Comprehensive Discussion on the Subject of Obesity in America - Research Paper Example

Obesity in America Introduction Obesity seems to be one of the major health issues being experienced in the United s. Owing to the fact that it is a major risk factor for various heart diseases, the concern for this issue has been highlighted by different health professionals and concerned health administrators. Studies claim that this issue has now become a major epidemic in the US; other studies and health authorities are however quick to refute claims that obesity is an epidemic in the US. This paper shall now argue in favor of the proposition that obesity in the United States is an epidemic. It shall present the different factual and research-based details which favor this case, in the context of the social, political, and cultural context of obesity. This paper is being undertaken in order to provide a comprehensive discussion on the subject of obesity and to come up with propositions on how this issue can be resolved and managed. Discussion Obesity in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1), refers to the condition of having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. Based on latest surveys, there are 33 states with a prevalence rate of obesity equal to or greater than 25% and nine of these states registered a prevalence rate of obesity equivalent to or more than 30% (CDC, 1). Based on ethnic groupings, blacks had a 51% prevalence for the disease, Hispanics had 21% higher rate compared to the whites; higher rates for blacks and whites registered in the South and Midwest as compared to the West and the Northeast (CDC, 3). Hispanics in the Northeast regions registered lower obesity rates as compared to Hispanics in the Midwest, South, or West. All in all these rates reveal that obesity registers at a high degree of prevalence in different parts and ethnic groups in the United States. The above statistical rates provide initial support for the argument that obesity is an epidemic in the United States. An epidemic is defined as a disease “affecting many persons at the same time, spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent” (Dictionary.com, 1). As was expressed in the figures above, obesity is already affecting many persons in the US all at the same time. It is a disease which is affecting more and more people, even in areas where it has not been permanently prevalent. The CDC presented its report on obesity in America and it appears to be a very grim picture. Based on a survey of 400,000 individuals, the number of states registering with an obesity prevalence of 30% or more tripled in nine states; and no state registered with an obesity prevalence below 15% (Brady, 1). In effect, there was a 1% increase in obesity rates in the US which is actually equivalent to 2.4 million Americans. Such figures may not even be entirely accurate because some people usually over-estimate their heights during phone surveys (Brady, 2). Based on the report, higher prevalence rates of obesity were found among non-Hispanic blacks at 36.8% and non-Hispanic black women at 41.9%. The report further emphasized that obesity is affecting not just individuals, but the general population as well (Brady, 3). Health costs in relation to obesity are being estimated at 147 billion dollars and medical costs individually for those who are overweight are $1429 higher than those with normal weight (Brady, 4). In reviewing these figures, the pervasiveness of this disease is revealed. The report also points out that about a third of obese adults never received medical advice from their doctors about exercise; obese blacks, Hispanics, and poor with less than a high school diploma also have a lesser chance of receiving advice on diet from their doctors; many overweight children have hardly received advice about being overweight from their doctors; and most American children have not received counseling from their doctors about exercise (Brady, 9). These revelations impact on the actual status of obesity in America – that it is not given enough attention by the medical community and by medical practitioners and that these above-mentioned revelations exacerbate the issue of obesity in America. Obesity is also considered an epidemic in the US because the conditions in relation to food consumption have become ideal for the spread of this disease to the general population. In a paper by Young and Nestle (p. 246), the authors set out to evaluate the contribution of expanding portion sizes to US obesity. This paper set out to weigh samples of marketplace foods, review changes in sizes of these foods and compare these to current portions. The authors gained data about current portions from the manufacturers or from direct weighing; they gained previous data about past portions from manufacturers and publications (Young & Nestle, p. 246). The study revealed that marketplace portions increased in size and is now beyond the standards set by the federal government; such a trend was apparent in the 1970s and rose into the 1980s – with portions increasing along with body weights (Young & Nestle, p. 246). The authors concluded that obesity has become more pervasive and has risen to epidemic levels because of the current trends in food portions which also impact on people’s eating habits. In a study by UCLA sociologists, they point out that the claim of obesity being an epidemic in the US is overblown, and is, at best, just a metaphor (1). They argue that the term epidemic refers to a “rapid and episodic onset of infectious diseases and is associated with fear of sudden and widespread death” (UCLA, 3). They further point out that there has been no difference in the mortality rates of obese individuals as opposed to those who were not obese. These arguments are unfounded. Obesity is an epidemic and is not just a metaphor. Other studies have established that the rates of obesity have been increasing since the 1970s and the increases have doubled from previous rates with current rates for children registering at seriously overweight numbers (Wellman & Friedberg, p. 705). These studies also point out that obesity is being seriously