Obesity Epidemic Essay
1370 Words
6 Pages
Obesity is a problem that is becoming more and more visible in today’s society. In the Merriam Webster dictionary, obesity can be defined as the condition of having excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body (Obesity Definition, n.d). It is a pandemic that is affecting many people from children to senior citizens. Obesity can also be more common in certain races, starting with Hispanics at 42.5% then, non-Hispanic whites 34.5%, non-Hispanic Asians 11.7%. In comparison to age, obesity is higher among adults ages 40-59 years 40.2% and older adults over 60 years 37%, whereas younger adults 20-39 is only 32.3% (Adult Obesity Facts, n. d). In total obesity affects over 500 million adults worldwide (Obesity Facts, n.d). The statistical
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Each year over 2.8 million adults die from obesity. Not only is obesity a problem with adults, in 2011, 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight and borderline obese (Obesity Facts, n.d).Not only is it affecting mankind but it is affecting our economy, the medical costs of obesity in the U.S was about $147 billion, the medical costs where $1429 higher than people with normal weight (Adult Obesity Facts, n.d).Obesity is not only detrimental by itself, but it can lead to a plethora of other medical problems that can be much worse. Often times, obesity is caused by the person. In today’s culture it is becoming more and more of the standard to stay inside and use electronics, especially with children. This is a huge factor in obesity, some other big factors include calorie intake, medical intake, and lack of exercise. When talking about calorie intake the average person needs about 2,250 calories a day. However, a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake add up to 1,500 calories, so the temptation is very easy to fall into. Having a meal like this is not bad once every so often, but eating lots of fast food, drinking too much alcohol, eating large portions, drinking sugary drinks, …show more content…
The most common effects associated with obesity are high blood pressure, and diabetes. With high blood pressure, the extra fat tissue needs oxygen which causes the blood vessels to circulate more blood, this increases the pressures on the artery walls. The extra weight also could possible raise the heart rate and reduce the body’s ability to pass blood through the vessels. Obesity is the top cause for type 2 diabetes, this type of diabetes is most often found in adults, however, with the surge of childhood obesity, it is becoming more common in children as well. Obesity causes resistance to insulin, which regulates the body’s blood sugar. When this happens, the blood sugar becomes elevated (Effects of Obesity, 2016). Although it may seem as if obesity cannot be avoided, it can be. Some ways to prevent it are limiting unhealthy foods, by eating healthy foods, your body has less fat being put into it and it doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food; increasing physical activity, by creating an exercise plan your body will be able to burn off calories which will help burn extra fat, limited time on electronics, improving sleep, and reducing stress; by reducing stress, it helps your body to relax and stop producing certain hormones which force your body to feel anxiety and stress.. Even just utilizing one of these strategies will greatly decrease the risk of
Each year over 2.8 million adults die from obesity. Not only is obesity a problem with adults, in 2011, 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight and borderline obese (Obesity Facts, n.d).Not only is it affecting mankind but it is affecting our economy, the medical costs of obesity in the U.S was about $147 billion, the medical costs where $1429 higher than people with normal weight (Adult Obesity Facts, n.d).Obesity is not only detrimental by itself, but it can lead to a plethora of other medical problems that can be much worse. Often times, obesity is caused by the person. In today’s culture it is becoming more and more of the standard to stay inside and use electronics, especially with children. This is a huge factor in obesity, some other big factors include calorie intake, medical intake, and lack of exercise. When talking about calorie intake the average person needs about 2,250 calories a day. However, a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake add up to 1,500 calories, so the temptation is very easy to fall into. Having a meal like this is not bad once every so often, but eating lots of fast food, drinking too much alcohol, eating large portions, drinking sugary drinks, …show more content…
The most common effects associated with obesity are high blood pressure, and diabetes. With high blood pressure, the extra fat tissue needs oxygen which causes the blood vessels to circulate more blood, this increases the pressures on the artery walls. The extra weight also could possible raise the heart rate and reduce the body’s ability to pass blood through the vessels. Obesity is the top cause for type 2 diabetes, this type of diabetes is most often found in adults, however, with the surge of childhood obesity, it is becoming more common in children as well. Obesity causes resistance to insulin, which regulates the body’s blood sugar. When this happens, the blood sugar becomes elevated (Effects of Obesity, 2016). Although it may seem as if obesity cannot be avoided, it can be. Some ways to prevent it are limiting unhealthy foods, by eating healthy foods, your body has less fat being put into it and it doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food; increasing physical activity, by creating an exercise plan your body will be able to burn off calories which will help burn extra fat, limited time on electronics, improving sleep, and reducing stress; by reducing stress, it helps your body to relax and stop producing certain hormones which force your body to feel anxiety and stress.. Even just utilizing one of these strategies will greatly decrease the risk of