obesity

In today’s society obesity is a relevant and very serious topic. The term obese is used to characterize the overall level of body fat. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey more than one-third of adults and almost 17% of youth are obese (Ogden, 2012, para 1). The prevalence of obesity does not differ between men and women, however obesity is more prominent in adults ages 60 (Oden, 2012, para 1). Fast food has become more popular these days with idea of having a meal prepared in 5 minutes rather than a half hour. Time is everything with two working adults and children involved in after school activities. Even though not the right decision it is what is convenient at the time. Obesity is a global pandemic as a result of a poor diet choices and lack of physical activity, however with promoting healthy food choices and encouragement with physical activity, a change may come.
Problem 1 Pollan (2006) makes it very clear that we are part of national eating disorder. Many make the decision to be unhealthy on a daily basis. Maybe because they are in a hurry or just got home late from work so they choose drive to the local drive-thru to order dinner. Nothing is wrong with that except what you are ordering, the 550 calorie packed burger or the 250 calorie salad. A side of spaghetti may be ordered in a restaurant but the amount you get is enough to feed a table of three. It is no secret that portion sizes in this country are expanding with the idea of getting more food for your money. According to the CDC portion size is the amount of a single food item served in a single eating occasion, such as a meal (CDC, 2006 para. 9). The average cheeseburger in the US 20 years ago was a mere 333 calories compared to the average cheeseburger today, weighing in with a shocking 600 calories (Nordqvist, 2012, para.11). However, the rise of portion sizes is not just limited to restaurants, but also to snacks, pops, and meals at home or from a vending machine (CDC, 2006, para. 1). Most items that we as consumers tend to buy are larger portion sizes; it is difficult to buy a soda or snack that is just the recommended single serving size. If we can manage to pay attention to our portion sizes with each meal and than the amount of calories for the next meal than we she would be able to manage our weight by taking in the allotted calories for the day (CDC, 2006, para. 3).
The average adult male needs about 2,500 calories a day to maintain a constant weight, the average female, only 2,000. As this amount varies based on weight, age, health factors, etc., US authorities recommend 2,700 per day for the adult male & 2,200 for the average adult female (Nordqvist, 2012, para.2).
Problem 2
There are many factors that contribute to obesity, including lack of adequate physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle, and eating habits. According to May 2004 article in the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, only a quarter of all Americans get the exercise they need. There’s increasing evidence that our sedentary lives are putting millions of us at increased risk of health problems and even early death. Changes in the environment and increases in labor saving technology has decreased work and daily related physical activities contributing to sedentary lifestyles meaning that they have no regular physical activity program and are generally inactive around the house or yard (Struber, (2004), para. 7). Increasing activity is just as important as watching calorie consumption because physical activity alone only produces about 2% to 3% of weight loss (Prescott & Fedorenko, 2012, para. 4).
It is recommended that we start with moderate levels of exercise and then increase moderation gradually to help us adhere to our plan of weight loss or management.
Solution 1
By making the decision to eat at home you can control your portion size and an advertisement is not helping you make the decision. You could choose to deep fry your meals at home and still keep the calorie count lower than most fast food choices by choosing healthier oil or a better cut of meat, maybe sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for fries. Rather than fry food try baking or broiling. Try leaner cuts of meats, poultry or fish. Avoid high sodium foods or adding extra salt to your dinner after it’s cooked. Offer fruits and vegetables for snacks. Listed above are just some of the recommendations by the 2010 US dietary guidelines for making healthier food choices for you and your family. Yes, healthier foods tend to be more expensive, but try growing your own garden with fresh fruits and vegetables. It is cheaper and you know what was fed to your produce and you know that it is fresh, you picked it yourself.
When at a restaurant to help keep within caloric intake order small portions or have half of meal put into a doggie bag before you even start to eat. Try to monitor your intake of calories so that adjustments can be made to keep you within the recommended daily caloric intake. It only makes sense to ask for smaller portions or low fat versions of their meals. Not only does what we eat affect our weight, but so also the lack in physical activity.

Solution 2
You do not need a membership to a gym to stay active. When you go to the grocery store, chose a parking space farther from the entrance than you usually would to get in some extra steps. Choose the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator up one floor of steps. Do you have steps at home? Instead of waiting until there is a pile of items to take up the steps, take each one as you find it needs to go up. Go outside and take a walk with family to catch up on the day. If the kids are jumping in the trampoline or swimming in the pool, you could join them. It has been proven by The America Heart Association that 30 minutes of exercise a day is healthy for the heart and waist line, (American Heart Association, 2011, para. 1). I had a physician tell me that if you walk 3 miles a day you are guaranteed to lose 30 lbs in a year. Wouldn’t you like to do that? I know I would and I did after my recent back surgery. It is recommended that the average American exercise for 30-45 minutes for three to five days out of the week (Prescott & Fedorenko, 2012, para. 12). Call to Action
We need to make stand and act now as a nation. Individual behavior and lifestyle choices influence the development of chronic conditions (U.S. Department of health and human services, 2003). If we continue with unhealthy behaviors, such as poor diet choices, and lack of physical activity we increase our risk of for many diseases and chronic conditions (U.S. Department of health and human services, 2003). A high- calorie diet and sedentary lifestyle commonly result in weight gain. Becoming overweight and obese are risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure (U.S. Department of health and human services, 2003). By changing the way we as individuals live can improve our health status dramatically (U.S. Department of health and human services, 2003). Education is key in helping us make healthier food choices, the recommended daily calorie intake, and the amount of exercise required to help us maintain our weight. So take a stand now, not just for yourself, but your family as well.
Reference
(2004, May). Leisure time exercise. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Leisure-time-exercise.htm
(2011, January). American Heart Association guidelines for physical activity. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/American- Heart-Association-Guidelines-for-Physical-Activity_UCM_307976_Article.jsp
CDC. (2006, May). Do increased portion sizes affect how much we eat? Research to practice series, No. 2. National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Retreived from www.CDC.gov
Nordvist, C. (2012, May). How many calories should I eat? Medical News Today. Retrieved From http://medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245588.php.
Ogden, C., Ph.D. (2012, January). Prevalence of obesity in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/response_rates_CPS.htm
Pollan, M. (2006). Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, 1/e for DeVry University [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online
Prescott, J., & Fedorenko, M. (2012). Maintaining a healthy diet for weight loss. Pharmacy Times, 78(1), 82-83.
U.S. Department of Health and human Services. (2003, September). Prevention makes common cents. Retreived from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We can: making healthier food choices. Retrieved from http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.