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Overweight and Obesity in America

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Overweight and Obesity in America
Mary Watts
ENG 122 English Composition II
Instructor: Professor James Lange
July 7, 2014

According to the National Institute of Health, obesity is defined as having an excess of body fat. Obesity is more prevalent when a person has a body mass index of 30 or more. Being obese differs from being overweight, in that being overweight can be caused from extra fat, muscle, bone, or water. It is well known in the United States that obesity is a dangerous epidemic. From 2011 to 2012, over 34% of Americans were obese (Flegal, 2014). The overweight and obesity problem has become a major health problem in the U. S. In America a lot of our health problems stem from being overweight and obese. They represent nearly all ages and socio‑economic groups of peoples. . Obesity and overweightness depends on how much energy you take in (the calories in When the body has an excess of unused calories, the body will store the calories as fat. Consuming more calories than burned can be the result of unhealthy diet and eating habits. An unhealthy diet lacks fruits and vegetables and is high in fat. Lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to excess calories. The American Heart Association recommends that people commit to increasing their heart rate through exercise or physical activity for thirty minutes per day, five times a week. Things such as walking, stair climbing, swimming, jogging, biking, or playing sports are considered appropriate forms of exercise or physical activity. Lack of sleep and certain medications such as corticosteroids can aid in obesity. In rare cases medical problems such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome can lead to obesity. A person should consider all possible risk factors for obesity before making the assumption that the obesity is caused

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