The Problem of Obesity Among American Population
Introduction
Obesity is a multiplex disorder that involves an excessive amount of fats in the body. It is a medical issue that can increase the risk of other ailments like cancer, blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. In America, obesity has become a significant threat to the population. Using the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure the body height and weight, doctors and nutritionists have classified people into three categories of overweight, healthy weight, underweight, or obese. About two-thirds of adults in America are either overweight or obese (Ogden). Despite the mass campaigns against obesity in America, the figure has doubled in the last four decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease has become a national epidemic.
Using the data in the year 2011 and 2012, from the database of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC confirmed that over 40% of adults in America are obese. In fact, as of 2013, CDC reported that no single state in the United States had a prevalence of less than 20% of the obesity. Colorado, Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Utah, Montana, Vermont, and Washington DC were the states with the lowest rates of between 20 and 25%. West Virginia and Mississippi recorded the highest standard of 35% (Reyes-Guzman 146).
Obesity has brought a negative impact on society in general. For instance, at the workplace, obesity has increased absenteeism at the work place leading to overall decrease in production. The absenteeism cases that are related to obesity costs the country about 4.3 billion dollars every year lowering productivity which costs every employee with obesity around 506 dollars every year (Skinner). Increase in the BMI of an individual increases the chances of getting more sick leaves and the medical cost of the worker increase if he has obesity.
Generally, as at 2010, the direct and indirect health costs of obesity in the country is approximated to be in between 147 billion dollars and 210 billion dollars. Putting the figures into consideration to predict the future, let’s say in 2030, the cost could rise from 48 billion dollars to 66 billion dollars every year; meaning the loss in productivity could rise to between 390billion dollars and 580 billion dollars every year.
Conclusion
In public, obesity has become a major threat. In fact, it is more serious than opioid epidemic. Obesity is being responsible for around 18% of the deaths that is being encountered in America. Obesity is being compared to the effect of cigarette smoking which results to at least one death out of every 5 smokers in the country (Blumenthal & Seervai, 2018). Despite being less dramatic that Opioid epidemic, which resulted to two-thirds of 64000 deaths in 2013 due to drug overdose, obesity is still as deadly. From the discussion it is clear that obesity has brought a general loss to the society. The $147 that was put in place in 2008 to handle the preventions, diagnosis and treatment of obesity is a no joke. The money can have a great impact to change the general economy of the country. Remember the more cases of obesity leads to decrease in production.
Since obesity is being characterized with an increase in the intake of calories and general reduction in physical activity, many solutions that have been proposed puts emphasis on food and exercise. Since this remedy is put in place to fight at individual level, there should be a policy solution that should required fighting this dangerous epidemic.
Work Cited
Ogden, Cynthia L., et al. “Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011–2014.” (2015): 1-8.
Reyes-Guzman, Carolyn M., et al. “Overweight and obesity trends among active duty military personnel: a 13-year perspective.” American journal of preventive medicine 48.2 (2015): 145-153.
Skinner, Asheley Cockrell, et al. “Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US children, 1999–2016.” Pediatrics 141.3 (2018): e20173459.