Obesity And Its Effects On The Health Of Americans And...

Obesity is a very serious threat to the health of Americans and people all across the world. A plethora of studies have been done to confirm the adverse effects of obesity on an individual s health. Obesity rates have been skyrocketing in the past 30 years. The year 2000 marked the first time in human history that the percentage of obesity in the human population rose over 50% (Obesity: A Cultural and Biocultural Perspective). Obesity, as well as childhood obesity, is more prevalent than ever. There has been little done by the American people and the U.S. government to reverse this trend. My research has shown that the problem of obesity is a much larger problem than most people believe it to be. Many Americans underestimate the†¦show more content†¦Medical professionals define obesity by an individual s body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by taking an individual’s weight and dividing it by their height squared. For adults, a healthy BMI is considered 18.5-24.9 percent. A BMI of 25 to 29 percent is considered â€Å"overweight† which is different than obesity. An individual whose BMI is 30 percent or over is considered to be obese. The rates of obesity in America are among the highest in the world. In 2012 it was reported by the Center for Disease Control that 35.1 percent of adults living in the U.S. are obese (BMI of 30 or over). However, overweight and obese americans account for an astonishing 69 percent of the U.S. population. It is projected that by 2030 over half of all adults (115 million adults) in the U.S. will be obese. With obesity rates higher than ever, it begs the question as to what caused it? There are many reasons obesity is so prevalent. The official Mayo Clinic website lists only two causes: unhealthy diet or eating habits, and inactivity. However, although these are the only two causes they list, the actual causation of obesity goes deeper than that.There are many other risk factors that come into play and put someone at risk for being obese. This includes but is not limited to: genetics, family lifestyle, inactivity, unhealthy diet, medical problems, medications, social and economical issues, age, pregnancy, quitting smoking, and