Problem of obesity in America - Essay Example

Problem of obesity in America Many countries across the world are affected by the high increased rate of obesity and its adverse effects on the lives of people. In the United States, obesity rate is increasing day by day and the statistical data are shocking and alarming. It has been identified that in America almost 64.5% of American adults or more than 120 million people are overweight or obese. These increased rates of obesity are most likely to explode the diabetes and heart disease cases as well.

One should also be concerned about the other obesity related diseases. Studies have shown that obesity leads to type two diabetes, heart diseases and heat attacks, hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, and Dyslipidemia. It is therefore imperative that healthier lifestyles are inculcated among young children ever since their childhood. Therefore, it is high time that obesity rate in US is reduced through effective measures and policies, and for this, one needs to have a thorough understanding of the reasons for obesity in the state.

Genetics, changed life style of people, unhealthy eating habits, lack of required physical exercises, and food addiction are generally found to be the major causes for obesity. The consumption of high calorie snacks and fast food items can also lead to overweight and obesity. It is proved that most of the obesity cases are genetically inherited. Therefore, the children of obese parents are more likely to be obese compared to those of lean parents. But one cannot negate the other factors as there is a great increase of obesity rate among people who cannot blame their inheritance for being so.

The modern fast food culture, unhygienic food habits and people’s unwillingness or lack of time to take proper exercises to maintain their physical fitness have all immensely contributed to obesity in the United States. Any attempt to reduce the rate of obesity should be multi-focused, aimed at providing solutions for all the above-discussed underlying factors. As the first step, the obesity among children is to be controlled with better parental care, and children should be taught to develop proper and regular food habits.

Researchers have identified that many parents to fail to recognize the overweight problems of their children and there are many others who fail to inculcate healthier eating habits among their children. Proper diet, and if needed guidance and counseling are to be imparted to adult patients who turned obese due to food addiction or overeating. Efforts are to be made to reduce the consumption of high calorie snacks and fast food items, which will lead to overweight and obesity. Even children of obese parents can be brought to normal conditions of living with effective food control measures from the childhood itself.

One should keep in mind the fact that getting overweight is an easy process whereas reducing the acquired fatness is comparatively much hard; one cannot become slim overnight by taking a weight loss pill or medicine. Thus, the best way to address obesity in US is by undertaking preventive measures for obesity in the state that will take into account the eradication of all the factors leading to obesity.