Obesity: America's Problem

Obesity is a disorder that many people in all of America (specifically the United States) have or have had a problem, with. With the percentage growing it's up to society to know how to bring down these numbers.

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on a persons health. This can lead to a reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. This shouldn't be confused for being overweight, where a person has a little more fat then deemed healthy.

The Body mass index (BMI), is a measurement that compares your weight and height. This measurement defines people as overweight (pre-obese) if their BMI is between 25 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it's greater than 30 kg/m2.

 

A person who does experience obesity has an increased likelihood of various diseases. Particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is commonly caused by a combination of excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, amongst other things; although a few cases are caused by medications or psychiatric illness. Though many people have said that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited. On average, obese people have a greater energy than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

Dieting and physical exercise are the mains ways of treatment for obesity. Diet quality can be improved by reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods such as those high in fat and sugars, and by increasing the intake of dietary fiber. Anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption together with a suitable diet. If diet, exercise and medication are not effective, a gastric balloon may assist with weight loss, or surgery may be performed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children. Authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.Obesity is labeled in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.

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