Obesity in America (Essay Sample)

Obesity in America
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Obesity in America
Obesity refers to a complex disorder experienced when a person gains excessive weight in relation to his or her height. Studies show that many Americans are overweight and obese, which puts them at risk for many health problems. The increased cases of overweight and obesity in the community has made people develop complications including the coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers (NIH, 2012). The overall effects of increased diseases associated with overweight and obesity has led to the reduced contribution of people towards the economic development. The increased number of overweight and obese people has led to the increased community’s spending on health care services.
Adulthood overweight and obesity associates with serious physiological, psychological, and social consequences that affect the whole community in the end. Given the health and social consequences to the community, obesity ad overweight has led to serious economic consequences in the community. The annual medical cost has increased as the affected people in the community spend a lot of money in seeking health advice and medication from the health professionals. While people cannot change some factors that contribute to overweight and obesity such as the family history, they can change other contributing factors, including the lifestyle habits.
One of the contributing factors to the childhood and adulthood overweight and obesity is the environment (NIH, 2012). The environment lived in by the Americans does not support healthy lifestyle habits, rather, it contributes to the increased cases of obesity in the community. The increased congestion in the cities and urban areas leaves the people without neighborhood sidewalks and spacious places for recreation. The lack of expansive area and affordable gyms makes it difficult for the people to engage in active physical exercises, which could help them keep fit. Such factors make people stay for long without physical exercises.
The busy American economic environment engages people in busy work schedules. People have excuses of not having enough time for physical exercises because of long working hours and the time spent for commuting. The oversized food portions increases the number of people suffering from overweight and obesity. Americans have a tendency to consume fast foods in restaurants and even at home (NIH, 2012). Eating large portions of food without engaging in demanding tasks causes weight gain over time, which increases the exposure of the people to obesity. Americ...