The Weight of the Nation: Relevance to the US Overweighed with Obesity - Assignment Example

The movie demonstrates the measures for countering the problem while underlining the stark reality that more often than not, these strategies are simply ignored. This movie will definitely be extremely valuable content for inclusion in our course and it will immensely benefit the students in understanding and adopting measures to combat the problem. Engaging the students with assignments based on the series will help them further in appreciating the complexities. This can prompt them to work on creating awareness about the problem in their families as well as communities and such measures can go a long way in preparing the society in a better way to encounter the issue.
Specific Views on the Bogalusa Heart Study:

The Bogalusa Heart Study touted as the first of its kind that autopsied children to find “evidence of heart disease,” confirms that 20% of them had fat deposits and also manifested high blood pressure and cholesterol level (Chaykin 2012). This also is the first scientific evidence that fat deposits “involved in heart disease” can be present in children (Chaykin 2012). The most unique fact is that it continued for over 40 years, following more than “16000 children” into their adulthood (Chaykin 2012). The study has further established that about 77 percent of the participants in the research are found to be obese as adults. Besides, it reveals that over 50% of Bogalusa children are obese, which is a matter of significant worry. Overall, this research has been the only one of its kind and can set an example for and guide future studies on obesity as well as other diseases.
Findings on the Measurement of Blood Pressure and Cholesterol:

When the weight of a person increases, body fat accumulates around the middle and, as a result, changes occur in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. However, these changes may not be easily discernible for a person to understand in the normal course. However, unattended, the problems may end up in cardio-vascular diseases and may cause death. More importantly, for the first time, the Bogalusa research shows that cardiovascular diseases caused as a result of obesity can cause death in children also, which is a unique finding.

Reasons for the Rise in Morbid Obesity in the Past 25 Years:
The major reason for the rise of obesity in the past years, as can be discerned from the movie, is the intake of unhealthy junk food and food containing fat beverages containing extra sugar. On the other hand, the lack of physical exercise has been attributed as another major cause of obesity. Similarly, the proliferation of high fat and sugar content food and the profuse advertisement on visual media has been identified as another reason for childhood obesity in the nation and elsewhere in the world. Read More