Obesity is a non-infectious disease that means having too much fat in the body. The weight may come from bone, body water and muscle. The accumulated fat in the body of the person has a negative effect on their health. The excess fats are the calories that a person eats that he/she cannot use. The balance between the intake of calories and the usage of calories is different for every individual. Factor that affect the balance include genetic makeup, weight, food intake and physical activity.
Obesity Prevalence in America
The rates of obesity have doubled in children and adults since the 80s. Obesity is widespread and continues to be a leading health problem in the United States. Statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the year 2013 show that more 2 in 3 adults are obese and more than a third of the children are obese. The rates are even much alarming in adolescents where more than half of them are obese. The statistics go further to reveal that the obesity and overweight rates are high in the African –American men and the Hispanic women in comparison to Caucasian women. The national data show that 82% of black women and 77% of Hispanic origin are obese in comparison to the 62% of the white women (Ogden & Carroll, 2014). Extreme cases of obesity and overweight continue to high among women in America in comparison to men. Various changes contribute to the obesity rising rates in obesity in America. The changes include changes in leisure time, change in nature of work, changes in eating and physical activity.
Risk Factors to Obesity
Obesity results from a combination of contributing risk factors and causes. The factors include genetics, lifestyle, and smoking, pregnancy, eating habits, inactivity, medications, age, economic and social issues. The genetics of a person affects the amount of body fat that a person stores and its distribution in the body. Genetics also play a role in how the body efficiently converts food into energy. It affects the way the body burns calories during exercises. The genetic predisposition of a person ultimately affects and makes a person gain weight. The lifestyle a family chooses really matters. Obesity, in most cases, runs in families. It is not only because of genetics but also because of habits of eating, activity and lifestyle (Hicks, 2009). If the parents are obese, there is likelihood that the children will become obese because of the lifestyle that trends in the family. If a person is not active, calories accumulate.
Sedentary lifestyles make people consume more calories in a day than their bodies can burn through their daily activities. A diet that has high calories and lacks vegetables, fruits and vitamins makes a person gain weight. When a person quits smoking, the person faces a risk of gaining weight but in the end, quitting smoking is better to a person’s health (Cdc.gov, 2014). During pregnancy, a woman gains weight. In most cases, after pregnancy, the women find it hard to lose weight and this is a major contributing factor to increased obesity in women. Medications for conditions like diabetes, psychotic and steroids expose people to obesity.
Certain economic and social issues have a link to obesity. People may have unsafe areas for exercise and areas that lack education on healthy lifestyle. It exposes them to obesity because of inadequate knowledge on the disease. Other societies associate with gaining weight to having good health. Medical problems like arthritis can make a person inactive because a person will not engage in physical exercise.
Obesity Prevention Strategies
Whether a person is at a risk of becoming obese or currently obese, various prevention strategies can lead to a healthy life. The steps include:
Regular exercise: a person needs to have 30 to 45 minutes of intensive physical activity on a daily basis to prevent weight gain. Intense activity helps the body to burn the excess calories that accumulate in the body. The exercise includes swimming, jogging and doing intense work. Exercises make the body and the brain to become active.
Eating Healthy Meals and Snacks: focusing on a low calorie meal is an important step towards a healthy body. The meal should have nutrients that will ensure the body remains in a healthy state. A meal composed of vegetables, whole grains and fruits are recommended. People should avoid food that has lots of saturated fats, alcohol and sweeteners. A person should choose food that promotes healthy weight.
Monitor Weight on a Regular Basis: monitoring weight regularly tells the person on the efforts that a person should implement on preventing obesity. Monitoring weight control helps a person to detect weight gains. Early detection of weight gain indicates that a person. Consistency in weight control is important in ensuring that a person remains healthy (mayoclinic.org, 2014). The communities that live in environment that exposes them to risks of obesity should receive education on healthy lifestyle. Parents should encourage their children to exercise. Exercise helps the child to burn excess calories. The parents should help their children to develop healthy lifestyle like limiting television time.
References
cdc.gov, (2014). Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Resources: Recommendations - DNPAO - CDC. [online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/resources/recommendations.html [Accessed 3 Jun. 2014].
Hicks, T. A. (2009). Obesity. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.
Mayoclinic.org, (2014). Obesity Prevention - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic. [online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/obesity/basics/prevention/con-20014834 [Accessed 3 Jun. 2014].
Ogden, C. and Carroll, M. (2014). Products - Health E Stats - Overweight, Obesity, and Extreme Obesity Among Adults 2007-2008. [online] Cdc.gov. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_adult_07_08/obesity_adult_07_08.htm [Accessed 3 Jun. 2014].
