Obesity in America
Question 4
As of 2019, the rates of obesity cases in America were at 39.8% for adults aged 20 years and above. Of these populations, 7.6% were severely obese, while the other 31.8% were overweight. Obesity rates among children are equally high, with 18.5% of children aged between 2 and 19 years suffering from obesity. The high rates of obesity in America are primarily attributed to the contemporary lifestyle Americans continue to adopt. This lifestyle is characterized by the consumption of unhealthy junk food like fast foods that are rich in calories. The intake of high sugary content as well leads to obesity. On the other hand, the lack of physical activity plays a significant role in causing overweight since individuals do not practice to keep their bodies fit. Additionally, the environment a person lives influences their ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For instance, a child surrounded by fast-food restaurants will have a hard time eating healthy foods.
The issue of obesity in America is crucial because of its direct impact on contributing to lifestyle diseases such as cancer. The change in diet continues to influence a person’s viability to suffer from conditions such as throat cancer that is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle of smoking. On the other hand, drinking potentially interferes with the brain’s functionality. Other diseases that are on the rise given the unhealthy lifestyle people continue to adopt include high blood pressure caused by complications in blood flow directly resulting from being overweight. Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to regulate its natural sugars, given the amounts of sugars and slats human beings consume in the junk food they eat. High fat intake could potentially lead to coronary heart diseases that are costly to treat and maintain. Most of these lifestylediseases have a life-long impact, requiring the victim to be under constant medical care.
Question 5
To combat the rise and spread of obesity, overweight, and dire medical implications, it is essential to consider several changes, including adopting healthy eating habits. Individuals must get into the habit of limiting the food portion they eat, and to avoid overeating. Overeating forces the body to store the extra food in terms of fat, which contributes to the increased fat count. In addition to controlling and limiting the portion of food individual eats, it is essential to confirm the composition of these meals. A balanced diet ensures that a person consumes the right amount of oils, fat, carbohydrates, and other types that regulate calorie intake. It is essential to control the number of calories an individual consumes to ensure that the body has the right amount to limit obesity.
On the other hand, it is essential to sensitize the community on healthy eating and the negative impact of unhealthy eating lifestyle. It is necessary to educate the society from a young age to grow up following a particularly healthy lifestyle. Therefore, this educationshould mainly focus on teaching children in elementary school the importance of incorporating fruits into their daily meals, the consumption of milk, and other whole foods. Children should also be educated on the importance of physical fitness in combating obesity and overweight. In addition to teaching the children about a healthy lifestyle in terms of physical fitness, the school should incorporatephysical fitness training as part of the class routine. While in class, the teacher should find ways to engage the students physically to ensure they sweat and work out a little bit.