Preview

Obesity A Widespread Psychology Related Health Issue Analysis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1015 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Obesity A Widespread Psychology Related Health Issue Analysis
Obesity: A Widespread Psychology Related Health Issue
Angel V Johnson
HCA/250
April 12, 2015
Sheila Pierson
Obesity: A Widespread Psychology Related Health Issue
What is the true definition of Obesity? According to the Mayoclinic, “Obesity is a complex disorder involving an excessive amount of body fat”. Obesity continues to be a problem not only in America but other countries as well. No one grows up wanting to be obese, however, depending on where a person lives and where they were raised, some had no other choice but to eat what is offered many times and not question anything. Obesity is not just a physical issue but it creates an unstable mental state of mind. Further discussion will focus on characteristics of individuals and groups
…show more content…
Obesity is an ongoing issue in America and the numbers increase every year. As the numbers increase for obesity, so does health risks. Depending on where an individual lives, sometimes food supplied does more harm than good. In 3rd world countries, villagers and other people usually eat what they know to sustain themselves. In America, all ethnic backgrounds are on the list for obesity. As long as America continues to let manufactures pump chemicals into the food, the America will continue to balloon out of control when it comes to obesity. Men, women and children are affected by this epidemic. Knowledge can be a key tool to fight obesity if people get a better understanding of the …show more content…
It is important that a person diagnosed as obese learn more about their condition. Once the doctor has explained the treatment plan for obesity, sticking to your treatment plan would help in the days to come. If a person believes they cannot do the treatment alone, the doctor or you can suggest additional group support. If prescribed meds, take them as directed by the doctor. Therapy, interventions and support groups are also a great way to help with behavioral changes when making a drastic lifestyle

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Let's Move

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Webster’s Dictionary defines obesity as a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. Over the past 40 years, obesity has quadrupled. Obesity has become one of the most dangerous health risks in the United States. Our future children eat more unhealthy food, and get less exercise in today’s society.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Today’s society has been faced with the never ending problem of obesity. Many would blame this problem of obesity in America to poor genetics, unhealthy eating habits, and even lack of physical fitness. After viewing this paper and reviewing these credible sources the reader will have a better understanding as to why individuals become obese. All sources in this paper have been written, reviewed, and critiqued by credible individuals.…

    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Obesity is a condition of having excess body weight. Today in the USA, 97 million adults are overweight, meaning that 1 out of 3 people we come across in our everyday lives may be obese. However, it is also important to understand that being overweight does not mean one is obese. Many people throw around the word ‘obese’ and are ignorant to the difference of being obese or just simply being overweight. Obesity is having too much body weight, as where people may be overweight due to high levels of muscles or water in their body. In recent times, obesity among Americans has almost doubled, causing the USA to have the highest obesity rate. There are many variables that have contributed to this rapid growth such as fast food restaurants becoming increasingly more available and less expensive, automobiles becoming the number one form of transportation rather than walking or riding a bike, and other factors that promote inactivity such as the use of cell phones, email, etc. We ignore this problem and often look beyond these factors because we consider them “standard” in our lives. Although, before obesity rates spiked, fast food was not as unhealthy or cheap, driving an automobile was only possible for a select few, and technology did not exist like it does now. In order to eliminate such high obesity rates in America I believe we must raise awareness on the damages obesity can have on our well-being. In order to so, there should be a higher emphasis put on healthy living rather than promoting fast food and other habits that are harmful to our health. There are many more solutions to this problem such as raising the price of fast food or making it healthier, but many companies are not willing to make these changes. This is why I believe that it is very important that we make Americans aware of this problem. I would like to research this topic because I find it interesting how in a world as efficient as ours today, we are seeing new issues emerge such as obesity…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Illustration Essay

    • 725 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Obesity is the condition of being very over weight. Did you know this condition has affected millions of Americans throughout out the United States! People who are obese deal with many negative health factors throughout out their lives. These include depression, anxiety, and sometimes even death. Most people that deal with this medical issue have many social problems. Something has to change! With so many Americans living such unhealthy lives, they are becoming disabled from living happy normal lives. People who are overweight should also try to increase their exercise levels and eat healthier in order to maintain healthy lifestyles and overcome obesity.…

