Obesity in United States of America: Causes, Effects and Prevention

(SURNAME) 1
Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
Obesity in United States of America
INTRODUCTION
In the recent decades, case of obesity have been on the rise in the United States of
America. The end result has not been conducive as cases such as coronary heart diseases have
been on the rise leading to mortality. Despite other developed countries experiencing a similar
surge, the rates in the United States of America remains to be the highest in the world. Statistics
indicate that two out of three American men are obese. The cases in women on the other hand
are even higher. It is further estimated that an average of $1429 is spent annually on medical
expenses by an obese individual in the United States of America (Rosenthal et al.1648). This
translates to approximately $147 billion spent on medical expenses in the USA within a year.
Within the OECD, Obesity is the highest in the United States of America (Asieba 1). In 1962, the
rates were at 23% and the rates have increased steadily to 39.4% in 1997, 44.5% in 2004, 56.6%
in 2007 and 63.8% in in 2008 (Dawes 28). The CDC in 2010, reported 65.7% of the American
Adults as being obese. The OECD in 2013, reported 57.6% of the American population as being
obese. The same organization further predicts that by the year 2020, three quarter of the United
States of America population will be obese.
According to recent figures from the CDC in 2014, 36.5% of the US adults who are 20
years and older and 17% of children, as well as adolescents whose ages range between 2-19
years, were also obese (Stearns 1039). Another study carried out by the National Centre for

(SURNAME) 2
Health Statistics at CDC indicate that during the 2015-2016 year, 39.6% of adults in the USA
who were 20 years old and above were obese. When the statistics were further broken down,
37.9% were men while 41.1% were women.
Obesity in the United States of America has been attributed to the cause of 100,000-
400,000 deaths annually. This has further increased the federal government expenditure to
approximately $117 billion in the treatment of the condition.
Obesity and Children in America.
Currently, one out of three American kids is believed to be overweight or obese. From
1971 to 2011, the rates of obesity have tripled. With this worrying trend, obesity has been the
number one health concern among parents in the USA toppling substance abuse and smoking
("Parent- and Family-Level Factors Associated with Childhood Obesity 162). Obesity is causing
diverse health conditions that previously couldn’t be seen in children up to adulthood. The health
conditions include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and higher levels of blood cholesterol.
Besides, there are psychological effects such as low self-esteem, negative body image as well as
depression (Dawes 517). Obesity in children is associated with earlier obesity-related diseases as
well as death in adulthood. One of the genuine reason as to why obesity is on the rise according
to Surgeon General Richard Carmona is unhealthy eating habits and increased inactivity.
Causes of obesity
There are ten leading causes of obesity in the United States of America. One such cause
is genetics. In case one family member had the condition, it may be passed over to other family
members. Other causes include engineered junk foods, food addiction, and aggressive marketing.
Another cause is insulin resistance in the body ("Targeting Reduction in Consumption of Added

(SURNAME) 3
Sugars for Addressing Childhood Obesity," 412). This is because insulin is a hormone that
dictates the body to store or breakdown excess fats in the body. If the body fails to respond to
insulin, then obesity is likely to develop. Certain medications such as antipsychotics are also
leading causes of obesity in America as well as Leptin resistance. Increased sugar intake can also
lead to obesity as well inactivity.
How to prevent obesity in the United States of America
Recently, obesity has developed into a chronic condition which is affecting both children,
adolescents, and adults in the United States of America. The rates of obesity have since 1980,
doubled in children while in adolescents, the rate has tripled (Parra et al. 41). Statistics indicate
that 15% of the children whose ages range from six to nineteen years are considered as
overweight (Himpens 528). It is further estimated that over 60% of the adult population in the
United States of America is overweight or rather obese. Earlier onset of Type two diabetes which
is a common occurrence in adults is of late being seen earlier in children by healthcare
professionals (Alston & Okrent 9). Furthermore, cardiovascular diseases, as well as obesity
related depression, are being exhibited in children. The duration of obesity in an individual is
directly proportional to the obesity-related risk factors. Since obesity is associated with other
chronic diseases and the fact that it is tedious to treat, prevention of the condition is crucial.
Reducing obesity through exercise
For one to effectively lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, regular physical activity
is necessary. Increased physical activity elevates the number of calories that are burnt off the
body as well as reducing the number of calories that one eats. This state of calorie deficit results
in what is known as weight loss. Besides, physical activity also assists in reducing diabetes,