...Introduction In this paper, I am arguing that the government owns the responsibility of putting an end to the obesity epidemic. First I will describe what the obesity epidemic is, secondly I will outline what research says about the causes of obesity, and thirdly I will talk about the individual agency of choice. What is the global obesity pandemic? According to the World Health Organization in 2008 (WHO, 2008), global obesity rates have doubled since 1980, reaching a record-breaking population of 1.4 billion overweight adults. This is 39% of the world’s population. At the more dangerous end of the spectrum lie over half a billion people who are clinically obese, capturing 13% of the world’s population (WHO). In fact, this issue is so vast,...
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...Obesity has become an epidemic in American Society. Since the nineteen eighties childhood obesity rates have tripled and have started in earlier in age. In high school students obesity rates have risen by fifteen percent. In four states obesity rates for adults have exceeded thirty five percent. Obesity is being portrayed as being beautiful, which people should be comfortable in their own skin, but the health effects that obesity causes is far from beautiful. Nearly seventy eight million adults and almost thirteen million children are obese in the United States. In the 1950's the percentage of obese adults was only ten percent, and has now risen to thirty five percent. An adult is averaged to weigh twenty six more pounds more than...
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...------------------------------------------------- IS Obesity really an epidemic in America? Introduction; What is obesity? Obesity or being overweight is basically having to much body fat compared to muscle. It is unhealthy to carry extra body fat and therefore it is considered a major health risk, due to the health issues is can cause to individuals including children. Obesity has been on the rise in the past 20 years as lifestyles and eating habits have changed in the average American home. (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/) It is measured by medical professionals by using the ratio of weight to height. This is called the BMI or body mass index. Thesis Statement Obesity has been considered by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) to have risen drastically in the past 20 years. People are eating less healthy foods in todays society, are living a fast paced lifestyle that gives little time for thought and effort towards healthy eating, and little time for excerssise. The modern American has tons of technology at the touch of finger that causes us to do less physical things. According to Havard Medical and the CDC obesity has been on the rise for many reasons over the past 20 years. The causes of obesity are different for different people according to age, race, sex, and genetics. But the most common reason is overeating. The body cannot take in more calories than it can burn, or it will be stored as fat the excess...
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...Nicole Andrews P.Killough English 114 15 March 2014 What factors can lead to obesity? Obesity has become an epidemic battle that experts are still trying to understand. What causes obesity? Various combinations can cause this problem. This epidemic affects half the population. To help end an epidemic battle with obesity we need to find out its leading factors. So many factors lead to obesity it can be a complex combination of lifestyle choices. Many people now a days aren't physically active spending hours in front of their television or computer spending most of the day doing work, school work, or leisure actives. From my own experience I spend about 2 or more hours in front of the television or computer. People who are inactive gain weight due to the fact that they do not burn the calories that they take in from eating and drink. Inactive lifestyle raises other health risk such as heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and many other health problems. “Other reasons for not being active include: relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education classes in schools(NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). “Our environment doesn't support healthy lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity” (NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). Most people don’t have time for physical actives with working long hours and or attending...
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...Health is defined based on three dimensions: physical, mental and social health; a fairly recent modification from the 18th century viewpoints (Ware,1987). Health is perceived differently according to the different models of health that help in guiding and understanding of health and health issues. In relation to the following essay, two models; biomedical model and social model will be discussed and compared in terms of their relevancy in the modern times. The second half of the essay will focus on the effectiveness of the social model in explaining the increasing prevalence of health conditions related to the obesity epidemic. During the early part of the 20th century, infectious diseases predominated as the highest cause of mortality in both developing and non-developing counties affecting 42% of the world’s population (Tulchinsky and Varavikova,2000; Boutayeb and Boutayeb,2005). This is the era that was heavily reliant on the biomedical model to diagnose illness which focused primarily on the proximal causes of disease (factors that act directly to cause a disease) and was confined to the objective measures for disease treatment (diagnosis solely based on medical facts without considering other possibilities)(Johnson,2012). Since the leading causes of death at those times were infections based i.e. pneumonia (11.8%), T.B. (11.3%) and diarrhoea (8.3%) (National Office of Vital Statistics,1947), the biomedical model’s germ theory which stated that all diseases were caused...
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...Personal Wellness Obesity Epidemic Essay The obesity epidemic is a problem that has kept growing and needs to be dealt with. The article I chose talks about some of the issues that come with being obese. It is also mentioned in this article where most of the obesity is common in the United States and what race it is most common in. It has been proven a fact that the adult obesity has increased 1.7% from 2005 to 2007. There is another statistic that shows that it is more common of people being obese in the southern United States around Alabama and Mississippi compared to the more northern states. Another statistic about obesity is that it is most common for non-Hispanic black women to have the highest obesity rate. There are many causes that have an increase in obesity, but eating unhealthy food is one of the most prevalent causes to obesity. Most people in the United States have the access to fast food restaurants which people are doing more often instead of having a healthy home cooked meal. This often leads to a high caloric balance that is very unhealthy, which can lead to many other life threatening issues. Being an obese person has many complications that can be life changing to that person. One of the complications that are involved with being obese that is not really mentioned is it can hurt a person’s academic performance in school. Another complication with obesity is the chance of getting life threatening diseases such diabetes and heart disease. Finding...
