The Obesity Epidemic In America
The U.S. obesity epidemic is not slowing down, A growing obesity epidemic is threatening the life & health of millions of Americans (According to the findings, the obesity epidemic spread rapidly during the 1990s across all states, regions, and demographic groups in the United States. Obesity (defined as being over 30 percent above ideal body weight) in the population increased from 12 percent in 1991 to 42.4 percent in 2022)
Who is to blame?
Fast Food
It’s no surprise that Americans are addicted to fast food(Approximately 80% of Michigan adults went to fast-food restaurants at least once per month and 28% went regularly).
Our food choices affect energy intake and this interacts with the genetic and metabolic factors to finally determine the body weight and composition. calories, Fast food is high in fat saturated and transfat sugar high in simple carbohydrates, Due to this lead in excess calorie intake, it increases the risk of obesity. Childhood obesity is also has a link to fast food & soft drinks (The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reports that 32 percent of adolescent girls and 52 percent of adolescent boys in the United States drink 24 ounces of soda/per day)
Food manufactures
Food manufacturers play a significant role in exacerbating public health issues especially, Obesity (increasing health and nutrition claims on child-targeted supermarket products, despite over 85% of the items maintaining poor nutritional quality Elliott, 2019), there is no doubt now that Food manufacturers have an upper hand in market strategies and influencingpublic health policies towards their favor on a national and global scale. But the government needs to find a way how to dismantle them by pushing for national and global regulations or imposing a tax on fast food and educating patients about food retailers’ influence by asking them to make better food choices.
Not enough physical activity
Physical activity levels are declining not only in wealthy countries, such as the U.S. but also in low- and middle-income countries, Low physical activity means energy imbalance which causes obesity(In 1950, 30 percent of Americans worked in high-activity occupations; by 2000, that proportion had dropped to only 22 percent. Conversely, the percentage of people working in low-activity occupations rose from about 23 percent to 41 percent)
Technology
Technology has made us sedentary, It sure has its pros but it’s making us lazier every day by making us do almost any task at our fingertips, Technology doesn’t just keep people in their chairs and on sofas it also changes the way people eat
‘For every 10 percentage point increase in information communications technology investment as a share of gross capital formation, the obesity rate climbs 1.4 percentage points on average — or roughly 4.2 million people in a nation the size of the United States
How Can We Reduce Obesity in America?
Help People Lose Weigh
The federal government should take calls for taking a proactive stance in helping people lose weight by imposing a tax on fast food Losing weight might be a personal decision but it affects all of us.
Role of Parents
Parents must play a major role in preventing obesity in their children they should also control their technology use to fix nutritious, balanced meals; discourage consumption of fatty, sugary snack foods & soft drinks, Also pressure schools to improve lunch choices and eliminate snack machines
Healthy eating plan and regular physical activity
Healthy eating plans and regular physical activities should be regularized, especially school boards should require more physical activity for younger children in schools and require gym classes for all high school students. As individuals, we need to make a conscious effort to get more exercise (2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guidelines for Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults presents another opportunity to guide the care of patients with obesity. Their recommendations are: 1) identification of patients who need to lose weight, 2) counseling about the benefits of weight loss, 3) dietary therapy for weight loss, 4) lifestyle intervention and counseling, and 5) bariatric surgery).
