Obesity has become an epidemic ever since 2001, according to the media and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health care organizations and officials alike were all publishing the same findings, America had a serious problem. “Results from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicates that an estimated 33% of U.S. adults age 20 and over are overweight, 35.7% are obese, and 6.3% are extremely obese” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)). Not only was this obesity epidemic a huge problem for adults, but the numbers for children was just as alarming. Adults and children aren’t the only thing getting bigger though. The American economy has been feeling it too. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D, states that the obesity crisis is estimated to cost Americans $117 – $242 billion in associated healthcare costs and claims nearly 300,000 lives every year. Heart disease, the leading killer in America, can also be attributed to obesity. In fact, 1 out of 8 deaths in America is said to be caused by an illness related to obesity (Carmona n.p.).
So, how do we define obesity? What do healthcare professionals use to gauge this? According to the CDC, “overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2). Essentially, for adults, the before mentioned ranges are determined by taking an individual’s current weight against his or her height. This calculation is then used to find an individual’s “body mass index” (BMI) or estimated amount of body fat. The BMI can be used as a starting point for finding weight related health problems and/or risks for certain diseases. However, BMI is not a general idea of a person’s health nor is it a diagnosis of true body fat. This obesity BMI calculation shows a potential physiological state of excessive fat tissue in an individual’s body, not a definitive indicator that a disease is prevalent. Although there is proof that extreme or severe obesity (severe is considered a BMI > 40) can attribute to substantial dysfunction (Kral, 1985), this discovery can’t be applied to all obese individuals. BMI calculations do not account for a lack of lean mass in the body and can therefore underestimate the amount of body fat.
What is causing this shift towards obesity in America? There are many theories on what the root cause of America’s obesity epidemic can be attributed too. Processed foods, artificial sweeteners, excessive sugar intake, genetics, portion sizes, or lack of exercise for various reasons are all on the list of potential causes. It’s likely no one would disagree most of these afore mentioned items are somehow contributing, one way or another, to the obesity problems Americans have today. This is especially true when you combine just a few of them together or, as a worst-case scenario, all of them. Foods that are high in fat, high in sugar and high in sodium are simply normal now, instead of the occasional treat or snack.
Sadly, American families today aren’t sitting at the diner table like they used to. They are relying on “ready-in-minutes” meals that can simply be through in the microwave. Over the past 30 years or so, low-cost and poor-quality foods are becoming abundantly available. The U.S. is more concerned about how a food tastes, rather than what health or nutritional benefits the food has. The CDC claims there is a link between increased consumption of added sugars (sweeteners that are added to processed and prepared foods) and a decrease in essential micronutrients ingestion as well as increases in body weight (Ervin and Ogden 1).
Not only are Americans less concerned about nutritional content but, also portion sizes. Portions have exploded everywhere. People hardly know what an adequate portion size is anymore. Fast food restaurants everywhere offer super-sized fries and drinks. Most of these fast food places will ask customers to upgrade their order to these larger sizes before finishing their order. In fact, portion sizes have increased an alarming 138% since the 1970s (Popkin n.p.).
Although Americans portion sizes are increasing, their activity levels are not following the same pattern. The Centers for Disease Control suggests that adults get at least roughly 2.5 hours of moderate exercise or about 1.1 hours of vigorous activity exercises however, most do not get this amount. Technology use may be the cause of this decreased activity level. Rather than participating in social sports activities, Americans are spending their time on social media.With this sedentary life still becoming the norm, we see less and less infrastructure being built to support outdoor activities. Why would a community spend a bunch of money on bike paths and neighborhood parks if no one will use them? So, with portion sizes increased and this decrease an activity level, due a technology driven, sedentary lifestyle, the problems are only exacerbating the obesity epidemic.
Okay, are things (obesity) in America really that bad? There is no denying that Americans are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. However, not only are physiological problems evident but, so are the growing health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control, overweight and obese people are at a greater risk for health problems (Centers for Disease Control). The types of health problems that are outline as being linked or contributed to obesity are Type II Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, and Insulin Resistance. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but certainly important ones.
Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and insulin resistance among Americans is growing at an alarming rate. Many experts believe that the poor diets and exercise habits of Americans is what eventually leads to the diagnosis of problems such as Insulin Resistance and then onto Diabetes. This is especially true for people with excess fat around their abdomen (Ervin and Ogden 1). The real truth in this that obesity leads to a decreased quality of life and can most certainly lead to an early death. It should be noted however, that none of these health problems have been directly linked to obesity.
Healthcare costs associated with these health problems are a good reason for the government to step in and try to help. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to improve Americans’ state of heath by offering different recommendations. Instead of the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, the USDA is making diet recommendations based off age groups (US Dept. of Agriculture). In 2010, the Obama administration, specifically Michelle Obama, initiated a measure called Let’s Move campaign. At the same time, My Plate was also launched. My Plate is the U.S. governments’ latest revision to the food pyramid that they dubbed The Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
After analyzing all these facts and conclusions, seeing the amount of media time given to the obesity problems, and the information available to Americans from the U.S. government, one would think that the obesity trend would being to decrease. Unfortunately, the advice that people are following is not the right advice. Over 68% of what people use for the nutritional advice comes from television, rather than doctors or dietitians (Ogden and Caroll n.p.). Fad diets, surgery, magic pills, and painful exercises plague people with empty promises and they fall for it. People don’t stick to the basics of fruit and vegetable intake. They are being mindful of of whole grain consumption or added sugar and processed food consumption. Most people will find all the information they need to eat health right on the USDA’s website MyPlate.gov.
Americans have witnessed this problem grow since the 1980s. There has been an influx of information, both true and false, coming from everywhere we turn. Americans need to understand what obesity is, how it’s caused, and what to do about it. People need to significantly reduce added sugar and processed foods. They need to eat the appropriate portion sizes suggest by true dietary specialists or doctors. However, with the abundance of sugars and processed foods and the overall culture of Americans’ lifestyles, bad decisions will continue to happen daily. Americans are certainly a society of instant gratification and banks on a quick solution to fix a problem overnight that took over 30 years to develop. It is certainly not going to go away with strenuous exercises and fad diets. Hopefully, as the awareness of obesity raises, more in-depth studies are completed and credible resources become increasingly available. Everyone needs to be informed and help to combat a serious and life-threatening problem that is 100% preventable.