Medical experts claim that obesity-related deaths are preventable and curable. According to the Institute of Medicine, statistics show that "nearly 69% of adults in the United States and 32% of children are either overweight or obese" (Gaines, 2012, p. 178). The alarming truth coincides with the fact that cCurrently, only the state of Colorado has an "obesity rate of less than 20%, 12 states have an obesity rate greater than 30%, and 38 states have an obesity rate greater than 25%" (Gaines, 2012, p.178). Moreover, despite the country's push to decrease the obesity rate in each state to only 15%, noneNone of them have reached the national goal of 15%, thus, an increasing concern on whose responsibility it is to keep the obesity problem under control – the government or the individual (Korthals, 2010). The body mass index (BMI) can be used to gauge obesity, countries where there are no established BMI reference as of yet can use data from the Centers for Disease Control BMI percentile charts. Based on the Centers for Disease Control BMI percentile charts charts, "for children and adolescents ages 2 to 19, 'overweight' is defined as a Body Mass Index [BMI] at or above the 85th percentile for children of the same age and gender; ‘obesity' is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile" (Moseley, 2012). However, there are no available data for children below two years of age. Obesity is a physical condition that proper diet and exercise can help cure, but what is the key to changing people's view on the proper diet and exercisethose things? It has been proven that proper diet and exercise is one ofcomprise the best ways to help prevent obesity or lose weight. Unfortunately, there are individuals who refuse to follow a strict plan. Nonetheless, there are some ways to influence people to make healthy choices, such as include, creating a tax on unhealthy foods, start and educating students from elementary school all the way through high school graduation or maybeso that insurance companies could no long have to insure those withwould not have to face the high costs of health issues caused by obesity. With these solutions, the problem about obesity will slowly be addressed.
The Problem
First, it is well settled that obesity is a medical condition that can be cured by following proper diet and by getting enough exercise at any age. Many Americans today do not have a social life, eat too much, spend more time on the computer, and shun exercise. Based on studies, obesity is a societal problem that affects everyone regardless of age. Illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, obesity, and arthritis that used to be associated with adults only have now become prevalent among children as well. According to studies, there are more than 300,000 estimated deaths related to obesity each year, and is said to bemaking this the second highest cause of death in the United States (Gaines, 2012, p.178). "Modern society openly encourages them to 'Buy, buy, buy!' and 'Eat, eat, eat!’ It would appear parents are powerless to ignore the constant noise of children begging and whining for the latest fast-food, sugary, fat-filled craze" (Collison & Cornall, 2012). Supposedly, it is during this time when teens begin developing their bodies and gain their adult weight and bone mass. Thus, what they eat now is a foretellingpredicts of the state of their health in the future. Because teens and adults consume lesser amounts offewer fruits, vegetables, and vitamins needed by the body, the possibility of succumbing to diseases is high. In addition, those who eat more junk foods and sweets are more predisposed to obesity, development of heart diseases, and diabetes. In addition, children and adolescents also risk suffering from "psychological and social problems brought about by bullying, depression and anxiety" (Collision & Cornell, 2012).
Adding to the problem is how individuals opt to spend their leisure time now. Considering the availability of the iInternet everywhere, more people prefer to stay at home or go to arcades or even coffee houses for entertainment, instead of allotting some time to exercise and play sports. With adequate nutrition and the right amount of physical activities, people become healthier, leaner, and more resistant to diseases and illnesses.
Secondly, every person should know his or her own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) in order to know how many calories can be consumed to avoid gaining excess weight. Inactivity, aside from food intake,also helps an individual gain unwanted pounds. Since there is a lack of education in our schools for nutrition and understanding what BMR is, people continue to become overweight or obese. Individuals are not active the whole 24 hours in a day, itIt is important that an individual understands the amount of calories he or she needs to keep the body functioning even while at rest (Teta & Teta, 2011). These body processes include cell growth, blood circulation, normal breathing, muscle contraction, and brain and nerve function, among others. ("Calculating Your Daily Energy Requirements", 2011). In addition, the BMR determines the rate at which a person burns calories, and thus, influences a person's weight gain, weight, loss, or maintenance of weight.
