Obesity Is Becoming a Problem in Our Society

Overweight specifically refers to an excessive amount of body weight that may come from muscles, bone, adipose tissue, and water. Obesity specifically refers to an excessive amount of adipose tissue. Over two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Americans are becoming more obese by not eating properly and getting more sedentary. It is a growing health problem that needs to be addressed because obesity can lead to more health care costs and more complicated problems later in life. Scientific evidence clearly shows a link between poor diet and many degenerative disease, yet there seems to be a sense of apathy towards eating and feeling healthy. Although genes are an important factor in many cases of obesity, a person's environment also plays a significant role. Environmental factors include lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and how active he or she is.

Psychological factors also influence eating habits and obesity. Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger. People who have difficulty with weight management may be facing more emotional and psychological issues; about thirty-percent of people who seek treatment for serious weight problems have difficulties with binge eating. During a binge-eating episode, people eat large amounts of food while feeling they can't control how much they are eating.

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and asthma. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

The statistics for obesity rates today are shocking. 58 million people in the United States are overweight, 40 million are obese, and 3 million are morbidly obese. Eight out of 10 people over 25 are overweight. Seventy eight percent of Americans are not meeting basic activity level recommendations. Twenty five percent of all Americans are completely sedentary. There has been a seventy-six percent increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 since 1990. Eighty percent of type II diabetes related to obesity. Seventy percent of cardiovascular diseases are related to obesity. Forty-two percent breast and colon cancer are diagnosed among obese individuals. Thirty percent of gall bladder surgeries are related to obesity.

People overweight and obese and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system. Direct medical costs may include preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity. Indirect costs relate to morbidity and mortality costs. Morbidity costs are defined as the value of income lost from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, and bed days. Mortality costs are the value of future income lost by premature death.