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...Obesity in the United States is becoming an increasing epidemic. Several people and agencies have indicated ways to help Americans lose weight. Even the government has made suggestions on losing weight. In the article “The Fed’s Fib about Low-Fat”, written by journalist Michael Fumento, the government’s approach to have a low-fat diet is being critiqued. This article is read by adults of different cultures throughout the country, which arose in the syndicated newspaper The Washington Times. Michael Fumento is a medical journalist; currently living in Floridablanca, Colombia. His work appears in many newspapers. Fumento argues that the government’s approach to have a low-fat diet, precisely to “reduce the fat in their diets to 30 percent or less of total calories”, is inaccurate and does not point to weight loss or a healthy user. Fumento seems extremely concerned and worried about the government’s suggestions to have a low-fat diet. He also seems angry at the food industry for bringing forth such things that can cause the nation to continue to rise in obesity. In this article it shows that he is a cautious and caring individual. Although Fumento reveal very little about himself throughout the essay, because of his knowledge about the government and the food industry readers will know that he has participated in some type of study regarding to it. He also states that he has written a book about the prone matter, which helps intensify his reputation to be a force in writing this...
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...Obesity is a fast-growing epidemic among young adults due several factors. People are choosing to eat poorly and exercise less. They watch too much TV, play too many video games, eat too much fast food and junk food and are not getting enough exercise or nutrition to balance it out! While many people are healthy and exercise regularly, there is a growing number of adults and children becoming obese. It is costing the NHS millions to deal with the problems that it causes. We are having serious concerns about the number of people becoming ill and being unable to work, because of our overweight people. It' no secret that obesity is a huge issue. The causes of this problem can be social, economic and cultural, all of which determine how much food we eat, and the kind of food we eat, against how much exercise we do. Affecting the entire world, Scotland is one of the worst countries by percentage. According to professionals, "40% of adults in Scotland will be obese by 2030". 40%?! These figures are ridiculous, almost half the country obese in a few short years? Fatty and unhealthy foods. Served in every shop, in every town, in every country. Foods that damage the body, you just can’t get away from them. Being obese puts unnecessary strain on the heart, making the heart pump faster because of the increased amount of body fat. As a result this can cause high blood pressure. Likewise it has been proven that being obese...
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...example. (30 pts) CAN MEDICATION CURE OBESITY IN CHILDREN? A Review of the Literature In March 2004, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona called attention to a health problem in the United States that, until recently, we have overlooked: childhood obesity. Carmona highlighted that the “astounding” 15% child obesity rate constitutes an “epidemic.” Since the early ‘80s, that rate has “doubled in children and tripled in adolescents.” Now more than nine million children are classified as obese. While the traditional response to a medical epidemic is to hunt for a vaccine or a cure-all pill, childhood obesity has proven more elusive. Lacking success of recent initiatives suggests that medication mightn’t be the answer for the escalating problem. In this literature review, I will consider whether the use of medication is a promising approach for solving the childhood obesity problem by responding to the following questions: 1. What are the implications of childhood obesity? 2. Is medication effective at treating childhood obesity? 3. Is medication safe for children? 4. Is medication the best solution? Understanding the limitations of medical treatments for children highlights the complexity of the childhood obesity problem in the United States and underscores the need for physicians, advocacy groups, and policymakers to search for other solutions. What Are the Implications of Childhood Obesity? Obesity can be a devastating problem from both...
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...SOC 100 Assignment 3 Obesity in America Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwcampus.com/shop/soc-100-assignment-3-obesity-in-america/ Due Week 9 and worth 65 points Obesity in America is considered an epidemic. There are many contributing factors to obesity (both childhood and adult), such as biological, environmental, social, or economic factors. Review the information on obesity on pages 383 to 385 in the textbook. You may also use the Internet or Strayer Library to research obesity and its causes. Suggested Reading: • “What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity?” located at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html Write a one to two page (1-2) page essay in which you: 1. Describe the effect that obesity (childhood and / or adult) has had on you personally or your community. 2. Select one (1) contributing factor to childhood or adult obesity. Recommend two (2) preventative measures related to the selected factor that people can take in order to reduce their chance of becoming obese. 3. Discuss one (1) sociological theory that relates to the selected contributing factor to obesity. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. • To keep this essay short and manageable, your only sources for the essay should be the article from the National Heart, Lung...