Other factors influence the BMR. For one, it is influenced by age considering that metabolism is highest during the puberty stage. On the other hand, it decreases as an individual reaches the age of 40 and above, which means adolescents experience faster metabolism rate than children do. This is also the reason why at the age of 40, more individuals begin noticing flabs in certain areas of the body. Body composition also affects metabolism. Typically, the more muscle an individual has, the faster the BMR is even while at rest. Gender plays a role in metabolism as well. In general, men have faster metabolic rates than women who are of the same height and weight. Therefore, men tend to burn more calories than women do even while at rest because men usually have more muscles than women.
Solutions
One solution to prevent obesity is to have an additional tax for unhealthy foods. This could help slow down the junk food intake because it would be difficult to pay the extra amount. As such, the "fat tax" solution to curb obesity came into play. By downsizing the wallet every time an individual purchases unhealthy food, the government aims to instill in the minds of individuals that eating unhealthy food (regardless of how good it tastes) produces long-time term negative effectsharm to one's health (Leigh, 2004). Pioneered by Kelly Brownell 10 years ago, Center for Eating and Weight Disorders director in Yale (Leigh, 2004), this idea did not take flight initially because of the number of sectors that opposed this movepolitical factors. However, as obesity slowly became the norm and as society has become more accepting, the obesity epidemic has steadily increased in number. Due to this, more people have suffered from various related illnesses. As a result, the government and concerned health groups began finding ways to curb obesity – thus, the revival of the fat tax idea. By taxing junk foods and sodas, consumers will begin to regard their purchases as a "need" or as a "want", and with this strategy; hopefully, consumers will become more conscious of their purchases and their health (Badilas, 2011). Despite what naysayers claim, food taxing can work to minimize obesity if only it is given a chance. According to Leigh's report, in a study "published between 1981 and 1998 found that drinking declined as the price of alcohol increased In California in 1988, Proposition 99 was enacted. It increased the state tax by 25 cents per cigarette pack and allocated a minimum of 20% of revenue to fund anti-tobacco education. From 1988 to 1993, the state saw tobacco use decline by 27%, three times better than the U.S. average" (2011).
There are still more advantages to taxing unhealthy food as compared to the disadvantages it presents. The good thing is that, as more people become obese, focus is also placed on unhealthy foods that contribute to obesity, and thus, people become more aware and observant about their bodies. Also, it has been observed that the spending habits of people are mounting when it comes to snack foods and this includes children of school age. Due to this observation, it now becomes important to categorize which foods are considered healthy snacks and which are not in order to determine the foods for taxing (Badilas, 2011).
For instance, Dr. Donald Kirby, Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition director, suggests "a healthful low-fat diet rich in complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and containing about 20-30 percent of calories from lean protein sources, such as baked or broiled fish or chicken, beans, and nuts" ("Win the Battle of the Bulge and the War on Weight", 2012). This is in accordance to the MyPlate initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended daily calorie intake, which states that the plate must be divided into three parts with one half consisting of fruits and vegetables, one-fourth with lean protein, and the remaining one-fourth with whole grains ("Win the Battle of the Bulge and the War on Weight", 2012). Based on the study, weight loss is all about how much calories an individual burned as compared with the amount of calories he or she consumed. Thus, if the ratio between the two is higher on the calories burned, then the expectation is that an individual will lose weight.
In addition, everyone must be able to balance the incoming and outgoing calories inside the body in order to avoid growing fat cells in the body that can cause weight gain and this could be accomplished through education programs in schools. With proper education about the health effects of obesity and becoming overweight, understanding what BMR (basal metabolic rate) is and how it effects people, young people can overcome their weight problems or avoid developing weight issues. Health and nutrition classes where in which discussions about calories, various food groups, and energy-giving foods, among others, may be included in some subjects to ensure that children are educated from the time they begin attending school up to their graduation in high school. Education extends not only to students but to the whole school body, too, including cafeteria personnel who prepare and serve the food and the gGuidance counselors who should be helping the school in pushing for health and nutrition education. It would also help if families of schoolchildren were also included in the education plan to remain consistent with what the school espouses to children. Education also includes advocating participation in physical activities and recreational programs apart from following healthy eating habits and lifestyle to address obesity.
