...continuous decline in global prices. But since 2004, the demand started to overcome the food production increase, and prices have been rising ever since. The situation grew to unprecedented levels in the international grain markets, resulting in panic, volatility, and speculation. At the same time, meat producers were pushed to produce more, faster and cheaper to address the increasing demand. Researchers see a collision ahead between an increasing population demanding high-quality food, and the resources available. This can result in incentives for producers to increase quantities by lowering the food quality, deriving in malnutrition and diseases. Behind cheap meat On average, it takes 3kg of grain and 16.000 liters of water to produce 1kg of meat. In addition to that, currently 33% of the cropland area is used for meat production. Therefore, a growing demand for meat results on the need to allocate more grain, water and land resources to produce it. Or maybe not? Over the last decades we have witnessed an increase in the development and use of artificial or waste-based feed products, genetic engineering, and chemical additives to produce more and faster. While “industrial” livestock production supports the rising meat consumption on a world scale, it brings in parallel an increase in animal-related diseases with potential to cause human epidemics. The bovine spongiform encephalopathy, SARS, and the recent H1N1 are examples. These and other diseases can be originated from...
Words: 715 - Pages: 3
...preventive care, emergency services, follow-up, and rehabilitation. Forecasting the future of health care may be seen as an imperfect and challenging exercise. However, it is important in order to improve quality health, revenue, reducing expenses, and improving customer satisfaction. Based on past experiences, the health care industry is on the brink of an inevitable change. This essay examines some of the trends that are likely to pose future challenges to the delivery of health care throughout the world. The first threat likely to be encountered by the sector is the rising health care costs. The costs are expected to hit the roof due to increased expenditures in the sector. Some of the dynamics that may lead to an increase in health care expenditure include a rise in the number of medical practitioners’ remunerations and increased state budgets for financing research on the new technologies. Due to the rising costs, the world expects to see both businesses and governments asking the public to pay more out of their pockets for health insurance and the care they receive. Consequently, this would increase the number of people with no medical insurance coverage. For this reason, the health care systems will experience financial strains when providing care...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...too much food, while in other countries people die from not having enough. Obesity is a rising health epidemic across the nation, and it is a duel responsibility of the government as well as society to do all that they can, starting in the individual home to encourage healthy eating in order to reverse this development and preserve the next generation. Obesity has officially become an epidemic in America. It is debatably one the most noticed public health problems that America faces today. In 2009,...
Words: 1506 - Pages: 7
...Option #2: McDonald’s and Obesity Lauren Derman CSU-Global Campus International and Multi-Cultural Marketing MKG400-1 Michael Aubry July 28, 2016 Option #2: McDonald’s and Obesity Obesity, as it relates to fast food, has been tied together in controversy for many years. It is an uphill battle that continues to occur throughout the globe; however, one fast food restaurant, in particular, has been blamed for contributing to the obesity problem especially in young people as this epidemic continues to grow. In this paper, we will discuss the problem as it relates to the case study written specifically about McDonalds and their influence on the explosion of child obesity. Additionally, we will examine further a few of the most important questions regarding the case as it relates to the Ronald McDonald mascot, the merits of law that would require warning labels or health messages within the commercials for the corporation, as well as the current attitude towards the rising issue of obesity and the various approaches to solving the problem. Ronald McDonald Vs Joe Camel As the problem of obesity continues to debilitate our youth and contribute to life-threatening illnesses and diseases, it is very easy for stakeholders and consumers such as parents point the finger at Ronald McDonald. The vibrantly dressed corporate mascot most recognized for his iconic clown makeup and big red shoes has recently been compared to that of Joe Camel his extreme opposite in marketing advertisements...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...Body Fat and Eating Disorders SCT/241 - Nutrition Body Fat and Eating Disorders There is a serious issue that is happening in the world today and its right in front of us, an obesity epidemic and eating disorder. How are we in an epidemic? Well back in 1960, 13.4% of adults were obese; in 1991, 23% were obese and nor more than a decade later 31% are obese and the numbers keep rising (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012). Due to this the medical and public health officials have called this situation an epidemic. This epidemic doesn’t affect a specific culture or nation but affects us all and definitely includes children as well. Children and teens, from ages 6 to 19 years of age are overweight. The problem with this epidemic is that with excess body fat increases many health related issues like: high blood pressure, heart disease, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep disorders, respiratory problems, and cancers of the breast, uterus, prostate, and colon (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012). We ask, “What can we do to avoid or beat this epidemic since we don’t even know what our body composition is or why it is?” Well our body composition, we can thank our parents since our body size and shape are contained in our genes that were inherited by our parents. Whether you are short and stocky or tall and thin, these traits are handed down. Even our genes get involved in regulating body fatness, these genes are called obesity genes...
