Cause of the Increase in Obesity in the United States

A well-known saying around the world is that the United States has such high living standards that even the poor are obese. However, this is not the case; the high rates of obesity reflect the country’s decline and highlight the fact that the standard of living in the United States is deteriorating for a large portion of the population. Paradoxically, the nation’s society inundates people with weight-loss plans and viscous fetish diets without doing much to campaign for obesity. Obesity, too, is associated with illnesses such as arthritis, kidney failure, diabetes, and other chronic ailments. However, it does not mean that one cannot live in the United States, or that the citizens fighting with weight issues should just surrender and develop negatives attitudes. Accordingly, one’s environment encourages this disease, and there is a lot about the contemporary American lifestyle that is instrumental in weight-gain. Therefore, the paper discusses the causes of the escalating obesity pandemic I the United States.

Background of the Problem

Since mid 20th century, obesity prevalence has escalated substantially. Accordingly, even though the rate of obesity seems to have surged about 1980 in the United States (Flegal 238), there is evidence that it has been on the rise for more than a century (Helmchen et al. 179). Apparently, the increase of the condition in the United States has affected every socioeconomic group, sex, race, and every age group. Nevertheless, according to (Flegal 240), latest studies have indicated that obesity prevalence could have started to asymptote in some areas of the US, but there is also no indication of a decline in the disease prevalence in other regions.

Therefore, obesity is a growing issue in the States. Most people do not consider it has become a serious health hazard that is easily preventable, but it appears people are not trying. Accordingly, plenty of food joints and new technology has made promoting the expansion of people’s waists. For that reason, most people insist that they cannot control how heavy they can become and give excuses such as not having time to exercise. Therefore, individuals should start taking action in their lives that may enable them to avoid obesity. Nowadays, it appears Americans are more concerned about their weight than previous years. One is likely to think that the United States will probably be in good shape when it comes to fitness due to the availability of health clubs, diet pills, and fitness craze, but it is all on the contrary. However, the more the unhealthy meals in the fast food joints and the more the contemporary technology offers shortcuts, the more the people will witness an increase in obese cases. Whereas obesity is a critical health issue in the US today, junk foods continue to gain popularity among the US citizens. As the United States is concerned and worried about obesity, the condition is turning into a critical issue. Essentially, it can turn into a life-threatening situation at any moment. Therefore, to stop the prevalence of obesity in the country, it is necessary to educate the citizens about the same causes of obesity so they may know how to prevent and avoid the life-threatening condition.

Cause of Obesity

Poor Food Choices. Although one may know what a balanced diet entails, it may prove difficult to achieve once they may anticipate. Thus the overly convenience foods contain hidden saturated fats, sodium, and significant levels of fructose corn syrup. Most busy households elect fast food that is high in sodium and fat such as some salads and grilled chicken. Most people believe organic fresh foods are costly and time-consuming; it requires a lot of patience, a virtue that most adults never learned while they were growing up. Similarly, fast food and restaurants serve large portions. For instance, one should cook and serve one-half cup of the pasta, but restaurants serve more than three times more than the proper portion.

Currently, the primary issue with the Americans is an overreaction. Accordingly, it could be among the fundamental causes of the inflating rates obesity in the United States. As reported by Amersbach (416), a glycemic index (GI) shows the digestion and absorption levels of carbohydrates, which may prompt overreaction. For example, foods with relatively less GI include vegetables and fruits; those with a moderate GL include oatmeal and milk; and those with high GI include, which most Americans prefer include donuts, muffins and much more. Therefore, if one consumes breakfast that has a low GI, they eat less throughout the day because they feel full. If the take breakfast high in GI, they will eat more often in the day, as they will feel hungry more often. Consequently, if an individual feels hungry after about two hours, it is an indication that they have eaten a wrong food.

Genetics. Evidently, genetics plays a significant role in the manner an individual’s body accumulates and stores body. Genes do not independently mean one will be obese or not, but they may prompt a disease or condition related to obesity such as Bardet-Beidl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome. Other behavioural traits such as eating habits and activity levels may contribute to one’s weight as seen above in the paper as well. Family eating habits and lifestyles may significantly influence obesity. Extended and immediate families may entail deep traditions of food celebration, which may involve consumption of traditional foods that are high in simple carbohydrates and calories.

The disease emanates from an interaction of a variety of environmental and hereditary factors. The blended progress in bioinformatics, quantitative genetics, and genomics leads to a clear comprehension of molecular grounds of obesity and genetics. The classification of family scenarios, the compatibility of the weight of the body for monozygotic twins, and the revelation of the genetic connection to obesity are all justifications of the genetic features of obesity. However, if one comes from a family with obesity genes, it is not necessarily that he or she will be obese as well. Although such people have high chances of being obese, it is not a guarantee they will be obese as well. Consequently, it is imperative that if an individual’s family has the genes for obesity, they should exercise as often as possible. Nonetheless, any person who does not work out and remains inactive all the time, or consumes fatty foods, is just as vulnerable to obesity as anyone with such genes susceptible to the disease.

Conclusion

Obesity has become a worrying problem in the world. In the United States, the issue of the obesity is increasingly becoming a significant concern in the health sector. With most people preferring to buy fast food from restaurants rather than cook organic foods, the increase in the obesity cases is rampant. The paper has established that obesity has a direct correlation with food. The modern meals, especially the ones from restaurants and fast-food stores contain high levels of sodium and fats. Such elements are dangerous to the human body as some of them take long for digestion and others are not digestible. A consistent consumption of such foods may lead to extra fats and sugars in the body, which turns to be toxic to an individual’s health. Ultimately, people who eat unhealthy food may suffer from conditions such as diabetes, heart issues, and other related conditions. Fortunately, it is easy to avoid such diseases, and the best way of prevention is eating healthy foods and frequently exercises to reduce the level of fats in the body and speed up the metabolic process as well. The paper managed to show that regardless of the genes, people are susceptible to obesity due to the contemporary American lifestyle and the kind of foods they eat. The only remedy is for one to monitor the diet and do regular exercises.

Works Cited

Flegal, Katherine M., Margaret D. Carroll, Cynthia L. Ogden, Clifford L. Johnson. “Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999- 2008.” Jama, vol. 303, no.3, 2010. Pp. 235-241.

Helmchen, Lorens A., and R. Max Henderson. “Changes in the distribution of body mass index of white US men, 1890–2000.” Annals of human biology, vol. 31, no. 2, 2004, pp. 174 -81.

Amersbach, Joseph C., and Ben Kanee. “Localized Myxedema in Association with Hyperthyroidism.” Archives of Dermatology and Syphilology, vol. 49, no.6, 1944, pp.415-417.