(First Paragraph) Your Name, Your complete departmental and institutional affiliation
(Second Paragraph) Changes in your affiliation, if any
(Third Paragraph) Please enlist your acknowledgments, funding sources, special circumstances, etc.
(Fourth Paragraph) Your mailing address, e-mail, and other pertinent contact information
The Rise of Obesity in America
Over the past decades, obesity has become one of the most alarming issues in the United States of America. As a matter of fact, the number of adults becoming extremely overweight has significantly increased in just a matter of forty years. From 15 percent in 1980, adult obesity has doubled to 30 percent today according to a study made by the Trust for America’s Health (2008). Aside from that, this rate is turning to be extra alarming as more and more adolescents and teenagers are starting to go beyond their normal body mass index.
But what really is obesity and how does one know if a person is obese or just a little overweight? While some people claim that being obese is equal to being overweight, let it be known that there is a fine line between the two terms. According to the World Health Organization (2000), obesity is defined as “as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.”
There is no specific known cause of obesity; however, there are a number of risk factors that are made responsible for this American “epidemic”. According to many experts, the following are the usual causes of obesity:
- Lack of Physical Activity. People who do not exercise or carry out various physical activities on a regular basis do not burn as many calories as those who are active. With this kind of daily routine, there are more calories taken in than being burned off, therefore leading to more weight gain.
- Unhealthy Eating Habits. Those who are fond of eating fast, taking meals on an irregular basis and grabbing a bite even after being full are most likely at risk of becoming overly fat. Also, reliance on high-calorie food, soda, and alcoholic beverages can contribute to the road to obesity. Furthermore, people who constantly eat at inexpensive, fast food chains are at risk of this health problem.
- Medications. There are certain medicines that need to be taken with caution. Beta blockers, anti-depressants, diabetes pills, steroids, and the like usually contribute to excessive weight gain unless the patient exercises properly or eats well whenever he/she is under medication.
- Sleep Deprivation. The tendency for individuals who are not getting enough sleep is to have a bigger appetite and to crave for high-carb and high-calorie meals. As we all know, these food groups can lead to weight gain lest compensated with an active lifestyle.
- Smoking. Reports say that some smokers who decided to quit this vice have significantly gained a lot of pounds over the span of one week to many months. To counter this side effect, quitters need to engage in various physical activities to avoid becoming overweight and, later on, obese.
- Genetics. How a person stores and distributes body fat, how his/her system burns calories, and how his/her body transforms food to nutrients can be attributed to one’s genetic anatomy. Genetics also play a big role in one’s obesity as Kolata (2007) suggests that “. . . 80% of the offspring of two obese parents were also obese. . .” on her study that focused on inheritance patterns.
Even though I agree with the aforementioned possible causes of obesity, I believe that the modern American family’s fast food lifestyle is the main contributor of weight gain in today’s world. As we all know, typical Western food like burgers, fries, and meat sandwiches can now be bought in an instant and at incredibly low prices. Those who are always rushing to work, to school, and to their appointments can immediately eat a meal without the hassle of preparing one at home. They can just drive through a Wendy’s, McDonald’s, or one of their favorite fast food restaurants and order a “value meal”. Viola! In just five minutes or so, Americans can have hot, yummy meals served in front of them.
Although some of the Americans are aware of the bad health effects of constantly eating fast food, most of them just shrug the issue off mainly because of their limited budget. Since restaurants that sell these kinds of meals give affordable prices to the market, then who can say no to this? Especially those who below to the low-income group!
In the article Obesity in America: What's Driving the Epidemic? published by the Harvard Health Publications of the Harvard Medical School, there was a mention of “. . . the food and entertainment industries. . .” pushing “. . .back with seductive ads. . .” This basically means that fast food companies try to divert the public’s attention from the ugliness of their menu through attractive TV advertisements, billboards, and other marketing efforts. They cleverly capitalize on human psychology in order to make people want their food even more. For these restaurants, everything is just about business. How saddening, right?
Aside from the fast food lifestyle going on around the United States of America, another daunting social determinant of obesity has been uncovered. As read in the report called F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2013 (August 2013), “More than 31 percent of adults ages 18 and older who earn less than $25,000 per year were obese, compared with 25.4 percent of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.” It is believed that those who earn less have little or no access to healthier food. This is most especially true for Americans who rely on food stamps from the government. Aside from the soda drinks included in the food assistance program, these people have no choice but to purchase inexpensive food from fast food restaurants. As we all know, families who belong to the low-income strata belong to places labeled as “food deserts”, meaning places with very limited amount of food. All that people could find in such neighborhoods is a small grocery store that offers junk food and instant meals. If they are lucky, a little diner is also around the corner ready to take their budget-meal orders that consist of processed burgers and high-calorie soft drinks and canned juices.
If people who earn less do have access to healthy food, they have to spend extra dollars in order to purchase fresh and organic ingredients. Since they do not have the luxury of increasing their food budget and jeopardizing other aspects of their household’s needs, the less fortunate ones basically opt for the cheaper yet unhealthy meals. There is definitely no question about that.
People who earn less do not have to suffer the consequences of eating unhealthy, processed food though. They can always choose to make a big change in their diet and how to prepare their meals. All it takes is an enthusiastic attitude when it comes to food shopping. After all, there are plenty of low-cost ingredients sold in farmer’s markets and supermarkets. Americans must learn to prepare their own meals too in order to steer clear of the toxins, chemicals, and high calorie content associated with processed meat and similar items. People should not be lazy; they should make time to cook their own meals at home.
It is about time that Americans decide to change their lifestyle in order to avoid obesity. For example, instead of sitting all day watching television, doing movie marathons, and snacking heavily, why not go out in the open, play your favorite sport, or run and walk around your neighborhood on a regular basis? Instead of having irregular sleeping patterns (sleeping too much during the weekend and sleeping too little most of the time), strictly follow a regular sleeping habit. Curb excessive alcohol drinking and make it minimal in the long run. As doctors would say it, avoiding obesity is all about choosing a healthy lifestyle and being disciplined in adhering to activities and things that will help maintain your ideal body weight.
References
Obesity. October 14, 2008. Trust for America’s Health. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/obesity/
Obesity. 2000. World Health Organization, 6-9.
Kolata,Gina (2007). Rethinking thin: The new science of weight loss – and the myths and
realities of dieting. Picador, 122.
Obesity in America: What's Driving the Epidemic? n.d. Harvard Health Publications of the
Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-
wellness/obesity-in-america-whats-driving-the-epidemic-1.
F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2013 (August 2013). Trust for America’s
Health. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/report/108/.
