Obesity in Western societies - Essay Example

I. Introduction Obesity is a serious health issue not only in the United s, but also in the Western world, its prevalence growing higher every year and it has become an epidemic. For the last twenty years, the number of people who are overweight and obese has increased dramatically (Coley). II. Although medications and diets can be of help, these cannot be viewed as a solution.Those affected by obesity have to have a long-term commitment to proper eating habits, increased physical activity and having regular exercise.

Research has shown that the probability an individual becoming overweight or obese is significantly related with how the community in which an individual lives is laid out.III. The obesity epidemic in the United Kingdom has become rampant with an estimated two thirds of the male population being affected (“In UK, obesity overtakes two-thirds of male population”).One in four men and women in the UK are now considered obeseIt has also come to affect children in this countryIV. Statistics have revealed that sixty-five percent of all adult Americans were overweight (Mendes).

Since the nineteen sixties, obesity in the United States has more than tripled and this has happened regardless of the sex or race.Some thirteen percent of all children aged between the ages of six and eleven, in the United States, are considered overweight.V. ConclusionMany governments as well as healthcare providers have labeled obesity as an epidemic.Some Western governments, such as the United States, have launched campaigns to encourage and educate people on how to live a healthy lifestyle that will prevent obesity and the complications that come with it.

Works CitedColey, Jill. Study ranks South Carolina 7th in obesity. The Post and Courier, 18 Jul 2008. Web. 23 Feb 2013 “In UK, obesity overtakes two-thirds of male population.” Indo Asian News Service, 21 Feb 2013. Web. 23 Feb 2013 Mendes, Elizabeth. “Americans Continue to Adjust Their Ideal Weight Upward.” Gallup, 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Feb 2013