Obesity in America

by: AimyD
Total views: 19 | Word Count: 467

Today in America over 60 million people are suffering with obesity, more women than men. Over one-third of women are obese, with the majority of these women being African American and Mexican American between the ages of 20 and 74. This becomes more of a problem with the prepackaged food and less activity on a daily basis. The number of obese people has increased dramatically sine the 1960s.

But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that is not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that is why there is a difference in percentage.

It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person may have. Estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezers -like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. Calculating your BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals.

Becoming obese brings many more health risks to your life, such as:
*High blood pressure
*Type II Diabetes
*Heart disease
*Breast, colon, and prostate cancer

Obesity has also been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. Many obese people are discriminated against and used as targets of insults and other verbal abuse.

Many things can lead to being obese including, but not limited to, poor diet, lack of being active, and even some medical conditions. Obesity can be conquered with a little will power and help from your doctor, family, and friends.

If you are overweight or have a fear of becoming overweight, please talk to your doctor before trying anything drastic, as this could lead to more health problems. Anything that will be harmful to your health is never something you should play around with, so take the advice from your doctor and be very careful from here on out.