Big Problem of Obesity in United States of America

The United States of America is the second most obese country in the world. The population of obesity is steadily rising with no prevail. Many people think that being obese is a disease, but obesity is most often a choice of too much eating without much exercise.

In today’s modern society of technology, many people sit on the couch and watch television. As the earth gets older, people have get lazier. “Compared to 40 years ago, people today spend more time commuting, sitting in front of a computer, watching television, playing video games, and generally exercising less.

” Instead of going outside and exercising, many people stay inside, providing a path for obesity. Americans generally eat more than they should. “The average American restaurant meal portion size is four times as large as portions in the 1950s.” Fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Sonic lead to much of America’s obesity problem. “…96% of entrees at chain restaurants exceed dietary guidelines for fat, sodium, and saturated fat, with some almost exceeding daily intakes in one meal.

” Big chain restaurants are paid billions of dollars each year only to spark health problems in millions of citizens.

Not every obese person dies. Diseases often lead to death. Some overweight people live very long lives. The ratio of obese people in America to the amount that die is very few. There are 160 million obese Americans a year on average, only 600,000 of those die due to heart failure. Only 0.004% of the obese in America die a year.

There are many obese people that are actually healthy and in no severe danger. “A 2013 Lancet article noted that as many as one third of obese people are ‘healthy obese’…” Healthy obese people are people with a BMI (body mass index) over 30, but have a normal cholesterol and normal blood pressure levels with no sign of diabetes. A body mass index is a weight-to-height ratio calculated by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in meters and used as an indicator of obesity. “Many people with a BMI (Body Mass Index a measure of body fat based on height and weight) in the obesity range are not physically impaired and live normal lives.” Obesity isn’t a definite life threatening thing, therefore it shouldn’t be a disease.

Although there are an abundant amount of reasons to why obesity isn’t a disease there are some reasons that portray it differently. Many syndicates have agreed that obesity is a disease, such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Obesity Society, the National Heart, Lung, and the Blood Institute (NHLBI).The American Association’s 2013 Council on Science and Public Health Report identified criteria to define disease. “On June 18, 2013, the American Medical Association recognized obesity as a disease requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention.’ The Council defined three forms of disease an impairment of the normal functioning of the body, characteristic signs and symptoms, and harm or morbidity. Obesity falls in line with ALL of these definitions of a disease.“Obesity causes impairment, has characteristic signs and symbols, and increasing harm and morbidity.” Although obesity is often stemmed from a bad eating habit, the American Medical Association defines obesity as a disease.

The big argument on whether obesity is a disease or not is still brewing. There are many facts that support and demote obesity’s status as a disease. Although obesity falls in line with the definition of a disease, more often than not it is a choice.