...A major health care issue affecting the world today will be the prevalence of overweight and obesity, even in nations that are considered to have low incidences like Japan and China. (Runge, 2007). It is linked to a collection of expensive and incapacitating health outcomes. Studies have shown that two out of three American grown adults are now overweight, and also, one out of are three obese. Health risks linked with obesity are not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, asthma, osteoarthritis, and liver disease, which almost 80 percent of obese adults are plagued with. (Hammond, 2012). These diseases carry high prices socially and economically. Medical costs for the obese people is assessed to be 36 to 100 percent higher than those without weight challenge, that is healthy weight individuals. Results by some studies indicates, that approximately 21 percent of all medical spending is obesity related, increased rates of disability and reduced productivity also comes as a result of obesity. (Hammond, 2012) Obesity is also linked to almost 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. (Gabel, et al. 2009) Early prevention can yield significant savings from the health care stand point. A 5 percent reduction in the occurrence of diabetes and hypertension would save almost $25 billion a year in health care costs. (Hammond, 2012). Obesity constitute both public health issues and economic problems in various ways it also induces social and...
Words: 912 - Pages: 4
...Health Care Spending HCS 440 Health Care Spending Health care spending in the United States is a key contributor to the country's economy. The health care industry provides employment as well as providing services that bring healthier lifestyles, better productivity, and a longer life. Health care also brings the development of new drugs and new medical technology that also helps keep the economy employed. However, although the health care and health care spending does tend to help the economy slightly it is beginning to hinder our economy. "In all industrialized countries, with the exception of the United States, health care affordability is ensured through universal insurance based or tax- finances systems" (Squires, 2012, p. 1). Even though the United States spends more in health care than other countries it does not mean the United States has better quality of care than the other countries. Health care spending is depleting this country and the quality of care is not improving. The United States needs to change the way it spends money on health care before it is too late. Current National Health Care Expenditures In 1980 the health care expenditure was at $256 billion, in 2010 the expenditure went up more than 10 times to $2.6 trillion. The spending, however, has slowed in the last few years. The health care expenditure was growing rapidly from the late 1900s to the early 2000s but has slowed slightly. However, it is still expected that the health care...
Words: 1699 - Pages: 7
...tournaments. An African American father adds salt to everything he eats. A farmer sprays his fields with fertilizer, but never wears a mask. A fifty-year old man working in a factory never sees a doctor also has a strong family history of cancer. Lifestyle choices carry health risks. Who is ultimately responsible for the costs of unhealthy lifestyle choices? Healthcare in America is threatened by rising health care costs and the increasing incidence and financial burden of chronic diseases. As employers, insurance companies, and the government seek to decrease these escalating costs, there is a concentration on individual health behavioral choices and the personal obligation of the individual to adopt healthy lifestyle choices. Within the framework of health care reform, there is a growing initiative by employers to impose financial health insurance penalties for unhealthy lifestyle choices. Financial penalties levied by employers and health insurance companies for unhealthy lifestyles are unethical targeting the most vulnerable and sick in our society. Employers and insurance companies have an argument for penalties based on the cost analysis of health expenditures on high risk populations such as smokers and obese...
Words: 2754 - Pages: 12
...condition with excess fat within the body. Various reasons such as medical conditions or the types of food being ingested can cause it. Obesity also increases the chance of getting various diseases one that is common is heart disease. It can also cause certain types of cancer. Obesity has a drastic effect on a person’s lifestyle such as their mobility and just any type of daily activities. It has already been proven that obesity is already a leading concern around the world. An overall growing issue is child and teen obesity. Overweight children are most likely to experience all the health issues explained before. This research will focus on the hazards of child and teen obesity and how it became a concern through out the United States. Research has shown Child and teen obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. (American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry). While, Obesity is known to be easiest medical conditions to recognize it is still most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year and annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion (American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry). Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise (American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry)....
Words: 1897 - Pages: 8
...Childhood Obesity Epidemic How the Health Care Reform Law Will Help Prevent and Reduce Obesity Ellen-Marie Whelan, Lesley Russell, and Sonia Sekhar May 2010 w w w.americanprogress.org Confronting America’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic How the Health Care Reform Law Will Help Prevent and Reduce Obesity Ellen-Marie Whelan, Lesley Russell, and Sonia Sekhar May 2010 Contents 1 Fast Facts on Childhood Obesity 3 Introduction and summary 6 Provisions included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that address childhood obesity 6 Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project 7 Nutrition labeling 7 Community Transformation Grants 9 Broader measures in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to tackle childhood obesity 9 Prevention and public health 15 Primary care and coordination 18 Community-based Care 20 Maternal and child health 22 Research: Doing what works in obesity prevention 23 Data provisions that will help with tracking and providing improved outcomes to measure obesity prevention 25 What else is needed? 27 Beyond health care 29 Conclusion 30 Appendix: The White House Childhood Obesity Initiative 32 Endnotes 34 About the authors Fast Facts on Childhood Obesity Our nation’s children today are on track to have a lower life expectancy than their parents The obesity epidemic poses serious health problems for children including cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, bone and joint disorders...
