America as a whole seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Some would say that one motto of Americans is "bigger is better", but in the case of weight, it is not. According to the CDC, over the last 20 years, the amount of adults that are obese has gone up 34%. The scarier statistic is that the obesity rate for teenagers has gone from 5% to 17.4% in that same time period! People in the news are talking about the economic inflation, when the fair share of airtime should be going to America's inflation in their waistline. Some will say that obesity is becoming an epidemic in our country. Studies show that obesity is increasing the risk of many chronic diseases. These diseases include, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, sleep apnea, and even some cancers. These diseases, in turn, lead to a lower quality of life and a severe burden on the nation's health care system.
So what is obesity? An obese individual is described as having a BMI of 30 or higher. Usually this comes from not eating a well-balanced diet and living a sedentary lifestyle. Sadly, this explains a lot of the American population today. Obesity is very preventable mainly because it is mostly the individual's lifestyle that brings the extra weight. The National Institute of Diabetes says if one is obese, 5-10% weight loss is necessary to lower the risk of the chronic diseases listed above. There are treatments available ranging from lifestyle changes, physical activity, medication, and even surgery. We as Americans must be more aware of this epidemic sweeping through our country. Together, we can overcome this epidemic of obesity, and, become a healthier people.
