Obesity in Ameirca Essay - 722 Words

The dramatic growth in obesity and over weight among Americans can become a hot topic, receiving widespread attention in the media. In a recent article in science magazine said that the national obesity rate will be 39% by 2008. Obesity has risen dramatically in the past 10 years. It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese, a condition defined as being more than 30 percent above the ideal weight based on height. Even scarier is that obesity rates for children have doubled over the last 20 years, and overweight children are being diagnosed with obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes sleep apnea, and respiratory illness that in the past have only afflicted adults... They are eating too much-fat-rich foods such as†¦show more content†¦The body mass index is the measure used to define obesity. In adults BMI between 25 and 29 is overweight and BMI of 30 and higher is obese. In children with the BMI changes with age and gender.† The center for disease control defines a child whose Body Mass Index is between the 85th and 95th percentile for age (meaning that 85-95% of his or her peers have equal or lower BMI) as being at risk for obesity† A child that has a body mass index of 95 or higher is consider obese. Obesity increases one’s risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall Bladder disease, and breast cancer. The tendency toward obesity is fostered by our environment the lack of physical activities with high calorie, and lost cost foods. The growing prevalence of obesity and overweight is a reflection of the enormous success for there United States food system. Food that is cheap and frequently high in calorie content is widely available. Over ten thousands years ago food was essential problem for most people. Food was considered sacred. Obtaining food by hunting and farming require a lot of physical activity. Now food is easily gotten and people no longer need to over exert themselves to obtain it. Obesity and being overweight has usually been viewed as a personal issue. But today with enormous attention now being focused on this issue there is aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Obesity in Ameirca647 Words   |  3 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity has become a concern for many people in our culture. The obesity rate among Americans has gotten worse over the years. The topic of weight is very prevalent among people in todays society. Everywhere you look you see people of different weights and appearances. Tall, small, thin, wide, fat and skinny are just a variety of the words we use to describe people. Not many people are completely satisfied with their weight. People are constantly looking for ways to better themselves and improve