...Why have Americans become so obese? Obesity is a struggle among every country in the world. Obesity is when a person is 20 percent above what is supposed to be their normal weight. Obesity is so difficult to get rid of in countries that it is classified as a disease. The country that is greatest known for their obesity rates is the United States of America. Even though America is not the most obese country in the world, America is known for their fast food restaurants severely overweight people. Despite America being one of the most obese countries, no one ever asks the real question. Why have Americans become so obese? The most obviously popular reason why Americans are obese is because of food. The first type of food to relate to obesity is fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and many other fast food restaurants load their food with sugar, cholesterol and other unhealthy substances that make people crave it. McDonald’s burgers are severely unhealthier than a homemade burger. A McDonald’s burger has 440 calories, 23 grams of fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1150 milligrams of sodium and 34 carbohydrates. (McDonald's). A homemade burger has about 270 calories, 9 grams of fat, 142 milligrams of cholesterol, 123 milligrams of sodium and about 9 carbohydrates (Health). McDonald's makes their foods unnecessarily unhealthy. Another problem with Americans food problems is that their portions are completely outrageous. The default portion sizes are Small, Medium and large...
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...Some of the Causes of Obesity Nantelle Watson Everest College Some of the Causes of Obesity Why is obesity spreading all over the U.S.? People cannot blame the food because the food doesn’t walk into our mouths. There are so many foods that are claimed to taste unbelievably good, they can’t be avoided. It is the foods that are unhealthy for our bodies that we choose to eat. Americans want to eat what we want then at the end of the day complain about how it made us gain weight or become obese. Obesity affects both adults and young children all over the U.S. and it’s become a huge problem over the years. People choose not to eat unhealthy after they find out they’re having heart trouble or breathing problems caused by obesity. Why wait until the last minute or until you’ve reached your last breath? To overcome obesity diet changes have to take place. Government data shows that in 2012 about 34.9% of the adults in the U.S. country were obese, which is about 35 pounds over a healthy weight. The obese percentage was about the same in 2010. Since 1960 the obesity rates are continuing to grow as decades go by. If nothing is done about obesity more death causes will happen each year because of obesity. There are ways to lose weight. Most people just refuse to take action. Exercising is the number one way to produce weight lost. Some believe you have to go to the gym to lose weight, but you don’t you can simply take walks each day and shed pounds. Setting a weight loss goal would...
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...know that one in six children from ages two to nineteen are obese, which puts them at a 70 percent chance of becoming obese adults (American Heart Association, 2011). Many people confuse the terms overweight and obese so let me clear the air. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC (2012), overweight is defined as having excessive body weight, while obesity is defined as having a superfluous amount of body fat. Child obesity has not been a prevalent issue until recent years. The fact that it has increased so dramatically within 30 years has made it more rampant. Since 1980, child obesity has increased eleven percent (CDC, 2012)! So, what are these kids eating? Their parents are in control of that, which is why child neglect has been correlated with the issue. Because parents are responsible for their children’s welfare, child obesity should be a form of child neglect. Why is this a Problem? Health is the first and foremost reason why child obesity should be “illegal” in a sense. Major health issues come along with being obese. Children who are obese are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (CDC, 2012). Heart disease is the leading cause of death for the United States. This means that those one in six children have a 70 percent chance of dying at a young age, due to their health. Diabetes is another disease that can result from being obese. In particular, type 2 diabetes develops because of high levels...
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...Does Fast Food Cause Obesity? Every time Americans tune into the local news broadcasts or scroll through their television channels, they are likely to be stunned at the number of cases of obesity that have been reported in Americans. Seeing human beings that weigh over six hundred pounds has become a popular trend in today’s society, and it’s not even questioned even though many harsh consequences come from being obese. It is sometimes difficult to imagine how these people have sustained this kind of weight and lifestyle. Inevitably, people begin to question whether or not fast food is the cause of obesity rising in America today. Before we can clarify that fast food companies are to blame for people over eating the food produced in these facilities, it must be tested and proven that fast food is actually the main problem causing obesity in America. It is known to many people how the number of fast food restaurants are increasing almost every day. This is very convenient for fast food restaurant chains. Fast-food increases obesity by lowering food prices, tempting customers who have absolutely no self-control, and by being a suitable go to at the end of a very busy day. What causes individuals to consume fast food to the point where they cannot stop themselves? People hold different opinions on this topic. In the past, people in the United States used to eat healthy, eat nutritious prepared food and meals, and exercise with their families. Today, many people in the United...
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...Obesity is a rising problem in U.S and millions of people are affected by it each day and it can be caused by many things. If you are obese people don’t realize how it affects your health and how sick it can really make you and that’s why we need programs to get people educated on what they can do to keep themselves healthy from getting sick. Children are on the rise of being obese and they are the number one group that is being affected. If the child is over weight we need to teach the parents as well how to eat right and exercise wit h your kids so that they wont be obese and at the same time you can be a roel model because if they see there parents then they will do what there parents are doing as well. The parents play a big role because they rely on them to guide them and tell them what to do and if you don’t do that then that could be a reason they could be obese as well. Obesity Obesity is on the rise and it went up 1.1% and two point four million people have been added to ranking in just the past two years. About seventy two million adults are now obese in the U.S and climing. (Doheny, 2005-2010). The CDC uses a surevye known as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) it is used to update the specific obesisty rate in each state nationally as well. BRFSS is a surevey dine over the phone in each state to get the accurate information they need from people. (Doheny, 2005-2010). The survey indicated that not one state met the Healthy People 2010 target of...