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
...study recently published by NeuroImage, Dr. Grahenhorst and colleagues reported that humans are more likely to choose foods based on the healthiness of the food rather than taste. Obesity rates have continued to climb in the United States for many years. The Center of Disease Control has recently labeled obesity as a rising epidemic that needs to be stopped. This disease can negatively impact a person’s health in a variety of fashions including, but not limited to, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Another important factor to take into account is the rising health costs a person may incur due to being obese. Human beings food choices are different than those of their other primates because they do not choose their foods based solely on availability and survival. Humans have the luxury to choose what they eat by deciding what they are craving, availability, and information they receive through various language mechanisms. Marketers use food labels with key words to direct consumers to specific brands and types of foods (Grabenhorst, Schulte, Maderwald & Brand, 2013). The United States has recently enacted a strategy to counter the rising obesity rates by creating a law that requires companies to label food by the amount of calories it contains. By enacting this law, many psychologists believe that food labels will effect a consumer’s conscious decision making when deciding what type of foods to eat. The purpose of this study was to examine if food labels...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
...America is a fat country and that is a fact. One third of adults and roughly 12.7 million children are obese in the United States of America ("Overweight & Obesity.", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015). Furthermore, the numbers of obese people are rapidly rising at an alarming rate. America’s excessive food consumption and lack of exercise is catapulting the obesity epidemic in America to reach new heights. The word “obese” describes an individual who has too much body fat in which 25 percent of the body weight is from fat (Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions 2012). On the other hand, obesity is a condition in which the body has accumulated too much fat. This condition occurs when there is excessive...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “the statistics on HIV/AIDS for American Adolescent clearly show that teens are particularly severely affected by the virus. The latest Centers for Disease Control report on the US epidemic shows that in 2007, 73% of people diagnosed with AIDS were males. With 73% being males. Within the African American population, males represented 64% of AIDS cases” (CDC). With all of the statistics outlined. It is apparent That African American males are the ethnic group worst affected by HIV/AIDS. This issue is highly alarming, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in world history. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of what is known about the issues of HIV infection in Scott 3 Adolescents and young adults in the U.S. I hope to chip away at this issue and get closer to understanding why rates of HIV infection are so high among adolescents. OVERVIEW There is a rising concern about the effects of HIV/AIDS among Adolescents and young adults between the ages...
Words: 364 - Pages: 2
...There is an epidemic in America and it is called “Childhood Obesity.” “Obese,” from the Latin word “obesus,” means “grow fat by eating.” (Dalton, 2004) This term’s origin suggests that overeating is the major cause of the obesity epidemic. Teaching obese children to eat less is essential. But modifying behavior is no simple task, and eating too much is not the sole cause of obesity. Other factors play a role and must be understood in order to reverse this epidemic and produce healthier children. The growing number of obese children in America are victims of an epidemic just as surely as if they were infected by a virus. Americans tend to think of an epidemic as an outbreak of a contagious illness. But to physicians the sudden increase in obesity rates that have occurred in the twentieth century is every bit as unexpected as an outbreak of a new infectious disease and has triggered an alarm that might greet the rising of polio. Julie Gerberding, the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the fall of 2003, declared obesity the number one health threat facing America. (Okie, 2005) The causes (nature) of this epidemic are complex and include genetic, biological and behavioral factors. These include, but are not limited to poor eating habits, overeating, the lack of exercise, family history of obesity, cardiac, endocrine or neurological problems, life changing events or stress, along with family or peer problems and low self-esteem or emotional...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 2832 - Pages: 12
...can be carried out to prevent it. Obesity has become cone of the nations most widespread epidemics and it continues to grow. In this study 20 peer-reviewed articles were chosen on obesity and nutrition, and then the articles were analyzed and broken down into a basic concept of obesity prevention. Most articles contained proper nutrition, exercise, and dietary guidance. After thorough research, it became evident that proper nutrition and exercise were basic necessities in combating the obesity epidemic. Introduction Obesity is one of the leading public concerns within the United States, and for a great reason, almost two-thirds of the population is either overweight or obese, and the numbers are continuously rising.(Carels et al. 2008). Obesity has been linked to many different health issues, including the number one killer in America, heart disease. Obesity has been a growing problem over the past few years, which has led many to try and reduce or reverse the incline in obesity. The programs implemented, as of late, to reduce the number considered obese have failed.(Crombie 1999). American society continues to grow in the obesity rates, which has in turn generated an increase in health problems and issues. This is associated with the typical American diet being high in calories but low in nutrients. (Drewnowski et al. 2008). This epidemic is spreading even more rapidly within the youth of America. Many researchers place the...
