Felix Bett

Name Course Instructor Date Obesity in the United States In the world we live today, the epidemic of obesity has become the concern in our health. Discussions are all over about obesity which has become the leading cause of deaths. Many wonder why one would choose their lives to be taken by obesity. The long-term effects of the epidemic are very fatal, especially to the economy (Carson, 30). By researching on this topic, it is crucial to look at the different factors and its effects on the individuals including the health hazards involved. For us to understand first is to define the term obesity. It is the health situation in which an individual is extremely corpulent (Barbour, 15). When a person is said to be obese, it means he/she has exceedingly more weight than the average a person should have according to his or her height. It can also be view according to Dr. Brain Wansink’s definition “Obesity can be a condition when we eat more than we think." An individual who uses a large amount of food is putting his/her body at high risk. Indulging in an enormous amount of food leads to a high proportion of fat in the body, and when this level attained, a person is confirmed to be obese. What could be the main reason for the enormous overweight occurrence? There are some probable causes, but excessive eating is the primary cause (Barbour, 20). There is high tendency that instead of eating the typical three times a day, people with obesity will go beyond this by far-off. They will go higher than this point, and nothing will prevent them. The type of food an individual chooses to eat is another reason (Carson, 35). The first food falls under this category because it is readily available thus playing a bigger part. These first foods contain high calories and overeating it leads to obesity. Another cause is the failure to regularly exercise. Over indulging in food without exercising the body is not advisable. An individual whose habits are drinking a lot of alcohol is at high risk of gaining massive weight. “Individuals most at risk for obesity are lower income groups, former smokers, people with chronic mental illness and persons with disabilities” (Carson, 38). There are consequences of having massive overweight. The primary outcome is a short life span. Many people with obesity tend to have a high risk of depression. Because of many thinking, they are helpless; their thoughts are on committing suicide. Overweight people have difficulties in walking because they often feel out a breath. Peer and family problems always occur frequently. These people also experience difficulties in sleep. Obesity is not prevalent in adults’ population alone. Children and teens are suffering from obesity also with the prevalence rate increasing. Most research shows that the corpulence among the kids has tripled in previous 30 years. The occurrence of stoutness in children between 5 to 12 years of age has risen from 6.5% in the year 1990 to 19.6% in the year 2014. Statistics shows in the U.S that one out of every five children is either obese or overweight (Carson, 40). We often here of this national disaster and contemplate on how did it reach this extreme level? Improper eating habits at an adolescent stage are often to blame on the parents. The parents are leaving children on their own instead of teaching them to eat healthily, and children love junk food. The children are not active on outside activities like they used to. Main attribution to this is things like television and computer games which lead to children remaining indoors. It thus explains the high prevalence rate of obesity among the young generation. The prevalence of obesity is mainly in certain areas than others, and the cases are high in the urban cities. The leading states with a high number of victims are; Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia. The highly ranked countries with the highest cases of obesity are; the United Kingdom, United States, Slovakia, Greece, and Mexico. Estimations show that one out every 10 of the adults worldwide suffer from the obesity epidemic. The world rate of occurrence of obesity has doubled in the last three decades. There are several ways and strategies of preventing the obesity catastrophe. The most important factor is being active as an individual. The basic exercises like climbing stairs and not using the lifts walk in the park every morning and evenings and swimming helps a lot. You can keep your eight t sufficient level by exercising a few times in a week (Carson, 42). It is good to keep your weight in check by weighing yourself regularly to see if the weight has increased and also if there is a radical change. Drink sufficient of purified water which helps in detoxifying the impurities in the system. Eat healthy foods by making good choices instead of eating foods with a lot of fats. It’s nice to eat at a slow rate and it only when you are hungry. Eat food in smaller portions without gulping it down fast. It is also better to eat at the times of the day when you are hungry. Today, the prevalence of obesity is higher than ever before. It has led to a debate on whether the obesity is inherited or not. Our behavior effects have played a greater part in contributing to obesity. The advertisement on the environment and television affect our eating behaviors and habits. “Hidden Persuaders are used by the restaurants and supermarkets t o get us to eat” (Carson, 45). The factors above have greater effects on us in ways we can’t see. There is increasing health risk with the obesity. Diseases may include; type two diabetes, cancer, and the coronary artery diseases. The most prevalent are the endometrial and both colon and breast cancer. There are high chances of hypertension in the body due to high blood pressure. Also, the Dyslipidemia, which is related to increased in the cholesterols level in the body (Carson, 48). Both men and women suffer from obesity. However, Statistics shows that the woman has a high prevalence rate of obesity when compared with men. It indicates that the ability of men to resist hunger and the cravings for food than the women. A research experiment put brain scans on both women and men. The two went throughout the night without food and when they faced food, the woman’s brain was much active than that of man (Carson, 52). Because emotional sensation is high in women, they tend to eat unplanned when food is the source of happiness. They are also likely to show symptoms of depression and cause them to eat even more. There are cases where people with morbid obese look for surgical solutions. The most popular are the Gastric Bypass Surgery. The surgery restrains people from some calories taken and the food intake. Another type of the surgical procedure is the A Realize Adjustable Band, which censors the stomach and dividing it into the upper pouch thus reducing the amount of food taken at a time. The sleeve Gastrectomy reduces the size of a person’s stomach and makes them feel they are fuller staying for a longer time without food. The procedures above have gain popularity over time “in 2007 about 205,000 Americans went under surgery” (Barbour, 50). Surgical processes have become a way of evading or coping with obesity. The main reason contributing to this is because they can maintain health and prolong their life. Despite the solutions provided by surgical procedures, it is not 100 percent secure (Carson, 55). The side’s effects are the inability to walk even for short distances. It also increases lung problems, pressure sores and risk of blood clotting. Surgery procedures are not a solution for everyone, but many would prefer this option. Many people don’t take obesity as seriously killing as other diseases. Alcohol, drugs and smoking have been considered to be the significant influence on the youthful age bracket. “Obese teens are likely to die before they reach old age as adolescents who are heavy smokers.” (Barbour, 69). The research findings show that a person having lung cancer while obese will die of lung cancer faster than a different person with lung cancer but underweight. A typical killer is the Anorexia, which is the complete contradictory of the obesity (Barbour, 80). Being excessively slender will kill you quicker than overweight. Obesity has reached a catastrophic level in this country. It is the leading nutritional problems among the pets. The reason beyond this observation is because the animals are like the humans and imitates everything we do. The eating habits and failure to exercise are major contributors. A lot needs to be done to educate the population on healthy living which is the best option of avoiding obesity. It is also the responsibility of each to challenge himself on healthy eating. Works Cited Barbour, Scott. Obesity. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Carson, Scott A. Obesity in Black and White: Accounting for 19th Century Us Bmi Differences by Socioeconomic Status and Biology. Munich: CESifo, 2012. Print. Measuring Progress in Obesity Prevention: Workshop Report. Washington: National Academies Press, 2012. Print.