Our home state of Arkansas is on the rise for obesity rates, ranking in the top 5 in the United States. Obesity is a disorder for an excessive amount of fat on an individual. This disorder affects about 93 million Americans. For adults twenty years or older, a body-mass index (BMI) indicates obesity or extreme obesity. This disorder is increasing throughout the world due to many factors including: genetics, fast-food, diet and eating habits, physical inactivity, and medications.
Though obesity makes life more complicated for those affected, it also poses and increases other health risks. One such example of this is an increased chance of type 2 diabetes. The body is unable to take in the excess glucose consumed, due to the lack of or defected insulin. This is often deemed adult-onset diabetes because it arises from obese people. There is no cure for type 2 diabetes, but it can be managed by exercising and adjusting your diet appropriately. Another health risk example due to obesity is the increase risk for cardiovascular disease, including myocardium infarctions, strokes, and coronary artery disease. These are caused by increased cholesterol in the arteries, backward blood flow, or decreased blood flow due to unhealthy eating in obese people. This can be fatal if not controlled early.
Obesity and the health issues related to it cause a massive increase on the economic impact in the United States. There are numerous medical costs associated with obese people, including doctor visits, treatments to adjust and control, and external factors such as gym memberships, mortality costs, and buying healthier food. On average, this costs Americans anywhere between $3.38 billion to $6.38 billion per year. Trends have shown a higher rate of obesity in the middle socioeconomic class. It also prevails mostly in African-Americans, whites, and Hispanic women. It also shows that those with a college education have a lower obesity rate compared to those who have obtained an education of a high school diploma or less.
Obesity can be helped by a healthy eating pattern and regular physical activity. A good diet to control this can be found on myplate.gov, which gives the appropriate amounts of calories, grains, dairy, meats, fats, fruits and vegetables that are needed per each person, adjusted accordingly to their height, weight, and gender. A good fixed amount will be beneficial in prevention of accumulation of excess calories that would be converted to fat storage, if not used by physical activity. It is recommended to do at least seventy-five minutes of intense cardio and a minimum of two days of weight training per week for adults, according to The Physical Activity and Guidelines for Americans.
Another way to promote physical activity across America is by walking trails being placed in cities to encourage walking. Cities are creating safer environments for people to access these walking and bike trails. Walking is also a proven way to relieve stress and stress is a common factor that is tied to obesity. Medications such as steroids and antidepressants are linked to increased weight gain as well. Genetics plays a role to being more susceptible to obesity. It is believed that obesity is due to multiple genes and environmental interactions. Though this cannot be changed to decrease obesity risks, it can be controlled by the parents and the child who obtain the genes.
Obesity is a serious health issue seen thorough the world, especially in the United States. Actions are being taken to help prevent, control, and reduce risks of obesity and the other physiological illnesses and diseases that are associated with obesity. Obesity is a large concern for the medical community, given that one in three adults are affected by it. Obesity makes for a more complicated lifestyle, financial costs, and exposure to more medical risks. Americans are helping to reduce the rate of obesity to make for a healthier lifestyle.