linked to a variety of health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, cancer, arthritis, and hernia (Wellman & Friedberg, p. 705). Surveys also reveal that it is the seventh leading cause of death in the US and estimates register that obesity rates are at 40 million workdays productivity lost to obesity, 63 million doctor’s visits; and 239 days of restricted activity (Wellman & Friedberg, p. 705). Obesity as an epidemic is more than just a metaphor because based on other studies – one by Wang and Beydoun, (p. 6), more than two thirds of US adults and about one third of US children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese in the US. Their study also points out that obesity ranks second among the preventable causes of death in the US and its prevalence rate is likely to increase in the years to come if no effective control measures are implemented (Wang & Beydoun, p. 6). The authors also describe that the environment in the US is obesogenic because it promotes high energy intake with low expenditure of energy. In other words, society seems to provide Americans with a lot of food at lower cost but with little opportunity to expend energy gained from such food (Wang & Beydoun, p. 6). In other words, obesity is a real epidemic in the US and it is more than just a metaphor and the conditions that are present in the country help support its status as an epidemic. There are various ways by which this issue can be resolved. Solutions to the obesity problem in the US largely depend on strong health policies and the efficient implementation of such policies. In a paper by Hill, et.al., (p. 853), the authors were able to come up with strong solutions to the obesity epidemic. Based on national surveys, the authors were able to estimate that changing energy balance by 100 kcal a day through reductions in energy intake and increase in physical activity can prevent weight gain in the population (Hill, et.al., p. 853). These changes can be set forth through the implementation of small changes in people’s behavior. These changes may include 15 minutes walking a day, eating less with each meal and generally having a good target for weight loss (Hill, et.al., p. 853). Suggestions by Chopra, et.al., (23) set forth various strategies by the World Health Assembly on May 2000 by the Director-General of the WHO to address the issue of overnutrition. Their suggestion emphasized the importance of diet and physical activity in the integration and prevention of communicable diseases (Chopra, et.al., 23). The World Health Assembly also emphasized the importance of advertising, mass communication, and world trade agreements, as well as food labeling, novel foods, urban planning and transport in the management of obesity in the general population (Chopra, et.al., 23). The plans for the US more or less should be based on food portions and on the increase of physical activity. There is also a need to add consumption of fruits and vegetables, to increase physical activity, and to increase availability and affordability of healthy foods in order to help maintain and promote healthy and appropriate body weights (Chopra, et.al., 24). The WHO was also able to recognize that there is also a need to promote and campaign for smaller food portions in the food manufacturing industry, to limit amount of food and salty foods intake, and to reassess the marketing of food products to young children (Chopra, et.al., 25). Children find the attractive marketing of foods to be a big draw for children and this is a major factor in the purchase and consumption of unhealthy foods. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, this paper firmly and strongly argues that obesity is indeed an epidemic in the US. It may not be an infectious disease in the same category as other communicable diseases, but it is nevertheless considered as an epidemic in terms of its pervasiveness and in terms of the large number of people it currently affects. The number of people impacted by this disease has increased throughout the years, and trends seem to indicate that it will continue to increase in the years to come. It is an epidemic because it impacts on the health of the general population as it causes them to fall prey to other diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart-related diseases. Just as other epidemics cause people to become vulnerable, weak, and to be in mortal danger, the same is very much true with obesity. For which reason, obesity can be deemed an epidemic in the United States. Works Cited Chopra, M., Galbraith, S., & Darnton-Hill, I. (2002) A global response to a global problem: the epidemic of overnutrition. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, volume 80, number 12 Brady, S. (2010) Obesity in America: New CDC Report Is Grim Reminder. Health News. 10 December 2010 from http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/obesity-in-america-new-cdc-report-is-grim-reminder-4388.html?page=1 Epidemic definition (2010) Dictionary.com. 10 December 2010 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epidemic Hill, J., Wyatt, H., Reed, G., & Peters, J. (2003) Obesity and the Environment: Where Do We Go from Here? Science, volume 299, pp. 853-855 Obesity Epidemic Overblown, Conclude UCLA Sociologists (2005) University of California Los Angeles. 10 December 2010 from http://www.college.ucla.edu/news/05/obesitystudy.html U.S. Obesity Trends (2010) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 10 December 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html Wang, Y. & Beydoun, M. (2007) The Obesity Epidemic in the United States—Gender, Age, Socioeconomic, Racial/Ethnic, and Geographic Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis. Epidemiology Review, volume 29, number 1, pp. 6-28. Wellman, N. & Friedberg, B. (2002) Causes and consequences of adult obesity: health, social and economic impacts in the United States. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, volume 11, pp. S705–S709 Young, L. & Nestle, M. (2002) The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic. American Journal of Public Health, volume 92, number 92, pp. 246-249 Read More