Agwu Justina
Walton HS
Obesity a Problem of Our Time
Obesity is a major health problem in the
The rate at which, this undue increase in
weight among people of various age categories in the
Statistics show that obesity has risen to an
epidemic level during the past 20 years.
According to the recent research in this field, the prevalence of
obesity is on the increase. Obese individuals are more likely to have high
total blood cholesterol levels and low levels of HDL (high-density
lipoproteins, or the "good" cholesterol). High blood cholesterol is a
major risk factor for heart disease.
Also obese individuals are more likely to
suffer from gallbladder disease, arthritis, and lower-back problems.
Who is at Risk?
Every age group is susceptible to this
disease such as, adults, children and teenagers especially. Classifications used to determine obesity
vary. As a result, considerable disagreement exists about the prevalence.
According to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES
III), one in three Americans, or 65.7 million adults, exceed the healthy weight
range defined by the
Women tend to be more overweight than men
(35.6 and 30 million, respectively), with minorities being disproportionately
affected. Almost half of African-American and Hispanic women are considered
overweight. According to the Framingham Heart Study, 80 percent of men and 70
percent of women over 40 years of age are above their desirable weight. One in
three people weigh more than their desirable body weight, and over 50 percent
are overweight.
How does it come about?
There are a number of factors
that can contribute to this health hazard.
The causes that make people overweight and obese can be behavioral, environmental,
and genetic. While genes do play an important role in determining how people
ingest and metabolize calories, environmental factors may determine the extent
to which genetics exerts its influence on weight maintenance. Two of the most
worrisome environmental or lifestyle trends contributing to the ever-expanding
waistband of
The rate at which people
consume fast foods or super-sized meals has not helped
the situation instead obesity has grown geometrically, especially among our
teenagers who patronize the fast food business more. Some of their menus contain a lot of refined
carbohydrates like sugar- coated cereals, and sugar sweetened soft drinks. These foods are empty in calories, and can also
cause tooth decay.
How do
you determine a person's desirable weight?
Overweight and obese as defined by the
American Heart Association, adopted the body mass index (BMI) as an indicator
to measure excess body fat. BMI is defined as weight in kilograms divided by
height in meters squared. A BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, and
a BMI over 30 is considered obese. For a 5'5" woman, a BMI of 25 is equal
to 150 pounds, and a BMI of 30 is equal to 180 pounds. The estimate of
excessive body fat, however, is not an exact science –due to the fact that
most women, who have a BMI near 30 may not be a threat
to cardiovascular health, especially when the extra body fat is carried in the
pelvis instead of the abdomen.
Task:
As a public policy analyst you
are to find out ways in which this disease can be managed and controlled using
the six steps of the public policy:
Resource:
http://www.sirc.org/media/archives
http://www.sistahspace.com/obesity.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/99271p-89799c.html-
Grading Policy:
By Rubrics
Standards:
Student produces evidence that shows
understanding of:
S2a:
Regulation and biochemistry.
S2b:
Molecular basis of heredity such as genes.