Words: 2087 - Pages: 9
...it when they were pregnant, which had effects on the child and their learning abilities. The effect on the crack epidemic in the 80s helped the youth of today, to make better choices in life concerning this addictive drug. Crack, was highly-addictive and swept through plenty areas of cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Miami. In the end it caused devastating effects for black and Latino Americans. As crack cocaine was becoming popular and rising epidemic, hip hop was evolving alongside it. It was in the 1980s that crack cocaine and hip hop became the two leading fundamentals of urban street culture. It is not suggested that hip hop caused the crack epidemic, or vice versa. But, it can be argued that both fed off each other, particularly hip hop off the crack culture itself. Crack cocaine quickly gained popularity among users in the 1980s due to its cheap cost, and the quick, intense high it left. Compared to freebase cocaine, which involved a complicated ritual involving Ether, crack cocaine had become simplistic and easier to manage. The drug was “made from powder cocaine, it was safer to make than freebase cocaine”. As crack and dope became parts of our neighborhoods, they started to have an impression on our culture through music and television. Epidemics are always a great time to remind America that racism still exists. For example, epidemics happen to everybody but white people. The holocaust happened to the Jews, HIV happened to homosexuals (although...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...people, AIDS is just another epidemic like the common cold and it will go away in time. The AIDS epidemic doesn’t affect everyone in society the same. AIDS is a global epidemic and has threatened the human health and development for many years. There are many ways to prevent the spread of AIDS such as abstinence, educating our youths and adults on AIDS prevention, and political support to find a cure. There are different views on the AIDS problem. One view is the Politicians who believe that people are responsible for their own sexuality; therefore, it’s their responsibility to educate themselves. Second are Christians who believe that religion acts as a deterrent to sexual activity which decreased pre-marital sex. Third are the group of Planned Parenthood and safe sex which believes that if they educate people on the use of contraceptives, it will help diminish pregnancy and the spread of AIDS. HIV and Aids in the United States by age and gender More than half a million people diagnosed with AIDS have died in the USA. Around two-thirds of these people did not live to the age of 45. In 2007, the age group 30-49 years accounted for an estimated 54% of HIV diagnoses, 63% of AIDS diagnoses, and 56% of deaths of people diagnosed with AIDS. The estimated number of children (under 13) diagnosed with AIDS in 2007 was 28. Almost 17% of HIV diagnoses were in people aged 50 and above. In America there is increasing concern over how the HIV/AIDS epidemic is affecting the older generation...
Words: 2957 - Pages: 12
...In the past several years heroin has killed a record number of people in Long Island. The statistic is frightening heroin use has exploded in Long Island. The number of heroin users and heroin-related deaths has been steadily rising over the past few years. And the most rapid growth is among those under age 21. Four out of five new heroin users said their addictions started from prescription pain medication, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency. Many insurance companies’ policies require that a heroin addict have a mental illness or another addiction to be covered. And without the insurance company behind them, patients face paying steep out-of-pocket costs. On Long Island, the typical heroin abuser is from a middle-class, suburban family that is too wealthy to qualify for state or federal subsidies and too poor to pay up front. The drugs are coming from foreign drug trafficking organizations that had a...
Words: 577 - Pages: 3
...and it was found that it was a sympathomimetic agent having bronchodilator properties. However, the effect on the central nervous system was not reported until 1933 which was followed closely by the first amphetamine abuse reports. Amphetamines give people a feeling of relief from fatigue and euphoria, it produces anorexia, improves performance of doing simple tasks and increases the activity levels (Ebadi, 2002). Amphetamine abuse is considered to be related primarily to the euphorigenic effects that lead to its use in high doses before the onset of the final stage which is compulsive abuse. The abuse of Amphetamines at present has been at low epidemic levels since the drug as introduced in the 1930s. During the beginning of the 1950s and 60s however, the epidemic appeared in the United States, Sweden and japan. A study of the epidemic reveals that there were several factors which contributed to its spread and these include; large population segments being introduced to the drug for recreational, medical and reduction of fatigue purposes, the quick spread of knowledge of the effects and experience of the use of amphetamines, the swelling of a large group of chronic users of amphetamines leading to the development of an illegal stable market for the drug, additional use of other methods of administration of the drug for example by smoking, there was an oversupply of...
Words: 1370 - Pages: 6
