Although some people haven’t noticed how many pounds Americans have been putting on in the past few years, obesity is becoming a growing problem in this country. “According to the American Heart Association, as of 2004, among U.S citizens age 20 years and older...64 million are considered obese” (Lee and Brenda Lerner 3066). Obesity is considered a medical condition as it can cause serious problems for someone’s health. Environmental factors have a significant impact on the likelihood that someone may become obese, but treatments and awareness of this condition could help stall or even reverse the rising obesity rates in the United States. Obesity occurs when a person takes in more calories than they burn a day. The body converts calories into energy and when that energy is not used, it is stored in fat cells until it needs to be used. The bigger the fat cells become from energy stored, the more weight someone will gain. To avoid too much fat being stored, one must burn more calories through physical exercise than the calories they eat. One way someone can detect obesity is through BMI, also called Body Mass Index, which helps determine the amount of body fat someone has. Someone with a BMI of 18-25 is considered to have the ideal amount of body fat. Someone with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese (Fredericks 13). Obesity can be caused by many factors, including the environment one is in.
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Overeating is a concern when it comes to risk of obesity. Restaurants and household meals (including convenient tv dinners) have progressed into giant portion sizes not appropriate for one person. According to Carrie Fredericks, “While the U.S. government recommends a diet with an average of 2,000 calories a day, the average american eats about 2,700 calories a day” (23). After World War 퍪, people’s lives became more sedentary yet faced paced. Americans were looking for a more convenient and quick way to have meals. Fast food became more prominent in a family’s daily meal. With an unusually high caloric content, low nutritional value and big portions, people would need more exercise than normal to be able to burn off extra calories from these kinds of food (Fredericks 23-24). These problems, combined with the lack of exercise among the population - mostly due to long periods of video games, television and sedentary jobs becoming more prevalent - the risk for weight gain could become inevitable (Harvard Men’s Health Watch 6). Obesity can cause some serious health problems. Some conditions that can be a result of obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, fertility complications and even stroke. Sleep Apnea can also be caused by obesity. Sleep Apnea is a condition where someone stops breathing for a small amount of time possibly reducing oxygen to the brain. Excess weight can cause the airways to collapse and become blocked, most of the time making that person wake up to breathe. This problem results in reduced time in deep sleep and can affect someone’s alertness and motivation during the day (Lee and Brenda Lerner 3070). When an obese individual loses weight, most of these conditions could improve or go away all together which can become a big motivator for people struggling with health problems from obesity. Luckily, there are treatments available to
Overeating is a concern when it comes to risk of obesity. Restaurants and household meals (including convenient tv dinners) have progressed into giant portion sizes not appropriate for one person. According to Carrie Fredericks, “While the U.S. government recommends a diet with an average of 2,000 calories a day, the average american eats about 2,700 calories a day” (23). After World War 퍪, people’s lives became more sedentary yet faced paced. Americans were looking for a more convenient and quick way to have meals. Fast food became more prominent in a family’s daily meal. With an unusually high caloric content, low nutritional value and big portions, people would need more exercise than normal to be able to burn off extra calories from these kinds of food (Fredericks 23-24). These problems, combined with the lack of exercise among the population - mostly due to long periods of video games, television and sedentary jobs becoming more prevalent - the risk for weight gain could become inevitable (Harvard Men’s Health Watch 6). Obesity can cause some serious health problems. Some conditions that can be a result of obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, fertility complications and even stroke. Sleep Apnea can also be caused by obesity. Sleep Apnea is a condition where someone stops breathing for a small amount of time possibly reducing oxygen to the brain. Excess weight can cause the airways to collapse and become blocked, most of the time making that person wake up to breathe. This problem results in reduced time in deep sleep and can affect someone’s alertness and motivation during the day (Lee and Brenda Lerner 3070). When an obese individual loses weight, most of these conditions could improve or go away all together which can become a big motivator for people struggling with health problems from obesity. Luckily, there are treatments available to