Combating Obesity in the US - Essay Example

? Combating Obesity in the U.S. The study intends to evaluate the factors that cause obesity and the efforts taken by the people of the United States to combat the problem of obesity. The study further reviews the points of various researchers regarding the issue of obesity. An evaluation of the knowledge about the health policies impact on people in relation to obesity has been made. The obesity is an issue which can be curbed by sharing knowledge and making people aware of the drawbacks a person might face due to obesity. Introduction In the recent years, the people of America have been facing serious hurdles with regard to their weight. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of the adult people and one-fifth of the children in the United States are facing obesity. The health issue concerning obesity is creating health related hurdles amid the people of the US. The increase in the number of obese people is creating a strain on the healthcare system of the US. In the year 2012, approximately 34.9% people of the US were obese, which refers to people having 35 pounds in excess of the weight of a healthy person (Hellmic, 2013; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the statistics from the National Center for Health nearly 50 million of the white people are found to be obese in the US. Due to the rise in the number of obese, the risk regarding the chronic diseases, heart disease and diabetes are increasing in the US. In this context, physical activity and proper diet are the keys to manage the obesity in the people. The obesity can be dealt with by providing a series of educational seminars and workshops to get knowledge regarding the nutritional value of the food being consumed (Hellmic, 2013). The study intends to emphasize the various viewpoints of the researchers about the issue faced by the people of the US due to obesity. The impact of the knowledge in the social group is also evaluated to combat the issue of obesity in the US. The various methods by which the people are combating the problem of obesity are also evaluated to improve the lifestyle of the people and reduce the number of health issues. Literature Review The literature review is done to understand the growing issues of obesity faced by the people of the US and the reason for such overweight. To evaluate the causes, facts are judged by the literature reviews done by various researchers. According to the researcher Wang and Beydoun (2007), the reason for the increase in the number of obese people is mainly because of the current situations, trends, socioeconomic status and geographic locations. The researchers state that as per the growing food habit of the people by the year 2015 nearly 75% of the adult would be obese. They further assert that obesity is a disease which is due to the accumulation of excess fats which makes the person feel unhealthy and impaired. This statement is viable in the present scenario as the adolescents are more affected by obesity due the consumption of unhealthy fast foods. The upcoming trends of having fast food to maintain the status of lifestyle has increased the number of obese and would augment its impact. The intake of excess calories and a lack of physical activity are the major reasons for the obesity to increase. This is a feasible statement by the researcher as in the modern world the people do not prefer to do any physical activity and spend money on the intake of unhealthy food as the food is delivered without wasting much of the time of the consumer. The number of obese people has increased due to the changes in the environmental trend such as the eating habits, idleness, occupation, technology development, culture exchange and global trade. In the words of Wang and Beydoun (2007), the changes in the lifestyles of the people in the society have transformed the scenario of obesity in the US. The US environment has been categorized as “obesogenic” as it inspires high energy consumption and low energy spending. The availability of food products at a reasonable price is helping in increasing the obesity in the US. The implementation of the population based policies as per the researchers can prove successful. The increase in the health promotion approaches which exhibits the healthy eating habits need to be made popular among the people of the US. These precautionary measures as stated by the researchers as viable in the present situation to combat the problem of obesity in the years to come (Wang & Beydoun, 2007). In the views of Mello, Studdert and Brennan (2007), the reduction in the number of obesity cases can be achieved in the US by implementing policies from the government regarding the intake of unhealthy food. The proposal for the new policy for obesity is accepted by various activists and has faced challenges from the retail sector. This review intends to rationalize the regulatory activities to combat the issues of obesity in the US by several people. The researchers state the importance of policies as effective to combat obesity as the people will become conscious and the use of kids for the purpose of advertisement would decrease. This would help in reducing the number of obese kids as they follow the advertisements and alter their food habits (Mello et al., 2007). The researchers believe on the positive impact of the health policies alike the effectiveness of the other policies such as cigarettes. The focus of the policies would be to educate the people in the schools, community regarding food habits, importance of physical activity to reduce the obesity number. This statement of educating the people regarding the intake of healthy foods and increase the physical activities are feasible as this would make the parents realize the negative effect of the unhealthy food on their child. On the other hand, implementation of the policy itself will not be appropriate for the reduction in the figure of obese as the food habit of the persons depends on their taste and not on any policy. The regulatory framework might not be very effective in the future days (Mello et al., 2007). In this regard, Puhl, Peterson and Luedicke (2012) assert that the health law implemented is to prevent obesity or to fight the obese people in the US. He argued that the law is not to psychologically affect the obese people but is an effort to make them realize the negative impact of the food on their health and the weight. However, many of the people misinterpret the law and it negatively affects the people with overweight and makes them depressed. The perception of the people with regard to the obesity-related health messages is different. A few people get motivated through these messages and try to overcome the unhealthy eating habit and create awareness. This effort of creating awareness through the messages is feasible to a certain extent but cannot be