Obesity: The Epidemic

Obesity is becoming a worldwide epidemic. Approximately 30 percent of adults in the United States are obese. Obesity can cause or lead to many health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, osteoarthritis, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and many other health related issues. Furthermore, it can lead to some psychological effects such as anger, anxiety, and depression. Obesity accounts for almost 7 percent of all health care costs. These adverse effects, as well as the expense to care for them, make reducing obesity in society an important task. Additionally, some diseases may cause an individual to become obese. There are many answers to what causes obesity and studies are currently underway to try to prevent obesity in future generations. This paper will answer some questions about how to prevent obesity and will determine some factors that contribute to obesity.

Many people try to lose weight and are unsuccessful. This is because these individuals do not set realistic goals and try to use unsafe drugs in order to lose weight. In a study in Taiwan, 1060 obese individuals were examined. Of these subjects, over 50 percent had used a weight-loss supplement. More than 66.7 percent of the people stated that they wanted to lose at least 20 percent of their initial body weight. Females were more likely than males to have unrealistic weight-loss goals. In addition, only 26.7 percent of females and 34.7 percent of males were regularly active (Weight Loss Behavior in Obese Patients 40). This high number of people using unsafe drugs and the low number of people who do not exercise regularly, show that many individuals are uneducated when it comes to weight loss.

When someone is obese, many individuals think that they lack exercise. Is this assumption correct? In a study of children in Switzerland, with ages ranging from first to fifth grade, 438 children were examined. Of these children, 288 participated in sports at least once a week and 150 children did not participate in sports. Body height was measured to the nearest 0.2 cm and body mass was measured to the nearest 50 g. Body mass was calculated and skin-fold thickness was measured to the nearest 0.1 cm with calipers.

Motor fitness was also tested using different tests that included jumping sideward, pushing a 1 kg ball, throwing a ball at a target, a 20 meter sprint, a 20 meter shuttle run, sit-ups, and bent-arm-hanging. Children were separated by gender and grade and given a number that indicated their level of motor fitness. A high number indicated good motor fitness and a low number indicated poor motor fitness. Parents answered questionnaires about their own weight, height, origin, and participation in sports (Association of Sports Club Participation 345).