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...The rates of obese children have increased in most parts of the world including the UK. It has been termed as an epidemic. It can be seen to increase at an incredible rate in years to come( Johnson et al 2010). Childhood Obesity is a Public health issue.The article was written by Philipsen et al (2008) titled Childhood Overweight; Prevention Strategies for Parents. This article gives a review on Childhood obesity, causes and prevention strategies for parents. According to Philipsen et al, Childhood obesity have increased globally, it is not just the occurrence that makes the situation troubling, but the negative result connected with children being overweight. Overweight children are affected both physically and psychologically. Furthermore overweight children are more likely to grow up being overweight .Philipsen et al (2008) states that, the increase in obesity has been caused by different factors, for example, environmental and biological factors. Finding the most effective solution is difficult because childhood obesity increases. (Ahearne-Smith 2008) highlights that childhood obesity could lead to diseases such as cancers and lung disease at a later stage. Body mass index (BMI) is defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, Overweight means being at or above 95 percentile (philipsen et al 2008). Children being overweight is attributed to genes passed from parents to children ( Perusse $ Bouchard, 1999), Children should be prevented...
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...Project Title: Analyze the reasons for the increasing obesity epidemic in the developed world Introduction ‘Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health’ (World Health Organization, 2013). To accurately define obesity, one’s body mass index (BMI) is greater than or equal to 30 means he or she is obese (ibid). Obesity is increasingly spread all over the world and becomes a global health issue. According to WHO (2013), the population of the obese is twice larger than that three decades ago and more than 500 million adults are obese currently. Obesity can give a rise to the likelihood of getting other serious illness such as diabetes, cancer and CVD. Therefore, over 2.8 million lives are claimed by obesity directly or indirectly per year (ibid). Both developed and developing countries are experiencing this increasing obesity epidemic, but there are distinctions in the factors in these two kinds of areas. In comparison, the reasons in developed regions are more common problems and are more familiar to people living in urban areas. Investigation into the causes for the increasing obesity epidemic in developed countries gives the public a deeper understanding of obesity causes and helps governments make policies to tackle obesity crisis. Causes of this increasing trend are grouped into three categories in this essay, which are unhealthy food, excessive food consumption and lack of physical exercise. Unhealthy food Unhealthy food, food...
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...The term addiction is most commonly associated with drug abuse. Until recently, food specifically sugar has gained enough momentum to be compared and classified as addictive as cocaine is (Ahmed et al.). There are 300,000 deaths per year related to obesity in the United States, making it the second most preventable cause of death (Flegal et. al). In comparison, there are only 47,000 deaths related to drug use (National Center for Health estimated Statistics). This essay will explore, sugar, the underlying issue contributing to the obesity epidemic. In the documentary from “Sugar Coated” they state that “in the past 30 years obesity rates have doubled to 600 million… and diabetes rates have tripled to 347 million worldwide.” Comparably in that...
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...me knows that my favorite soft drink is Dr. Pepper. There was a time when I drank Dr. Pepper with all my meals, I also realized during that time that I was feeling heavier than before, and I gained weight as well; I needed to make a change. I did what a lot of people in America do while trying to give up soda, I gave up the regular Dr. Pepper and switch to the Diet Dr. Pepper mainly because it contained zero calories. When I tried it I hated it, it tasted so fake and was not something I wanted to taste ever again. So I wanted to know, what’s really inside the diet sodas? How does drinking diet soda really affect me and society? Does diet sodas benefit or harms this society that is overwhelmed with artificially sweetened beverages? In this essay I will be talking about the chemistry of diet sodas and the effect it has on the body. In a culture that is overwhelmed with consuming soda, when trying to lose weight, the easiest way people try to stop drinking soda is switching to diet soda. For example, one can of non diet Coke contains one hundred and fifty calories per twelve fluid ounces, whereas a can of Diet Coke has zero calories per twelve fluid ounces. It sounds convenient to make the switch because of the difference in calories, on the other hand is switching to diet soda really as helpful as it sounds? Some studies have shown that diet soda is not a beneficial source f0r wanting to lose weight for it is dangerous and risky. An article that was done by Harvard Health said that...
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...There is a growing epidemic of childhood obesity in Australia and also worldwide. The prevalence of obesity has doubled to 65% of the world’s population live in countries where obesity and overweight kills more people than underweight does (WHO, 2011). Obese children are more likely to have health problems throughout their childhood, these health issues are associated with long-term health consequences to which the economic costs are enormous (Swinburn, 2008). Obesity in childhood is frequently tracked into adulthood, this is clearly a major contributor for the adulthood epidemic. Interventions and preventions have become key strategies in reducing the impact of childhood obesity. Through national and international health promotions, promoting healthy eating and physical activity in environments that reduce childhood obesity. The rapid increase of childhood obesity not only is it a burden on psychological, physical but also socially (Deckelbaum & Williams, 2005). Health care professionals such as nurses’ play a very important role in the prevention or management of obesity. Nurses’ can research current evidence in health promotions to find the best program for different populations by providing support and management of their illness (Bluford, Sherry & Scanlon, 2007). Throughout this is essay all these points will be discussed in more detail. Obesity and overweight have been defined as an excess or abnormal fat accumulation that may impair health within children and adults...
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