Obesity as a Health Concern

This paper analyzes the obesity crisis in Delaware State and the community from the perspective of data collected by Healthy People 2020. It discusses the prevalence of obesity, the efforts made by the health department of Delaware, weaknesses and strengths of the American society, and interventions like modifications of the built environment and the use of weight loss medications.

Running head: OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 1
Obesity as a Health Concern
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Date of Submission

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 2
Obesity as a Health Concern
According to data collected by Healthy People 2020, more than one individual in a group
of three Americans has obesity ("Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity | Healthy People
2020", 2019). As such, obesity is a serious health concern that should be addressed. The health
and wellbeing of an individual are directly related to their weights, good nutrition, and their
physical activity. Maintenance of a proper weight effectively reduces the risks of an individual
developing chronic health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer. Further,
the process of maintaining a healthy weight that includes increased physical activity and healthy
diets will help in managing health conditions. This paper will be analyzed from the perspective
and situation of Delaware State and the community in relation to the obesity crisis.
Collected Data and Evidence of Obesity
The goal of promoting healthy eating habits, physical activity and maintenance of a
healthy weight to prevent obesity is to ensure that all American citizens eat a healthy diet,
engage in regular physical activity and maintain a healthy body weight as a way of improving
their health ("Nutrition and Weight Status | Healthy People 2020", 2019). Individuals suffering
from obesity have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. Statistics reveal that the rate of
obesity in America for the period of 2005-2008 was at 33.9% among adults more than 20 years
of age. Unfortunately, the rate of obesity among adults who are 20 years and above has risen to
38.6% from 2013 to 2016. The high rate of obesity among the people is very low relative to the
target baseline set at 30.5% ("Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity | Healthy People 2020",
2019) It is an indication of poorly working interventions. This increase cannot be

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 3
underestimated, due to the increased risk of people developing chronic diseases associated with
obesity.
In response to the high statistics, the health department of Delaware rolled out a
comprehensive obesity prevention plan in 2010. The division of public health within the health
department formed the Delaware Coalition for Healthy Eating and Active Living (DE HEAL) in
2009. The Delaware coalition was tasked to provide statewide leadership and the implementation
of both physical and nutritional programs to reduce the prevalence of obesity. Similarly, the
Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention Program (PANO) from the division of
public health effectively reinforce the efforts of DE HEAL ("Partnering to Reduce Obesity in
Delaware | Healthy People 2020", 2019). PANO accords various technical services to facilitate
the success of obesity prevention initiatives in Delaware State.
The team at PANO entails a multi-professional fabric encompassing healthcare and
transport and hence allows for the implementation of an inclusive approach. The PANO program
applies the social-ecological model to support healthy eating habits. The approach allows the
program to influence the community using multiple approaches that include the environments
and organizational structures to adopt healthy eating and physical activity habits (Welker, Lott &
Story, 2016). The sectors that are involved in such type of advocacy include education,
transportation, healthcare, and governments.
Weaknesses and Strengths
It should be noted that the eating habits of people in Delaware are similar to the overall
eating patterns in the United States ("Partnering to Reduce Obesity in Delaware | Healthy People