    • 725 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Chew On This

    • 2311 Words
    • 6 Pages

    America: land of the free and the home of the brave, and recently, the home to a growing waistline. As for any other country, America is prone to an assortment of problems like immigration, debt, or foreign affairs, but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, quite literally, is the obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a common sight in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the child population has been getting bigger as well, according to the numbers on the scale, “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable claim because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle, avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some of the populaces, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the obese population, the extra weight is caused by an unhealthy diet and sluggish lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear. It is time for America to tip the scales back in the right direction.…

    • 2311 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.” [www.answer.com]…

    • 2056 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Obesity in America

    • 2333 Words
    • 10 Pages

    In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last three decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of the adult population has become overweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time when Americans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obese Americans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 58 million people in our country weigh over 20 percent of their body’s ideal weight. The article “Fat Times” states, “If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called an epidemic” (Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce gluttonous children, over-indulgent adults, and a food industry set too much on satisfying our appetites.…

    • 2333 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Obesity in America

    • 2116 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Obesity in America is a continually growing problem and even worse our own children are sharing in this problem. A commentary in the Washington Times reports that sixty million Americans are obese. What really is the meaning of obese? Obese is having a body mass index of thirty percent or more. In recent years, the percentage of obese Americans has risen. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, the percentage of obese Americans rose from 22.9 in 1984-1994 to 32.2 in 2003 and 2004. The study also says if you throw in the number of "over weight" Americans (body mass index of 25 to 29.9) the total jumps to 66.3 percent of all Americans (Alfred A18). Why are we steadily becoming heavier as a nation, primarily because of our eating habits, genetic and metabolic causes and an excess of inactivity. As more and more people of our nation deal with obesity, they also have to deal with major health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack and Type II diabetes that all stem from being obese.…

    • 2116 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Max Pemberton Analysis

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summary of Author’s Opinion: Obesity is not a disease and doctors need to be upfront with their patients about their weight issues so that they can solve them. Also, his opinion is that obesity is not a disease, it is a mindset which means that it can be changed.…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Informative Speech

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages

    3. There are many contributing factors that cause obesity, many health risks, and anti-obesity efforts to help combat the obesity epidemic.…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Obesity Epidemic in America

    • 3259 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Cited: "University of Houston; UH sociologist has different perspective on obesity 'epidemic '. " NewsRx Health & Science 5 Apr. 2009: 19. Sciences Module. ProQuest. Yuba College Library, Marysville, CA. 12 Apr. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/…

    • 3259 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Peggy Ward-Smith’s article entitled Obesity – America’s Health Crisis discusses of the obesity epidemic in America and the consequences of America’s lackadaisical approach to pursuing a cure to this deadly disease. She explains the devastating health affects that obesity has on the body and brings to light the severe financial burden that this disease has had on the American economy and the American people. After significantly describing facts and figures regarding the monetary costs associated with obesity, she goes on the explain the emotional hardships obese people undergo due to the prejudices that still exist against obese people. She describes the strain obesity has caused on our healthcare system and declares that not enough is being done to prevent this disease. After addressing both the health and socio economic affects of obesity, voices her opinion on the best treatment plan for overcoming obesity such as, “an initial exercise program should consist of a short, low-intensity program, which gradually increases to 30 minutes/day as strength and fitness improve” (Ward-Smith 244). She also addresses the importance of acknowledging the affects of behavioral therapy on obesity, for health and socio economic benefits saying, “behavioral therapy involves changing diet and physical activity patterns and habits toward behaviors that promote…

    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Obesity Satire

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There is no wonder that we have an obesity epidemic in America. Food is everywhere we turn. Whether it’s sitting along the roadside, calling at you in bright colors from grocery store shelves, glowing in vending machines or even in the elaborate television commercials we watch. There is no way to escape from the never ending advertisements. This is where the epidemic of obesity begins. We as Americans consume more food portions than our body can handle and not enough physical activity, causing higher medical costs and a lower quality of life.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    What is obesity? Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat or adiposity. Adiposity is calculated by using body mass index. Body mass index measures a person’s weight in kilograms then divided by the square of that person’s height in meters (Obesity, 2006). Childhood obesity occurs when a child is above the normal weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last thirty years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). It is outstanding at this rate if it triples again in thirty years more than half the children in America will be overweight. So we have to put a stop to it now before it gets totally out of hand.…

    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some people who are overweight or obese find it hard to stick to a diet or a good eating schedule, if this is you they are people and programs to help you, but you have to be the one who takes the first step.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays