits, becoming overweight is more likely to affect you. Those that are overweight have increased health risks. The quantity of obese children is on the rise with food deserts and fast foods joints becoming more popular for better or worse. Being aware of the growing epidemic allows for preventative actions to be taken to slim the numbers back down. Health risks typically include, but are not limited to morbidity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, coronary heart disease, and different types of cancer (“NHLBI
Obesity continues to be a problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. Seventeen percent of children and adolescents about 12.5 million are obese (Diet). Obesity is the result of a rise in fat that accumulated over time due to the lack of exercise and having a calorie surplus due to unhealthy food. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than 30% is considered to be obese (Obesity). There isn’t a direct focus on obesity, because people don’t think it’s an important issue. To ensure a better future, solution is needed now. The solution to ending the obesity epidemic by encouraging a healthier lifestyle on children at young ages, improving nutrition at schools and restaurants, as well as providing more time and space for citizens to get physically active.
Obesity and being overweight are very common worldwide issues around the world, especially in the U.S. There are more than 3 million cases per year. By changing your lifestyle such as diet and exercise, losing weight can seem effortless. Desirable junk/fast food or even irresistible fast food commercials can tempt you to do the unthinkable. We are all victims of this advertising war. Quick-service restaurants (QSR) generate these advertisements in hope to attract more consumers or to increase their popularity rates around town. These commercials bombard our state of mind only to convince us to buy unhealthy food for worthless money. The increase in fast food commercials in the U.S. has led to an increase in both QSR revenues and the obesity rates. Regulating commercial frequencies will lead to a decline in the obesity rate. Our country has more than enough issues that frequently affect our population. Despite these alarming cautions, the food industries with their advertiser use every available media outlet to promote and sell their products. Pushing food and drinks high in sugar is unethical and unjust. We learn to
Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming an epidemic in America. Children are becoming overweight from lack of exercise and overeating. A average US child eats fast food daily without exercise. More than 15 million US children live in “food insecure” homes which means they have limited access to the foods they need to stay healthy due to the cost of the items according to the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Children are consuming much more than they burn off from exercise daily. Due to children eating more than they burn off, they are suffering from different types of diseases. Researchers are still studying these epidemics. So far, statistics have shown that children are in fact becoming obese from not exercising
It is no surprise that obesity is becoming an increasingly prominent health concern. In fact, since 1980 global obesity has almost doubled. (1) “The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” (2) “35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.” (1) To put these percentages into perspective, in 2008 the world population was at almost 7 billion, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight, roughly 500 million were obese. (1) Obesity can no longer simply be a concern; it is a
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Currently the number of obese children is increasing in our country and it is a problem that should be concerned. Doctors often use a formula based on height and weight, called body mass index (BMI), to determine obesity. Children with a BMI over 21 is considered obese and over 18 is overweight (Arnett, J.J.2016). Adults with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. Severe obesity, also known as severe obesity or morbid obesity, occurs when a BMI of 40 or more is present. With morbid obesity, there may be serious health problems. If children do not have enough activities, they will
Obesity is the second leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Being overweight and obese has become more prevalent and increased during the last three decades in both adults and children. Currently, 25 million children in the United States are obese or overweight (Babey, Wolstein, Diamant, Bloom, and Goldstein, 2011). The rise in childhood obesity and related health diseases are indicators of a decrease in life expectancy and increased individual and societal costs (Olshansky et al., 2005).
Recently, a claim was made that worldwide obesity has become a growing issue. The global population is expanding, as well as the weight of humans. Obesity rates throughout the world have increased, as 1.9 billion adults have been overweight and 600 have obese since 2014. A majority of countries have experienced an increase in obesity rates between the years of 2010 and 2014. Obesity is not just a worldwide issue for adults, but is also an issue for children. 42 million children were known to be obese and overweight in 2013 causing countries to fight against obesity among children. The increasing rates of
Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. more than doubled from 15% to 34% among adults and more than tripled from 5% to 18% among children and adolescents from 1980 to now. (Brunilda Nazario). These facts should startle you and quite frankly shock and scare you! It is estimated by the year 2020 obesity will be the single biggest killer on the planet. (World Health Organization) Obesity has become a dangerous epidemic facing our country. As children, teen and adult obesity rates have risen dramatically, so has the number of diet, exercise and health programs. The question is which diets and exercise programs work, and which ones don’t. Educating our country about how to become healthier through different programs and lifestyles is an important step in fixing this serious problem.
