Deforstation

People have discussed the issue of obesity for many years, and how it is affecting our country. Magazine, journals, newspaper, Internet sites, and TV programs have addressed this issue several times. We often look at obesity as a really bad an dangerous state to be in, but even though we know and hear about this issue people seem like they are not doing anything to help improve it. We also see a lot of people that are worried about America's fate because it seems that everyone is getting fatter and fatter every year. It has been researched that obesity can cause diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and many more. We will be discussion three main factors dealing with obesity. First, we will discuss what is obesity, some statistics of obesity in America, and what obesity can cause in your body. Second, we will discuss what is causing obesity, and who people are blaming. Third, we will discuss some treatments for obesity both healthy and hazardous for your body.

A recent study showed that obesity in America has been rising for the last 30 years, and every year the number of obese people keeps rising at a greater percentage. For many years doctors have use BMI (Body Mass Index) to tell if someone is underweight, at a normal weight, overweight, or obese. BMI uses your weight and height to determine if you have any related weight problems. If someone would like to know their BMI they could go to a doctor, or they could also check it on line by typing on Google BMI calculator. If someone's BMI is 30 or greater they would be considered obese, and it would be best for them to consult a doctor. Even though BMI has been proven to be unreliable in some cases, doctors still use it to treat and prescribe their patients.

The issue of obesity has worried so many people now days because we are seeing that kids are also getting fatter to the point of obesity, and also increasing their risk as much as adults. This could mean that obesity will just continue to increase even further instead of decreasing every year. Statistics show that for every five children one of them is considered obese, and this also increases the chances of these kids getting diseases like diabetes. There are two types of diabetes, but the most commonly found in obese people is type two diabetes. Unhealthy weight in adults and kids can triple their chances of being diabetic. If diabetes is not treated correctly in a person it can develop to type one diabetes which is fully dependable on insulin. My uncle at Colombia has type one diabetes and for him it is extremely hard to control it because there are many types of food he is not able to eat. He also has to eat at certain times of the day and several times a day. This is just one example of what has been proven that obesity can cause.

There are many risk factors associated with obesity. Some of them are diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, fatty liver disease, chronic venous insufficiency, gallbladder disease, breathing problems, deep vein thrombosis, arthritis, and early death. Even with all this factors that have been scientifically linked to obesity, there are some doctors that argue that being overweight could actually be healthy. Some research by other doctors has shown that this statement of being overweight is healthy has its limitations. For example a study made my Katherine M. Flegal, a researcher, said that "mildly overweight adults had a lower risk of dying than those at so-called healthy weights." After researching this experiment other researchers found that the "healthy" group she used for this experiment had people that smoked, or lived an unhealthy lifestyle. We know that being overweight causes major problems in the body, but what really causes obesity? Researchers keep studying this issue, and they keep find new causes and treatments every time.

Many people for a really long time have accused fast food chains for making America obese. He hear it all the time on TV, or on the radio. Usually when we go to a fast food restaurant and we order some food we usually are confronted by the question "Do you want fries with that?" Many people when they hear this usually give in into their temptation, and accept the offer of ordering some fries. Fast food chains never really think about the well being of the costumer. They just want to find ways to advertise so they can induce the costumer to buy their food, and to promote their product. People have suggested the government to charge fat taxes. This tax says that any type of fatty foods will have an extra tax on it. People think that by taking this measure people will be less likely to keep buying fatty foods because they are more expensive.

Some school have already started working on the issue of obesity. They want to create a healthier, and more active environment in their school. They have banned all sodas machine or any fizzy drinks to be sold in cafeterias, and they have also banned junk food. Some school have even increased their physical education requirements. By creating a more active and healthier environment for the kids could lower the chances of becoming obese. Researcher have notices that "when consumers are offered lower calorie options and reduced portion meals, they opt them, and then replace the saved calories in appetizers or desserts" (Jeitschko, 443). We has seen a lot of fast food restaurants now selling healthier meals like salad and lower fat and calorie foods. Usually people that try to watch what they eat get these types of meals at fast food restaurants.

Nutritionist have noticed that before people used more energy than the do now, and the serving size of their meals has become bigger. This is a really big issue because we are consuming more calories, but we are not exercising enough to burn them off. Most people are blaming restaurants for making the serving size bigger. They say that because restaurants serve more food to the customer they get used to eating more. People now have less control than they did before, and they keep eating more and putting off their diets to another day. Many individuals including myself know that most of the time that the “diet day” almost never comes. We are also seeing that a lot of jobs now require you to spend a lot of time sitting down, and they give you just enough time to grab something quick to eat and go back to work. What most people now do for lunch is during work they order from a fast food place or go to a fast food restaurant. We are also seeing a lot of women now working because they have been given more opportunities to do so. The average American family has become more demanding and usually father and mother have to work to meet those needs. Usually mothers do not have enough time to make dinner, so they make something fast or get carry-out which most of the time is unhealthy.