For instance, Dr. Donald Kirby, Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition director, suggests "a healthful low-fat diet rich in complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and containing about 20-30 percent of calories from lean protein sources, such as baked or broiled fish or chicken, beans, and nuts" ("Win the Battle of the Bulge and the War on Weight", 2012). This is in accordance to the MyPlate initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended daily calorie intake, which states that the plate must be divided into three parts with one half consisting of fruits and vegetables, one-fourth with lean protein, and the remaining one-fourth with whole grains ("Win the Battle of the Bulge and the War on Weight", 2012). Based on the study, weight loss is all about how much calories an individual burned as compared with the amount of calories he or she consumed. Thus, if the ratio between the two is higher on the calories burned, then the expectation is that an individual will lose weight.
Call to Action
If a person engages in an active lifestyle such as brisk walking, taking the stairs and taking the bicycle to work, and learning healthy best practices in school, obesity can be prevented. When an individual decreases the food intake and in place of food, increases the amount of energy expended by the body, then the result is weight loss. In fact, studies show that with exercise, an individual's motivation to eat decreases as "the brain's response to food" (Dallas, 2012) also dwindles. James LeCheminant claims that the "study provides evidence that exercise not only affects energy output, but it also may affect how people respond to food cues" (as cited in Dallas, 2012). In the same study, women's brain measurements were taken twice – once after a 45-minute brisk walk on the treadmill and the second one, a week after and before performing any exercises. In both instances, women took note of the amount of food they consumed and the corresponding physical activities they did. A clear result that researchers received from the informal test was that women had less interest on food after a good workout and do not "cheat" by falsely rewarding themselves with any type of comfort food. Aside from addressing the problem on obesity, these activities also address other related health problems brought about by obesity such as diabetes, heart diseases, and arthritis, among others.
Therefore, for individuals to become healthier and stronger, it is imperative to adhere to a strict diet and exercise program that works out the body and helps burn calories. If need be, individuals may have to make changes and improve lifestyle practices in order to stay in good health and prevent obesity. Long-term weight loss is possible if "at least 10 percent of initial body weight is kept off for at least one year" ("Secrets of Weight Loss Success", 2012). Although some say it is difficult, it is actually a doable process, and the "longer the weight loss is maintained, the fewer maintenance strategies are needed, making it easier to keep the weight off over time" ("Secrets of Weight Loss Success", 2012). Since concerned health advocates and the government acknowledge the immensity of the problem, now is the best time to properly educate the children and teenagers about the ill effects of obesity and to impose tax on unhealthy food that could lead to obesity.
Here’s the deal: if we keep eating at the rate we’ve been eating, our country will succumb to an obesity epidemic. This will make our lives shorter and less pleasant. If we don’t get out and start moving, we can expect a poor quality of life when we are older – if we make it that long. The government’s ideas for motivating us to change our lifestyles will help all of us. The key is to start making these changes, one person at a time.
References
Badilas, A. (2011). Food taxes: A palatable solution to the obesity epidemic. Pacific Mcgeorge Global Business & Development Law Journal, 23(2), 255-283.
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Collison, G., & Cornall, L. (2012). Childhood obesity is a weighty issue. Newcastle Herald, p36.
Dallas, Mary Elizabeth. (2012 September 25). Working out cuts women's appetite, study finds. Health day Consumer News Service.
Gaines, K. (2012). Health care and obesity: Can we really have our cake and eat it, too?. Urologic Nursing, 32(4), 178-202.
Korthals, M. (2010). Genomics, Obesity and the Struggle over Responsibilities. New York: Springer.
Leigh, Suzanne. (2004 December 2). Twinkie tax worth a try in fight against obesity. USA Today.
Moseley, K. (2012). Tackling childhood obesity. Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
"Secrets of weight loss success." (2012). Environmental Nutrition.
Teta, J., & Teta, K. (2011). Exercise is medicine. Townsend Letter. p. 83-84.
"Win the battle of the bulge and the war on weight." (2012). Men's Health Advisor.
