Obesity

ABSTRACT

This paper goes into the crucial threat that the obesity epidemic has become and the severity on upcoming generation. It closely examines the causes of obesity and the serious threat it has on the American society today. The lifestyles of Americans will be closely looked at to display how obesity has become such a huge problem. The research will display how this problem is only going to get worse and the severity of obesity that it has on the people.

INTRODUCTION

Obesity in society today is a serious issue with many health issues and social consequences that don't look to be fixed anytime soon. Is it any wonder? Take a look around; obesity is a disease that is on the rise affecting more and more people each year. In the USA 58 million Americans are overweight, 40 million are obese and three million are morbidly obese. These numbers are insane as eight out of ten Americans over the age of twenty-five are overweight. In 2001 a survey conducted by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of obesity in America it was found that sixty-one percent of Americans are over weight. .Obesity has become a plague taking a toll on the American society in epidemic proportions.

DISCUSION

One major factor in Americans being fat is the fast food industry. With work, school, and other things of that nature, many Americans find that they have limited time to be able to sit down and have a meal. Americans more than ever are finding themselves going through drive through of fast foot restaurants. A study by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) showed that every day about a quarter of all Americans over age twenty ate fast food (Decisions News media 2006). This is only one factor of Americans being obese as it correlates directly with our lifestyles.

Furthermore, the lifestyle of many Americans today is in direct relation to obesity in America. Americans today don't get out; they spend most of their time indoors working and participating in other leisure activities. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co research, the average American watches at least four hour of television each day and each household has an average of 2.24 TVs. Also, approximately eighty-one percent of Americans eat junk food while driving (Television & Health 2001.) This displays how the lifestyles of every day Americans leave no time for exercise. This trend of living habits is very unhealthy so how can people expect to be healthy?

Children today are becoming obese from an early age more and more every single year. Children these days aren't going outside and having fun but instead plopping down in front of their televisions eating junk food after school. Obesity in children is on the rise as a survey from 1982 showed that there was four percent of kids were overweight compared to sixteen percent in 1994 (The Surgeon General's 2006.) But as you notice kids are eating unhealthier than ever before, snacking on junk food, eating fast food and not getting the exercise that is needed. The American society as a whole is going to have to change in order to make healthier generations to come. These factors are a problem that isn't going to solve itself but begin to drastically hurt society.

Life expectancy in America has a hit an all time high of 77.6 years. Each year the breakthroughs in science are absolutely amazing finding cures to diseases increasing our lives dramatically. But this trend is looking to take a turn for the worst. As we can