a success to avoid obesity. It was observed in the research that because of the messages people were becoming health conscious and changing their behaviors towards their lifestyle which was helping in combating obesity in the US (Puhl et al., 2012). Impact of Academic Knowledge Knowledge plays a vital part to control the growing number of obese in the US. Knowledge about the nutritional value of the food and the knowledge of which food is good for the health are of significance for the society and the community. The impact of the knowledge is more important as it not only affects the physical health of the people but the social health such as relationship with the family as well. The knowledge about healthy eating and a proper lifestyle in the school days helps in reducing the number of obese in the country. The proper education has great impact on the health of a person and the society. They become more conscious about the intake of nutritional values which leads to early healthy habits. The schools are the best place to promote the knowledge regarding the healthy habits of the food items. The promotion of the physical activities and the importance of the healthy eating habits affect the health of the children and the society at large. The awareness about the importance of the physical activity makes the child more conscious and helps them to lead a healthy life. The policies of following the Coordinated School Health Program makes the young generation aware about the ill-effects of the unhealthy foods. Moreover, the knowledge about the healthy living enables to link socio-economic factors with the health issue to increase the longevity without being obese. The people are becoming more aware about the ingredients of the food before consuming it in order to get the nutritional value and the calorie assumption. Furthermore, education regarding the health influences the people to estimate the energy consumption by the intake of the snacks to avoid obesity. The importance of knowledge helps in making the society free of obese and ascertaining that the people remain healthy and secure (Wechsler et al., 2004). The concept of healthy living and its relevance increases the standard of healthy living and reduces the chances regarding the health issues and the risk of diseases such as heart attack due to the high calorie consumption. The negative affect about the body weight makes the people more conscious. People now focus more on healthy diet with low calories and give relevance to the physical activity. The people prefer to take into account the organic foods which are certified to endure the safety of the health. The academic knowledge facilitates to reduce the health issues and the economic costs. It is observed that there are people who are fat but healthier than the slim; this is an important aspect of the knowledge about proper healthy habits (Devaux et al., 2011; Henderson & Low, 2006). Principles of Active Citizenship The concept of active citizen concerns every member of the society. It deals with the rights and responsibilities of the citizens towards the welfare of the society concerning the health of the people. The openness in the views, accountability and trust of the citizen towards the decision and the policies helps in eradicating the issues of obesity. The active citizens are the people who think about the welfare of other people and the society to ensure safety. The good active citizens will try to influence people and make them take good decisions regarding the government policies about the issue of obesity. A responsible citizen would take initiative to act as a leader and make the people understand the need of good health. Also, the active citizens take steps to resolve the issues regarding the unhealthy habits through the active messages (Devaux et al., 2011). The active citizens because of their social responsibilities generally aim to take measure in order to educate students and people in the community to indulge in good food eating habits. The active citizens also are concerned and take measures to spread the messages regarding the risk a person might face if he/she becomes overweight due to their unhealthy food eating habits. Taking initiatives for educating and improving the wellbeing of the public are the main aspects of the citizens to make the people lead a healthy life. Active citizen are also viewed to be taking active participation to make the students get proper education to curb unhealthy eating habits of the youngsters and make them more conscious about the negative aspects of indulging in the unhealthy foods items. This will imply to the fact of being a healthy active citizen. The nutritional knowledge, safety of the neighborhood is the key concerns of the active citizen. The contents of the advertisements for the fast foods have the kids as the protagonist, which are being opposed by the active citizen as these advertisements influence other kids to consume the fast foods on a regular basis. These things make the people and the kids obese due to the lack of comprehensive knowledge (Rawlins, 2008; Health Service Executive, 2012). Moreover, the active citizens also take steps to organize workshops and campaigns to ensure that the increasing number of obesity in the U.S. is controlled. Also, the citizens take the responsibility of encouraging the people to indulge in more physical activity which would make them health conscious and help them in improving their lifestyle. The active citizens not only influence people to adopt good food eating habits through their messages but also influence them to lead a healthy life with doing physical activities on regular basis (Rawlins, 2008; Health Service Executive, 2012). Evaluating the Relevance of the Piece in Relationship to Academic Knowledge and the Selected Issue The increase in the number of obese people in the US is because of the rise in the unhealthy food habits by the people. The people do not use their knowledge before consuming excess of calories by taking beverages. The Figure 1 below displays the fact that the consumption of the people has increased not in the healthy way but has augmented the intake of the unhealthy food in number. It is observed that people who are more knowledgeable are more into the unhealthy eating habits and turn into obese. The eating habits of the people are rising and so there is an increase in the number of obese. The figure 1 displays the reason for the increase in the number of obese people. Figure: 1 Source: (MikeBloomberg, 2013) The intake of sugary drinks is leading to the increase in the number of obese. The figure 2 displays the fact that earlier people had a better lifestyle as they used to intake reasonable amount of calorie and did physical exercise. This was making them healthy but today the consumption level has increased and the physical exercise as an important part of life has