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 4
2020", 2019). Three-quarters of the American population stick to an eating pattern characterized
by low vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Majority of the Americans also exceed the healthy
limits of sugar, saturated fats, and sodium mineral. Further, the Americans are associated with a
calorie intake that can also be associated with their high body weights. These negative eating
habits form the major weaknesses of American society and the inhabitants of Delaware.
Notably, there have been considerable changes in food consumption patterns in the
United States. Most Americans have currently aware of the health impacts of wrong diets and
lack of physical exercise. Despite the widespread awakening and awareness created by various
programs, it is fascinating that the obesity rates in the United States have only increased
significantly ("| Healthy People 2020", 2019). These include the consumption of dietary and low-
calorie sugars that have declined despite the initial acceptance by the public. The major
weakness of the American people is that they generally pay attention to healthy eating as a result
of the numerous campaigns. Unfortunately, few of the Americans take the necessary actions to
embrace what they are taught and learn. The perception of the Americans towards healthy eating
and sacrifice is incredibly positive; the sacrifice and dedication towards the realization of the
healthy goals become a major challenge. Hence, the policies aimed towards healthy eating habits
and obesity prevention are not effectively translated into action by the Americans.
A major strength of the American people lies in the fact that the majority of the
Americans appreciate the importance of healthy eating and obesity prevention. There is a
widespread belief in America that making healthy choices about food and the right exercise is
critical towards obesity prevention and ultimately long lives and wellbeing. In this context,
wellbeing is interpreted to mean the absence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 5
and stroke (Stokes et al., 2018). The American society and public health department have made
considerable efforts to ensure Americans eat healthily and engage in physical activities that
would help reduce prevent and reduce the prevalence of obesity. The numerous programs and the
reciprocal appreciation by the Americans indicate the desire by government to empower people
towards healthy eating habits and obesity prevention (Greenberg, 2013). Further, the willingness
by the American people and the government to get involved in production and food-related
research activities like genetically modified foods indicates their enthusiasm to eat healthily and
prevent obesity.
Built Environment
Given the laxity of the Americans to put policies into action, there is a need to reinforce
the health promotions with better strategies to motivate people to adopt healthy lives. One of the
improvements can be making changes to the built environment (Stokes et al., 2018). One of the
measures to be implemented regarding environmental modifications is to enhance the
transportation system. More aspects like pedestrian and cycling paths can be incorporated into
the road system.
Similarly, there should be enhanced land use designs to attract people to engage in
physical activity (Graff & Mitchell, 2015). For instance, states can increase the proximity of
residential areas to public parks to attract people to engage in exercise. Further, all residential
places should have in place adequate structures to enable residents to engage in physical activity.
These built environment interventions aimed towards the prevention of obesity have an objective
to make physical exercise and walking more accessible to the population than before (Economos

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 6
& Hammond, 2017). The attraction to regular exercise will help many Americans to manage
their weights, and reduce their risks of developing chronic diseases.
Weight Loss Medications
Weight loss medications can help many Americans to manage their weights. The FDA
approved drugs for weight loss include Qsmia, Contrave, Saxenda, and Belviq. According to the
statistics above, it is clear that most Americans find it difficult to sacrifice and engage in physical
exercises as well as stick to a specified dietary guideline. For instance, dietary guideline could be
affected by social ties that often dictate how many Americans consume their food. As such, the
administration of medications to selected individuals’ suffering from obesity and overweight can
be a good solution. Use of medication for weight reduction will effectively reduce the gap that
exists between the understanding of the anti-obesity programs and the implementation for the
achievement of desirable outcomes (Jin, 2015).
The medications may work in different ways to achieve efficacy on obese and overweight
individuals. For instance, they may make one feel less hungry, induce the feeling of fullness soon
after they start eating and could also act through a mechanism of regulating the metabolism of fat
in the body (Jin, 2015). The regulation of fat metabolism ensures the body does not absorb the
consumed fat in food substances effectively. The prescription of these drugs depends on the
diagnosis of the doctor that may include the family history of the patient, their relative costs and
the ability of the patient to purchase as well as the current medical conditions (Yanovski &
Yanovski, 2014). However, it is important to note that medications cannot be given to everyone.
The evaluation criteria should only be used for adults only who may have failed to reduce weight
through other obesity prevention programs. It is also worth noting that the efficacy of weight loss

OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONCERN 7
medications is enhanced when they are combined with other obesity prevention programs. These
include healthy eating habits and increased physical activity. The medications only act to
reinforce the effects of the other programs (Eldoom, 2018) positively.
As indicated above, it should be noted that the rates of obesity among adults in the United
States is alarming. The case of Delaware State is just an example of the widespread cases of
obesity and overweight that places the lives of many Americans at risk of contracting chronic
health diseases. Delaware has instituted various programs to guarantee obesity prevention like
PANO and DE HEAL. Despite the implementation of such programs against obesity, the
prevalence of obesity among adults has only increased. This is also informed by the Americans
eating culture and patterns. Research also noted that most Americans understand and have the
desire to manage their weights and reduce the risk of developing chronic health diseases.
Ironically, most of the Americans have a weakness to implement obesity prevention programs
and policies to reach their weight goals. As such, there is a need to implement interventions like
the use of weight loss medications and modifications of the built environment to reinforce other
obesity programs.

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