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...According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than one third of U.S. adults—more than 72 million—people and 17 percent of U.S. children are obese. From 1980 through 2008, obesity rates for adults have doubled and rates for children have tripled, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level or geographic region have increased markedly. (“Obesity: Halting the Epidemic by Making Health Easier: At a Glance 2010.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. Aug.17, 2010) Statistics like this show the vast majority of obesity cases are not caused by disease or genetic condition. Obesity is not some unpreventable illness that is all of a sudden killing people – it’s a lifestyle choice. Like smoking, drinking and illegal drug use, eating yourself to death is a decision. In fact, in 2010 a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine stated that the health conditions and diseases caused by being obese have killed more people than smoking. But, why don’t obese people get treated like smokers? Why do so many Americans feel sympathy toward the obese and disgust for the smoker? Why do we as Americans feel it is perfectly sound to discriminate against people who are killing themselves through the use of legal and illegal drug use, but protect, sympathize and support people who choose to kill themselves through food and a lethargic lifestyle? When was the last time you saw a famous heroin addict on TV talking about...
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...problems facing Americans today, obesity. It is one of the fastest growing concerns and a major contributor to this problem is the consumption of fast food. While governments and communities are trying to address the problem through legislation, nothing will change until parents take a more active role in promoting the health of their children, therefore, not all the blame for American obesity is on fast food consumption. Obesity is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the U.S. In America, only one out of the fifty states has a B.M.I under twenty-five, the number that is considered to be the benchmark for determining overweightness (BMI Index by State). The number of obese children and adults has tripled and doubled, respectively since 1980 (Obesity at a Glance). “Research from a national health survey shows that an astonishing sixty-five percent of American adults are either overweight or obese” (Loonin 14). Obesity has had a profound impact on the youth population of the world, as the percentage of overweight adolescents and children has risen over twelve percent since 1970*. If this trend is to continue, it is even projected that by the year 2030, one half of the American population will be overweight (Half of Americans to be Obese by 2030). As it is now, in the United States, one half of the adult population is overweight or obese (Ingram 8). Tommy G. Thompson, former president George W. Bush’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, explains why obesity is such...
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...problem of obesity as an American problem. With many news articles and news series on the topic, politicians began a campaign to reduce the number of Americans who are considered obese. Politicians began their quest to limit the number of fast food restaurant in cities across America. They also enforce laws that limit fast food restaurants from setting up near schools or playgrounds to reduce the number of obese kids. With all of these activities from politicians, I believe there are convincing evidences that obesity is not a problem for America. Was the politician’s quest to rid us the problem of obesity necessary? Sometime in the past, I had been considered to be overweight. This topic is somewhat relevant to my view of the obesity problem. There are many reasons why people are obese. In my case, I was taking medications that retained water in my body. Thus, we should not jump to conclusion and judge people who are obese as individuals with eating disorder. In the following paragraphs, I will provide a full investigation of the obesity problem in the United States and my personal view of the topic. Early in the ‘80s, many newspapers alerted the public to this new epidemic (the problem of obesity). The news articles publicized the problem as an American problem. There were scientific articles that describe the scope of the problem. According to April Durrett, there are 75% of Americans who are considered to be obese. There are about 35% of Americans who are also considered...
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...from inherent biological traits that differ between individuals relevant to body weight; to environmental and socioeconomic factors; to behavioral factors--which may have both molecular and environmental influences. Close to two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the attention of the health profession, the media, and the public, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades. Add the relatively few Americans who practice the habit of regular physical activity to the many who practice the habit of “super-sizing,” and it is no revelation why this has occurred. We have inherited our genetic makeup from our ancestors, hunters and gatherers who ate diets rich in low-fat meats and grains, who had to stalk and capture the entrée for dinner. During times of feast, their bodies were designed to store nutrients as adipose tissue to be used for fuel to survive periods of famine. We are descended from these survivors, and we share this ability to store fat when food is in overabundance. However, famines in the United States are fewer and farther between nowadays, so this added fat is not used up and continues to accumulate through the years. We no longer have to stalk and capture our dinner; we can use the drive-through. According to US government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Obesity is defined...
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...Obesity is a person’s weight in excess of its biological needs. In other words, excessive fatness. Obesity is not just being overweight, physicians consider someone obese who is 100 or more pounds overweight. Obesity is a scarily increasing epidemic in the United States. Obesity is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Obesity results in a little less than 300,000 deaths per year in the United States. The obesity numbers have steadily increasing since the early 1990's in to the 2000's. European industrialized countries such as France, England, and Germany have half of the obesity numbers that we have here in the United States. The United States has 129.6 million people whom are obese. That accounts for 64% of our population. Foe example, in 1962 there was an obesity rate of 43% in the United States. In 2004, there was an obesity prevelance of 64%. Of that, 31% are obese adults. Most obese are males, minority and under educated. Obesity is a problem that is currently affecting the children of America as they live their sedentary lifestyles. Most kids growing up today do not eat a heathy diet, do not go outside and exercise, rather they sit in front of the tv or play video game. This a problem that needs immediate attention. There are many different theories on how obesity starts. Most doctors think that obesity is due to genetic influences, however other doctors believe that obesity is due to a person’s sedentary lifestyle and environment. Dr. Riden...