decreased. The below picture depicts the fact that the consumption level of the beverages by a kid has increased and subsequently in a majority of instances he turns out become an obese. Moreover, in the modern world, the increase in the number of heart diseases and diabetes is primarily because of these unhealthy lifestyle and food habits. People are not giving much relevance to the knowledge they have regarding the nutritional value of the food items. Figure: 2 Source: (MikeBloomberg, 2013) The article states the fact that thousands of people die due to obesity and the government of the US spends nearly US$4 billion a year for the health care. The effect of the academic knowledge have made the NYC Department of Health to forbid the selling of the surgery juices to avoid the intake of high calories and make the people more aware. Moreover, the effort of the society to spread the importance of the public health initiatives is making people aware and giving them the scope to reduce the number of obese (MikeBloomberg, 2013). Combating Obesity in the United States The problem of obesity has an impact on the social and economic life of the people. The increase in the number of obese in turn brings about a rise in the medical cost of the country, augments the consequences of the disease and the number of disabilities due to overweight (Hammond & Levine, 2010). Thus, the government, active citizens and the people of the society are taking steps to combat obesity. The people of the US are trying hard to reduce the number of obese by making people aware its drawbacks to the obesity. One of the US surgeons issued the “The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010” to reduce obesity. Moreover, the first lady of the US Michelle Obama stared a campaign called ‘Let’s Move’ to make the parents aware of the negative sides of child obesity. The campaign was to improve the quality of food in the schools and give importance to physical activity. The government of America also has implemented a law to reduce the increasing rates of obesity. The campaign ‘Let’s Move’ is regarded as a turning point as it involves the initiatives from private sector along with the public. The recent reform of the health care can also be an effective measure to combat obesity. For instance, the government provided US$ 500 million for the welfare of the people in the years 2010. This amount would increase in the 10 years up to US$15 billion. Furthermore, laws have been implemented on every restaurant to check the calorie of the items in the menu offered. State policies and plans in relation to the legislation are also implemented to combat obesity (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2013). The people of the US are also taking initiatives to make the people gain knowledge about the nutritional value to what should be consumed and what should be the per day calorie limit to stay fit. The increase in the recreational activities by letting people learn how to exercise to keep one fit and healthy even after consuming fast foods is a deceive measure. Organizing fairs and workshops for the parents and youths wherein information with regard to the health will be given along with making them realize the importance of it to reduce obesity and maintain a healthy weight has been a critical step to combat obesity. Places in the United States such as Illinois have adopted many policies to prevent obesity. Providing health related classes in the schools to make the students aware of the nutritional impact and make them free from being obese has also been an innovative approach. Increasing the health checkup campaigns in the society to keep a track of the health status and the bodyweight would help in reducing obesity in the US (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2010). Conclusion The study has revealed the negative impact of obesity on the people and the society at large. The effect of obesity on the economy is also relevant in the US. The various analysts have different views regarding combating obesity in the US. Few analysts’ views are relevant and certain are not feasible in the modern world. The role of the active citizens and the aspect of providing concerning education also have a huge impact on the people to reduce obesity and make them health conscious with a better lifestyle. In order to combat obesity, various policies and steps are being taken in the US by governmental authorities along with local administrations which would help in reducing the number of obese in the United States and would enable them to lead a better life to increase the longevity of the persons in the present world scenario. References American Academy of Family Physicians. (2013). Federal government takes bigger role in combating obesity. Retrieved From http://www.aafp.org/news-now/obesity/20100517fed-initiatives.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Recommended community strategies and measurement to prevent obesity in the United States: Implementation and measurement guide. Obesity, 1- 83. Devaux, M., Sassi, F., Church, J., Cecchini, M. & Borgonovi, F. (2011). Exploring the relationship between education and obesity. OECD Journal: Economic Studies, 1, 121-159. Hellmic, N. (2013). U.S. obesity rate levels off, but still an epidemic. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/17/obesity-rate-levels-off/2895759/ Health Service Executive. (2012). HSE framework for action on obesity 2008 – 2012. Get Ireland Active, 1-50. Henderson, J. & Low, S. (2006). Obesity: America’s economic epidemic. Center for the Study of Rural America, 1(2), 1-5. Hammond, R.A. & Levine, R. (2010). The economic impact of obesity in the United States. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 285-295. Illinois Department of Public Health. (2010). Obesity prevention initiative. A Report to the Illinois General Assembly, 1-26. MikeBloomberg. (2013). Combating obesity. Retrieved from http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=B7EE3B90-C29C-7CA2-FE35C0860A2075BD Mello, M.M., Studdert, D.M. & Brennan, T.A. (2007). Obesity — the new frontier of public health law. The New England Journal of Medicine, 2601 – 2610. Puhl, R., Peterson, J.L. & Luedicke, J. (2012). Fighting obesity or obese persons? Public perceptions of obesity-related health messages. International Journal of Obesity, 1–9. Rawlins, E. (2008). Citizenship, health education and the obesity ‘crisis.’ University of Leeds, 136-151. Wechsler, H., McKenna, M.L., Lee, S.M. & Dietz, W.H. (2004). The role of schools in preventing childhood obesity. National Association of State Boards Of Education, 1-12. Wang, Y. & Beydoun, M.A. (2007). The obesity epidemic in the United States—gender, age, socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and geographic characteristics: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Oxford Journals, 29(1), 6-28. Read More