Words: 14941 - Pages: 60
...higher than other countries. These report further address points of health care cost, political issues, and proposed policies and laws related to obesity concerns in the United States and in the State of North Carolina. Further strategic efforts toward the prevention of obesity with government support and individual dedication will considerably reduce health care cost, chronic diseases, and the high mortality rates associated with obesity and prolong the overall life expectancy of the country’s population. Key Words: Obesity, Cost, Policy, Rate, Cause Application of Epidemiology to Obesity Over the past decades the U. S. population has experienced a drastic change in their dietary habits and physical activity patterns. These changes have worsened over the years. Their consumption of nutritional food and drinks and their desire to participate in regular activity has declined dramatically. The results of this trend have caused a rise in the obesity rates, chronic disease cases, and health care costs. Sadly but true, the American people are dying at an alarming rate as the result of their choice of lifestyle which has lead and is leading them further into increased rates of overweight and obesity. The country is in dire need of a serious health care intervention concerning the rising obesity problems. Failure to address the rising obesity concerns will further increase the cost of health care and diseases associated with obesity as well as continue to...
Words: 2519 - Pages: 11
...The debate about health care involves issues concerning the right to have healthcare insurance as well as those 65 and older, obesity epidemic, smoking and how each of these topics affects health care in the United States. The number of people with health insurance has steadily increased among with the elderly, who face additional challenges when it comes to seeking health care. The projected increase of Americans classified as obese or who smoke has also had an impact on our health care system. The rising cost of health care and health insurance will have a great impact on the future of the economy. Today’s health care system is increasingly complex regarding cost-controlling measures and the affordability of insurance premiums. The...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...Health and socioeconomic disadvantage Although the overall level of health and Data source and definitions wellbeing of Australians is relatively high compared with other countries, there are significant disparities in the health outcomes of different populations within Australia. In particular, people who live in areas with poorer socioeconomic conditions tend to have worse health than people from other areas. Previous analysis has shown that disadvantaged Australians have higher levels of disease risk factors and lower use of preventative health services than those who experience socioeconomic advantage.1 This article mainly uses data from the ABS 2007–08 National Health Survey. The analysis is restricted to all people aged 15 years and over unless otherwise stated. The ABS has developed four indexes to rank the level of social and economic wellbeing of a region. The analysis in this article uses the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) of Disadvantage based upon the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. The SEIFA index of relative disadvantage combines a number of variables (such as income, education and unemployment) of people, families and dwellings within an area, and ranks these areas on a scale of relative disadvantage. In this article the scale is divided into quintiles – with the first quintile representing the areas of greatest relative disadvantage and the fifth quintile representing the areas of least relative disadvantage...
Words: 3591 - Pages: 15
...overweight and obesity than Non – Hispanic Whites. “In accordance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services information in 2008, Hispanic Americans were 1.2 times as likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic Whites. Among Mexican American women, 73 percent are overweight or obese, as compared to only 61.6 percent of the general female population. In 2007 – 2008 Mexican American children were 1.4 times more likely to be overweight as Non-Hispanic White children. In 2007, Hispanic adults were 50% less likely to engage in active physical activity as Non-Hispanic Whites” (OMH – Source: CDC, 2010) Impact of obesity and overweight The problem with obesity and overweight has affected the Hispanic race in many ways. Obesity and overweight are two different problems. A person with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25-29.9 is considered overweight and a person with a BMI of less than equal to 30 is considered obese. Based on the information gathered by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of minority health, more than 80% of the Hispanic overweight population tends to develop diabetes. Tests were driven in order to develop the hypothesis. Out of 80% people who suffer from type 2 diabetes are considered to overweight or obese. Obesity is an enormous issue that affects the body and health not only physically but internally. Obese people are more likely to suffer from many health problems such as high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and cholesterol, which are more...
Words: 2317 - Pages: 10
...Obesity Introduction: At one point in time obesity used to stand for people of prosperity and wealth and it was very few who were obese mostly because everyone else was under nourished and suffered from malnutrition. Now obesity is very prevalent and can be seen everywhere on top of that the new age obese person is more than likely living somewhere below the poverty line. For a while America was leading in the race of the “obesity wars” but for the past couple of years Mexico has reigned number one in the most obese country category since 2013. There was a trend between all of the countries in the documentary, “Globesity”, all of these countries most affected by obesity had a very high and misleading influence from certain if not all processed food companies such as coca cola and nestle for example. These countries have to deal with companies misleading them, higher prices for healthier food, and years of malnutrition. Until these issue are fixed, obesity will and always will be prevalent. Body: A lot of companies use persuasive commercials to capture their audience and potentially get a sale but this should be the only acceptable way of persuasion. Some of these companies are lying to these people in countries with mal-nutritional issues for example the Nestle company in the documentary had representatives tell consumers that the nestle products were high in nutritional value and energy. These products might have some values that are high but nutritional unfortunately is not...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...problems especially on the medical frontline. Inflated medical costs, under insurance and an overstretched health infrastructure. The larger population of the rural set up is of aged people some who are not even insured and are beyond employment age. The rural community comprising of an older and poorer population some in low skilled jobs relying on the government for the provision of healthcare insurance programs and yet some do not even qualify for them. Much of the healthcare infrastructure comprises of a web of clinics, nursing homes and small hospitals that in constant financial struggle and they work with very low financial margins limiting their investment in technology vital for better healthcare provision. More of the rural population suffer from chronic illnesses; arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, mental disorders and heart problems. Some of these preexisting medical conditions are not covered by insurance or the families have to pay higher premiums to be covered. The larger population in rural America does not access good nutrition issues because less population is engaged in agriculture due to their age. This with a sedentary lifestyle brings obese elderly people with lifestyle diseases. The nurses can assist the rural communities by educating them on ways to live and eat healthily. The people need to be advised on following a good balanced diet to promote good health and avoid diet related health problems, engaging in physical activities to promote good circulation...