The problem of childhood obesity has been increasing for the past 30 years, many children do not eat family home made meals anymore, like it used to be decades ago, in this new generation children do not have the support they need or the motivation to believe that they can be on shape. According to the Alliance for healthier Generation. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. This is a big issue that needs our critical attention. Consequently, the increasing epidemic of childhood obesity has been on the rise, some contributing factors are the lack of physical activity, the technology and marketing unhealthy foods. Our children are the heart of this wonderful planet.
The obesity epidemic has now become one of the most pressing issues of our time. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) said “...obesity has more than doubled worldwide since 1980. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults (39 percent of Earth’s adult population) were overweight. That includes 600 million who were obese” (Kiener 2015). In the United States, slightly more than one third of adults are obese (FRAC 2016), and obesity-related deaths make up 18% of all deaths, which is now more than three times more prevalent than once estimated (Fox 2013). For most of its history, however, many have misinterpreted obesity as a lifestyle problem that effect only “lazy” individuals when the opposite is true. Obesity is an issue that goes beyond
Obesity is becoming an impending epidemic in our society (Hill, Wyatt, Reed, & Peters, 2003; Kottke, Wu, & Hoffman, 2003). Prevalence of obesity is on the rise and deaths attributable to it are higher than ever. It is estimated by the NIDDK (2003) that 30.5% of adults in the United States are obese and if the rate of increase remains constant, 39% of adults will be obese by the year 2008 (Hill, et al. 2003). In a study conducted by Thorpe, et al. (2004) out of 2681 New York elementary school students 24% were obese, so there is a high prevalence in children as well. Flegal, Williamson, Pamuk, and Rosenberg (2004) discovered that the obese population contributes ten times more deaths per year, about 300,000, than the portion of the country
Obesity basically means having too much body fat. Not being overweight for your height, having too much muscle, or water in your body. What exactly is obesity? “Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is a tool used to measure obesity. Obesity increases your risk of developing related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea, to name a few. Many individuals are affected by obesity and are not aware of it” (O.A.C, 2016). Causes of obesity vary from person to person, but most are from the same reasons. Taking in more calories than your body can burn leads to obesity because your body stores the unused calories as fat. Typical causes are eating too much food than your body can use, drinking too much alcohol, and not getting enough exercise. Many obese people who lose large amounts of weight and gain it back think it is their fault. They blame themselves for not having the willpower to keep the weight off. Many people regain more weight than they lost. Today, we know that biology is a big reason why some people cannot keep the weight off. Some people who live in the same place and eat the same foods become obese, while others do not. Our bodies have a complex system to help keep our
Obesity, defined as ‘an excessive amount of body fat relative to body weight’ (Heyward, 2010, p.232) has reached global epidemic proportions and it is the fifth leading risk for global deaths with 2.8 million adults dying every year (World Health Organization, 2013). In addition, worldwide, more than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2011 (World Health Organization, 2013a). Consequently, childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem and a major public health challenge for the 21st century. It is crucial that prevention starts to be a high priority (World Health
The everyday routines of life can and will be more difficult if encumbered with obesity.
Obesity is a condition in which the over accumulation of adipose fat tissue causes the weight of a person to increase abnormally. Their weight exceeds by 20%, as a factor of their ideal body weight. According to recent analysis, statistics show that more than one third of the world’s population is targeted by obesity. Research shows that overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Obesity occurs greatly amongst adults who are 18 years or older. An estimated 600 million adults were obese out of the 1.9 billion that were overweight, around the world in 2014. One in three adults in Mexico, New Zealand and United States are obese, and one in four adults in Australia, Canada, Chile and Hungary are obese. In contrast, rates of obesity are much lower in Asian countries, where approximately 2-4% of adults have obesity. In countries such as Mexico and the United States, Latino and Africans have the highest rates of obesity amongst all the individuals. However, along with adults, statistics show that the rates for obesity are also high among children within and below the age of 5. As calculated in 2013, the number of children across the world that were either overweight or obese was 42 million. Since then, the rates have increased by 30% more in in low- and middle-income countries than in developed countries. Due to the fact that this condition continues at higher rates across the world, several organizations, such as the World Health Organization, are working with and