The Obesity Epidemic Obesity Essay - 1696 Words

The obesity epidemic proves to be an issue in America and continues to grow with time. In simple terms, obesity is a disorder where the subject has increasing amounts of fat, leading to health problems in the future. This epidemic has steadily increased in American bodies for decades and researchers have tried to find the root causes of this problem. Though there is controversy as to what is the primary cause of this rising epidemic, it is clear that there are many factors that contribute to the fluctuating weight gain among many American citizens. With these factors, there are multiple perspectives of the epidemic. One of the primary perspectives is that an unhealthy diet contributes to obesity in Americans; with the popularity, convenience and cheap prices of fast food, statistics have shown direct relations of increasing obesity rates with an unhealthy diet. A secondary factor of rising obesity rates is the lack of exercise or activity in the body. Without a way to burn off excess calories, they sit in your stomach and there is not a good alternative to burn them off like in a workout. Additionally, with the strong presence media plays in society, there is an idea that women have to be stick-thin as the norm. As a result, there is a new perspective that being overweight is due to societal standards of skinny figures and the increasing media, creating weight bias. These different perspectives all provide a basis for researchers to explore this issue and find ways toShow MoreRelatedObesity : The Obesity Epidemic1509 Words   |  7 PagesThe Obesity Epidemic What is obesity? According to the Health Reference Center Academic, â€Å"Obesity is a clinical condition characterized by an excess of body fat†. Obesity causes serious and life-threatening diseases. Obesity can be calculated using the BMI or Body mass index. The higher the BMI the more obese a person is considered. More than 1 third of the population in the US is obese. 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According to the book Public Health 101: Health People-Healthy Populations, pandemic can be defined as, â€Å"An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people† (Riegelman, Kirkwood, 2015). The World Health Organization estimates that 43 million children worldwideRead MoreObesity Epidemic : Obesity And Obesity1634 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012† (cdc.gov). Subsequently, the obesity epidemic has continued to increase over the past few years in the United States. There are many different aspects that have contributed to the obesity epidemic. For example, many people today choose to be convenient instead of eating healthy, which results in the consummation of processed foods. Processed foods have a significant effe ct on the risk of obesity. With a current society always on the go, adults and children haveRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity2053 Words   |  9 Pagesrise in obesity has reached global epidemic proportions (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2015). Obesity is defined as an â€Å"abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.† Body Mass Index (BMI) is a common tool used to measure a person s weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared (kg/m2) (WHO, 2015). An individual with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered clinically obese (WHO, 2015). However this may not be the most valid way of measuring obesity as it