Words: 318 - Pages: 2
...HEALTH RISKS & COSTS The Effects Of Obesity, Smoking, And Drinking On Medical Problems And Costs Obesity outranks both smoking and drinking in its deleterious effects on health and health costs. by Roland Sturm ABSTRACT: This paper compares the effects of obesity, overweight, smoking, and problem drinking on health care use and health status based on national survey data. Obesity has roughly the same association with chronic health conditions as does twenty years’ aging; this greatly exceeds the associations of smoking or problem drinking. Utilization effects mirrors the health effects. Obesity is associated with a 36 percent increase in inpatient and outpatient spending and a 77 percent increase in medications, compared with a 21 percent increase in inpatient and outpatient spending and a 28 percent increase in medications for current smokers and smaller effects for problem drinkers. Nevertheless, the latter two groups have received more consistent attention in recent decades in clinical practice and public health policy. M a n y b e h a v i o r a l r i s k f a c t o r s , chief among them smoking, heavy drinking, and obesity, are known causes of chronic health conditions. Chronic health conditions, like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, in turn are primary drivers of health care spending, disability, and death. This paper compares the associations of smoking, problem drinking, and obesity with health care use and chronic conditions....
Words: 3786 - Pages: 16
...Obesity in the Workplace Dorothy Fitzsimmons Webster University Problem Over one-third of American adults are obese. This paper will research discrimination against obese people in the workplace and how companies are accommodating the obese employee and promoting healthy lifestyles. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), two thirds of Americans, age 20 and older, have enough extra pounds to face health risks (2005). Many Americans face bias and discrimination at their place of employment. Some have been told by their boss, "You're too fat" and been fired, even with good performance evaluations. Many overweight and obese individuals fear they may lose their jobs or make less than their coworkers. Some cannot get jobs, due to inequitable hiring practices. Employers can be prejudiced. They offer overweight employees lower salaries. Question If more than one-third of American adults are obese, this group of Americans Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30, per Center for Disease Control (CDC), how do we prevent discrimination against them in the work place? How do we help this group of Americans obtain gainful and fulfilling employment, as well as empower them to improve their health status? Our First Lady Michelle Obama has made obesity our countries’ number one enemy. The First Lady created “Let’s Move” as her platform for combating obesity in our country. Answer The workplace is evolving in understanding...
Words: 3757 - Pages: 16
...Bariatric Surgery; is it Worth the Cost Name: Institution: Bariatric surgery is a form of weight loss method that can be used as a last resort to treat people with extreme obesity. It can be quite helpful in treating people with potentially life-threatening excessive amount of body fat where other actions such as paying for a gym membership or nutritional counseling have not worked. However to be considered for bariatric surgical procedures one must meet a certain criteria. Possibly life-endangering obesity is defined as: • A body mass index of 35 or higher. • A body mass index of between 35 and 40 and another obesity related health condition such as high blood pressure that could be mitigated by losing weight. Bariatric surgical procedures vary with some causing weight loss by limiting the quantity of food the stomach can hold, others leading to weight loss mainly as a result of malabsorption of nutrients, while others cause weight loss by both restricting the stomachs food quantity holding ability and malabsorption. They mostly cause hormonal and metabolic changes that affect hunger and the desire to stop eating as well as resolving conditions that occur from extreme obesity. Therefore, bariatric surgery is considered accepted and effective method for providing consistent, long-lasting weight loss for persons with severe obesity. However, bariatric surgery should still be accompanied by behavioral, diet, psychological and physical activity...
Words: 2767 - Pages: 12
...Unhealthy diets and poor eating habits have been a major health concern around the globe, especially in the United States. The overconsumption of sugar products plays a major role in causing people to live unhealthy lives. Sugar products or better known as “junk food” have been the leading cause of a number of health diseases including obesity, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. These along with other diseases related to consuming too much sugar contribute to the rising costs in health care. A surprisingly high amount of Americans have diets that don’t meet the dietary guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]. This health issue is a high priority health concern do to the extremely high amount of people that are overweight...
Words: 1011 - Pages: 5