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...Sugar, one of the deadliest foods in America today. Why is it dangerous all of a sudden? Well, we are eating too much of it and it’s giving us all sorts of health issues and diseases, unhealthy diseases. Sugar is unhealthy because we can get obesity, heart disease, and early death. Obesity is taking over our bodies.. 1 out of 3 Americans today are Obese. But, in 2012 74% of Americans were Obese. More than two thirds (68.8%) Of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than one third (35.7%) of adults are considered to be Obese. More than 1 of 20 (6.3%) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 out of 4 men in America (74%) are considered to be overweight or Obese. Heart Disease is another problem we face in America. Heart Disease is actually a small portion of our heart infected. If we didn’t notice the signs or go see a doctor right away, it would possibly be too late. There were 39.5% of America diagnosed with Heart disease. In the 1960’s it was not common for Americans to die of heart attack in their 50 or 60’s. In the U.S, death rate for heart disease rose steadily in the 20th century, but then a peak formed in 1968....
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...percentage of people being obese. Who the society blames are restaurants and the food they consume that causes them to become addicted. People consume foods that are not as healthy as they think. Conservatives are getting obese because they are always eating at restaurants and lack of working out. In reality is there no motivation for them to work out or what is the excuse for not burning off any junk food they consume. Restaurants are not a place to blame because what they sell benefits them on the profit they earn. People are what they eat and what fast fooders consume. There are many ways in which consumers and obese...
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...Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Obese People and Health Insurance Policies Obesity is seemingly becoming a healthcare problem because its health and economic burden is exceedingly enormous. Before 1980’s, the prevalence rate of obesity was relatively low, but its prevalence and incidence rates have assumed an upward trend, probably due to the rapid change of lifestyle. Prevalence rate of obesity has increased by two folds, over the last three decades in the US, and the incidence rate is predicted to triple by 2015. Currently, obesity is ranked fifth leading cause of mortality in the entire world. From a global scope, obesity and its related morbidity accounts for about 2.8 million deaths yearly. Recent epidemiological reports reveal that, approximately 44 percent of the diabetes disease burden is caused by obesity; whereas, 23 percent of the cardiovascular disease burden is attributable to being overweight and obese. Further reports indicate that, obesity is responsible for about 7-41 percent of the total cancer burden worldwide (WHO par. 3). It is absurd for medical insurance companies to charge obese people high premiums for their healthcare policies compared with the physically fit Americans. Since obesity seems to be causing negative consequences on the American healthcare systems, efficient approaches are required so as to curb this health problem (Dent &Morgan 3). This paper will dissect the reasons as to why the obese people should be charged normal or less...
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... In the back of your mind, you might be thinking…how did your body change so quickly? It was like almost overnight. It starts with just being a little overweight to having to buy some more jeans. Facts announced by Dr. Neil Hutcher (2011) “Obesity is a disease that affects 34 percent of adults age 20 and over in the United States, which amounts to more than 72 million people. About 32.2 percent of American men and about 35.5 percent of American women are obese.” Gaining weight drastically is a good sign of obesity. For a person to be considered obese his or her body mass index has to be over 30 or weight is 20 percent or more above normal weight. Researched by the Control Disease Center (2010) mentioned that one-third of U.S adults are obese as of 2010 and rates remain high; “Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, about 2.4 million more adults were obese than in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part of the United States. In every state, more than 15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese.” There are many dangers to being obese because it may influence your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, age-related macular degeneration and breast cancer, and other types of cancer such as; prostate and colon cancer. Obesity is very common amongst Americans and has been for some decades now, but why the sudden increase? I have personally experience this condition of gaining...
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...Froyd 5/22/2012 Americans are forgetting how important exercise and nutrition are needed in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. America has been plagued with “cheap eats,” or inexpensive food that is proving to me very, very unhealthy. Obesity is a very serious medical condition where excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on a person’s health. Obesity rates in the United Stated are increasing more and more each year, making the United States the country with the highest obesity rates. Everyone should know how dangerous it is to be overweight and/or obese but especially Americans. Americans need to know that there are ways to help fight against obesity. Becoming obese can cause major health problems and even result in death, therefore a change is needed starting with the government and ending with each and every individual because the fight against obesity has to be a joint effort. According to HealthDay (2011) most obese people don’t think that their weight puts them at risk for many health related problems. A study was conducted by researchers in Florida, they randomly selected 450 patients seen in the emergency department and asked them two questions: Do you believe your present weight is damaging to your health and has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you are overweight? This proved to be a very good way to get accurate information. About 62 percent of women obese or overweight said their weight...
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