Obesity has become a major health problem in the United States. The number of people who are obese has continued to rise and is now in epidemic proportions. Along with the number of adults increasing, the number of children who are obese has significantly increased as well. With the increase in obesity, there has been an increase in the number of both adults and children who are developing type 2 diabetes.
Obesity has many causes, some are changeable and some are not. The first possible causes of obesity in the United States is the lack of energy balance where an individual uses fewer calories than what was consumed, this goes along with dining out and eating the larger portions of food or choosing foods that are higher in carbohydrates than …show more content…
These tools are the individual’s body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and risk factors, The BMI is a tool used for children but does not give an accurate picture of an adult who is considered to be obese using just the BMI calculations. Doctors also measure the waist circumference to measure the central obesity. When assessing risk factors, the doctors take into account the individual’s current diagnosis, such as diabetes and hypertension. These all help to determine if the individual is truly overweight or in a healthy range with an elevated BMI due to …show more content…
According to the Obesity Society, the number of children who are obese has more than tripled in the past thirty years (2014, para 1). This can be due to a combination of reasons. Children can have a sedentary lifestyle which can be done to coming home to an empty house as both parents are working so their entertainment is often the television or the computer, snacking even when not hungry, no gym classes or recess at school, and at least one parent who is obese. Often, due to socioeconomical issues, the family cannot afford to buy the healthy foods or they live in a neighborhood that makes it unsafe for the children to go outside and play. These children are showing signs of type 2 diabetes at a younger age and run the risk of other major health problems later in life. (Mayo,
Obesity has many causes, some are changeable and some are not. The first possible causes of obesity in the United States is the lack of energy balance where an individual uses fewer calories than what was consumed, this goes along with dining out and eating the larger portions of food or choosing foods that are higher in carbohydrates than …show more content…
These tools are the individual’s body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and risk factors, The BMI is a tool used for children but does not give an accurate picture of an adult who is considered to be obese using just the BMI calculations. Doctors also measure the waist circumference to measure the central obesity. When assessing risk factors, the doctors take into account the individual’s current diagnosis, such as diabetes and hypertension. These all help to determine if the individual is truly overweight or in a healthy range with an elevated BMI due to …show more content…
According to the Obesity Society, the number of children who are obese has more than tripled in the past thirty years (2014, para 1). This can be due to a combination of reasons. Children can have a sedentary lifestyle which can be done to coming home to an empty house as both parents are working so their entertainment is often the television or the computer, snacking even when not hungry, no gym classes or recess at school, and at least one parent who is obese. Often, due to socioeconomical issues, the family cannot afford to buy the healthy foods or they live in a neighborhood that makes it unsafe for the children to go outside and play. These children are showing signs of type 2 diabetes at a younger age and run the risk of other major health problems later in life. (Mayo,