Health Issue: Obesity

Obesity threathens lifespan

Obesity is a very common disease that affects nearly a third of the adult American population. The number of obese Americans has continued to increase since 1960 and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 unnecessary deaths in the U.S., and healthcare costs of obese American adults adds up to approximately $100 billion. This disease does not receive the attention it deserves from the government, health care businesses, or the insurance industry despite the number of people it kills and disables. Insurance companies inadequately cover their obese customers, and that results in limited access to treatment.

Obese people worldwide are often mistreated and their discrimination is usually deemed socially acceptable.

Obesity increases one's risks of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and breast, prostate, and colon cancer. People with obesity are victims of employment and other discrimination and they are punished for their condition despite all the federal and state laws and policies that defend them.

Obesity is a Global Epidemic

Environmental and behavioral changes brought about by economic development, modernization, and urbanization have all contributed to the rise in global obesity.

Developed countries have the highest obesity rates. Food deprivation is not an issue, an physical activity levels have decreased rapidly. Developing countries have lower obesity rates because the people who live in these areas are usually limited in their abilities to provide enough food. Also, they have less access to public transportation so they must engage in manual labor just to get around.

Obesity tends to be more prominent in urban rather than rural areas.

Obesity is a serious problem all over the globe, and the rate of obesity continues to increase, despite the high number of unnecessary fatalities it causes. It seems that more than half of the world's population is choosing food over their own health.