Comparison of Prevalence and Incidence Rates of Obesity - Term Paper Example

? Comparison of Prevalence and Incidence Rates of Obesity Introduction Comparisons and contrasts of health status have risen in significance as a way of gaining insight into social and economic determinants of health status of different demographics. In modern times, this has risen due to the way health insurance or income security is provided. This often varies across different communities and more exogenously across rather than in other countries. In recent years, surveys have been conducted within the different populations and in San Diego County there has been a growing concern regarding the rising number of people with obesity and overweight. This essay will compare and contrasts obesity and overweight of the blacks in San Diego against other communities in the country and against the national obesity situation in Canada. CDC (2012) defines body weight affected by a mixture of genes, culture among others; on the other hand, obesity is known as the condition of overweight in which a person has body weight which is more than is considered healthy for that individual’s height. Often the body mass index (BMI) is used to measure this condition however; most medical professionals do not need to use this method as mere observation of the patient can be used to evaluate the condition. According to Shields, Carroll and Ogden (2011), amongst children aged between six to ten years old, it is defined to be at or above the sex and age specific ninety seventh percentile of BMI. On the other hand in adults it is measured as a Body Mass Index of at least 30kg/m2. In the county of San Diego, the number of blacks who are obese is very high and as will be shown below, this community in the county has a high percentage of more then forty percent amongst the adults. Other recent reports have predicted that the number could even be higher amongst children. Adults that may be described as neither overweight nor obese according to the 2009 to 2010 survey of adults in the county amongst the blacks stood at a mere 23.2 percent. In the paragraph below, it is important to compare it against other ethnic and racial communities in the county (California Healthcare Foundation, 2010). In the county of San Diego, the four major ethnic and racial communities used in obesity survey are; blacks, whites, Hispanics and Mexican-Americans. In a survey conducted between 2009 and 2010, blacks had on average the highest number of adults with obesity. Hispanics and Mexican Americans were on average had the highest number of people who are overweight; therefore, the number of adults was determined as people who had the at least 20 years. The percentage number of white people in the county who are obese stood at 33.2 whilst a higher percent of 33.5 percent were overweight. The percentage number of blacks in the county who are obese in the county was the highest at 46.6 percent while only 28.3 percent of the black population in the county was overweight. The percentage number of Hispanics in the county, who are obese, was 38.4 percent and 39.3 percent for the overweight. In the county during a 2009 demographic research, the central region of the county had the highest percentage of obese adults at approximately 29.3 percent whereas the North Central region had a meager 14.2 percent, the lowest in the county amongst obese adults (Ogden et al., 2012). An analysis conducted in the year 2007 and 2009 in Canada to gauge the rate of obesity in the country revealed that the incidence in that country was 24.1 per cent. Unlike in the county of San Diego where there is significant number of blacks amongst the population, Canada actually has a higher number of South Asians. Over the same period, both reports have revealed some damning information; the prevalence rates of obesity in both regions have increased significantly. The two reports have further noted that the number of obese amongst blacks in San Diego and the population in Canada amongst adult men aged 60 to 74 are very high. In general, whist black population have a higher recorded number of obesity, the highest number of non-whites in Canada who are obese are comparatively lower (Shields et al., 2011). Why does body weight differ across ethnic communities in the county? CDC cites at least three reasons accounting for the varied results emanating from the survey of the different communities. First, the different communities in the county have dissimilar behaviours and this often results in weight gain. Secondly, the different communities in the county have varying attitudes and cultural customs. Finally, lack of physical activity may be a contributing factor to weight gain and hence the varying access to affordable and healthy foods might harmfully affect diet and exercise levels of an individual (Colley, 2011). A combination of these reasons or any of them singly may point out blacks in the county have on average higher prevalence than other communities. White members of the population both in Canada and the county of San Diego are known to commit to certain degrees of physical activity more than the non white population in both regions. Conclusion The high rates of obesity reflected across the different racial and ethnic communities not only in the county but also extrapolated in the general population points towards the significance of putting in place effective measures. Given the considerable ethnic and racial dissimilarities in the rates of obesity, it is important for the relevant policy makers to ensure these communities with the greatest need benefit the highest from such intervention measures. Secondly, such communities should be rigorously engaged in assisting in identifying efficient strategies within such communities. An effective public health response should be put in place to combat and reduce racial and ethnic variance in the rates of obesity both amongst children and adults. The response should all inclusive and must not be limited to surveillance, programs, and policies. The federal as well as local governments should collaborate with the communities, workplaces, schools, families and even individuals to achieve that end. References California Healthcare Foundation (2010) California Health Interview Survey. Retrieved from www.chcf.org/resources/download.aspx?id=%7BE490FD5C-54E0 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Adult Obesity Facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Colley, R.C (2011). Physical activity of Canadian adults: Accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (January 01, 2012). Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009-2010. Nchs Data Brief, 82, 1-8. Shields, M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.). (2011). Adult obesity prevalence in Canada and the United States. Hyattsville, Md: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Read More