American Obesity

CAS100a

In America today obesity is common place in our culture. Obesity is a problem that sprawls across the socio-economic platform affecting everyone. Today statistics representing obesity have astounding figures. In fact more than 1/3 of all American Adults are obese (around 36%). This figure does not even touch people who are just overweight which make up a larger demographic than the obese. In our culture currently we are more willing to make larger access ways, doorways, seating. Etc than just diet and lose weight. There are multi-million dollar companies profiting solely off of obese peoples inability to perform compound movement and requiring additional tools. Aside from being terribly unhealthy this also looks bad and terribly affects the quality of that person’s life.

1. Affect on health:

- Being obese is one of the poorest decisions for your long term health you can make and may cause permanent damage.

- 300,000+ deaths a year may be attributed to obesity alone in the US

- Weight drastically increases risk of premature death from all causes

- Specifically obesity is known to cause diabetes, heart disease, cancer, breathing problems and arthtitis

Transition: As if health was not a good enough reason to try to get healthy the cost makes it seem unbearable

2. Cost incurred from obesity in healthcare and to society

- According to the CDC estimated medical costs that are obesity related could be as high as 147 billion per year

- Even though many attempts to heighten public awareness to obesity and combat its rise it has still jumped from 18.3% to 25.1% from the year 1998-2008 respectively

- Half of all additional costs incurred are