Surveys conducted on a sample of American citizens indicate that around two-thirds of American citizens are obese or overweight. Health organizations and medical practitioners play critical role in advising victims on how to control their weight or treat these conditions if they were detected. Reluctance by medical practitioners on the condition is one of the main causes of the increased spread of obesity among citizens.
The research was conducted among the right people. The sample included practitioners as well as other members of the nation from the New Jersey Academy. The survey was conducted under intensive supervision by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Pennsylvania (Foster et al, 2003). However, the sample used was not large enough to make a concrete conclusion on the element in the large size of the United States.
The survey quoted several causes of obesity based on arguments by practitioners. These causes were based on biological and behavioral choices. However, these results may not be fully reliable as the survey did not consult victims in a coherent manner. According to the survey, Physical inactivity, overeating and high fat diet are the main causes of obesity (Foster et al, 2003).
A like-type scale was used to determine attributes for obese individuals. People have different views over obesity. Some will find it attractive and fashionable while others will find it unattractive and awkward (Bates, Bickley, & Hoekelman, 1995). This section was exhaustive as the survey covered most traits, which may be used in the definition for obesity.
Hypothetical analysis was used to determine beliefs on the treatment for the condition. Although, this is not a reliable technique to infer proper treatment methods, it provides some information on the subject.
The method used in the research was not fully reliable. There was no proper balance between the practitioners and patients involved in the research. The results give some facts of obesity as well as contrary conclusions for the condition. The method may give unreliable results if it is compared to chronic diseases. Obesity may not be fully defined as a chronic disease (Bates, Bickley, & Hoekelman, 1995). Therefore, this comparison may be misleading and nonfactual.
With proper choice of the sample, the survey could have been more reliable. The researcher could have chosen a larger sample since the population was large. However, findings by the research cannot be ignored.
References
Bates, B., Bickley, L. S., & Hoekelman, R. A. (1995). A guide to physical examination and history taking (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Foster, G. D., Wadden, T. A., Makris, A. P., Davidson, D., Sanderson, R. S., Allison, D. B. and Kessler, A. (2003), Primary Care Physicians’ Attitudes about Obesity and Its Treatment. Obesity Research, 11: 1168–1177.
