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The Obesity Epidemic and Possible Solutions

Wilson Badillo III
Montgomery College

Since the beginning of time human diets have played a huge role in their overall health
and well-being. Peoples diets have determined the kind of lifestyle they would live and the
overall quality of their lives. In Americas modern day the biggest problem they are having
related to their diet is the spread of obesity. Obesity in America is rapidly spreading. In the article
Active and Healthy Schools by Ball, Kovarack, & Heather (2015) According to the most
recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, almost one third of American
young people are overweight or obese (p.225). Dieting, exercising and educating someone on
the topic are the three major keys to successful weight management. Many people do not take
action until they are diagnosed with obesity, making taking control of their weight very difficult
to bounce back. That is exactly why obesity is becoming an epidemic. Instead of someone
waiting until they are morbidly obese action should be taken once they are overweight which
would make combatting obesity much easier.
One of the major causes of obesity is diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in maintaining a
healthy lifestyle and managing someones weight properly. Having people know where they
stand weight wise is most important. Once someone finds out they are anything overweight they
should begin to diet and return to a healthy weight. No drastic or extreme changes are necessary
but only simple dieting and control of their diets. Instead of eating high calorie cereals in the
morning, which does not help with overall satiety, eat some fruit and oatmeal. The difference
between the two breakfasts are huge; not only will making that change to someones diet save
someone some calories and sugar in the morning but they will also feel fuller. Little changes to
someones diet can make a big difference and if they start once they notice they are becoming
overweight dieting would not take long to return them to a healthy weight. The biggest factor
when it comes to dieting is calories. If someone want to lose weight at a healthy rate they need to

watch their calorie intake. People have caloric maintenance which is the amount of calories they
burn on a daily basis. When someone is dieting they want to be in a minor calorie deficit. This
calorie deficit will inhibit their body to find an alternate source of energy resulting in fat burn.
With acknowledging their current state of health, proper dieting and knowledge of a calorie
deficit will make getting to a healthy weight within reach.
Now of course dieting is easier said than done. In Americas society access to unhealthy
food is very easy and convenient. Such access can make dieting difficult especially when
America makes their diet so easily susceptible to unhealthy foods. Cheap high calorie foods are
readily available almost everywhere and for affordable prices. With those foods so affordable
making the right choices for someones diet is hard. Every once in a while its fine to indulge but
controlling those cravings the majority of the time is hard due to such an ease of access. To battle
those cravings with healthy foods can also be difficult due to pricing and availability. Healthy
foods are nowhere near the price and as available as their unhealthy alternatives making it hard
to stick to a diet. No matter someones goal there will always be obstacles and complications, but
this is Americas health being talked about and Americas health is extremely important.
Exercise plays a huge role in controlling someones weight. When someone gains weight
their body adds on to their fat storages because they are in a calorie surplus. Their body will end
up storing the extra energy they put in that their body does not actually need. This is where their
fat storages are created. If someones having trouble dieting and maintaining a caloric deficit
exercise can help. Cardio and weightlifting all burn off calories helping someone remain in the
caloric deficit they need to be in. Not only does cardio help one burn off calories but cardio helps
one maintain a healthy heart. According to Ward-Smith Increasing the time or level of activity

each week has been correlated to additional health benefits (Ward-Smith, 2010, p.244). So
exercise not only helps you achieve that caloric deficit but it also comes with many
other health benefits. Weightlifting also can be very beneficial because after tearing ones

muscles during lifting they are being repaired over multiple days. Over those days their body
requires extra calories in order to repair their muscles. When dieting and exercise are combined,
achieving the caloric deficit one needs to lose weight is not that hard.
Now of course exercise requires work and effort. Sarah Palin a well-known American
politician said this against Michelle Obamas anti-obesity campaign What [Michelle Obama] is
telling us is she cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own
families [about] in what we should eat. ... instead of a government thinking that they need to take
over and make decisions for us according to some politician or politicians wife priorities, just
leave us alone, get off our back and allow us as individuals to exercise our own God-given rights
to make our own decisions (Fisher, 2010, para. 2). Health is a big concern in America especially
when talking about weight. The opportunity to control your weight is present and most
importantly a choice. When making the choice to control your weight it requires time. Exercise
which is one of the ways someone can help control their weight is especially hard to make time
for. With making time to exercise one will also need to learn what they are going to do if they are
new to exercise. Environment also plays a big role because one cannot do specific exercises just
anywhere. Those may seem like big barriers that can tempt someone to not exercise. Learning
how to begin exercising does not take much time. Starting off jogging is completely fine! There
are gym memberships that can be hundreds of dollars a month but there are also gyms that can be
as little as ten. Once someone starts getting in a habit of making time for exercise their exercise

routine will be implemented into their daily routine. Exercise will become part of their everyday
life and making time for exercise will not seem so challenging anymore.
Obesity is when someone is extremely overweight and at risk of their weight causing
health related risks. Currently in America today their people are exceptionally susceptible to the
disease through the presence of aggressive marketing, fast food availability and lack of exercise.
With obesity spreading so quickly and America being a breeding ground for the disease health
complications are going to begin to rise. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease and many other
diseases are becoming more common because of obesity. Aballay said Obesity is a major public
health concern worldwide, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. It has emerged as a
significant cause of diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and renal insufficiency (Aballay,
Eynard, Diaz, Navarro, & Munoz, 2013). Obesity is a threat present in America that can effect
the quality of someones life.
Educating people on obesity and everything else related to it can be hard. There is already
a lot of information trying to be taught to Americas youth at school. Providing the people and
resources to get this done can also be costly to the government and they may not be able to
provide this service. In America access to the internet and books is not hard to find. Access to
this knowledge is not shrouded or difficult to obtain. Americans can easily learn about this by
doing some research and reading.
With exercising, proper dieting and getting informed this obesity epidemic can be put to a
halt. Diet, exercise and overall knowledge about obesity and things related to it should become
part of ones everyday life since obesity has such a great impact on America. People only have
one body and they are responsible for their bodys health. Health will always play a huge factor

in anything that one decides to do so they have to decide how they are going to maintain a good
healthy lifestyle. Making the right decision now can prevent obesity and stop this epidemic.

References
Aballay, L. R., Eynard, A. R., Daz, M. P., Navarro, A., & Muoz, S. E. (2013).
Overweight and obesity: a review of their relationship to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular
disease, and cancer in South America. Nutrition Reviews, 71(3), 168-179 12p.
doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00533.x
Ball, S., Kovarik, J., & Leidy, H. (2015). Active and Healthy Schools. Physical
Educator, 72(2), 224-235.

Fisher, M. (2010, December 28). Conservatives Split Over Opposition to Michelle

Obama's Obesity Drive. The Wire. Retrieved April 21, 2016 from
http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2010/12/conservatives-split-over-opposition-tomichelle-obama-s-obesity-drive/21726/
Ward-Smith, P. (2010). Obesity -- America's Health Crisis. Urologic
Nursing, 30(4), 242-245.