The prevalence of obesity and overweight has become a major concern globally as a result of the increasing rates associated with it. Currently, fast food has been established to a major risk factor for obesity among the US population because it has been associated with rapid increases in cases of obesity (Withrow & Alter, 2011). In the US, fast food is a routine where families are often engaged in dining out particularly in the popular fast food restaurants. There is also little awareness throughout the US where the population is still not well informed about the consequences of fast-food (Wang et al., 2008). According to the World Health Organization, obesity has reached what is termed as alarming figures across the world. In the year 2005, a study estimated that approximately 1.6 billion adults were obese of overweight. According to Flegal et al., (2012), the US is currently the second most obese industrialized economy globally. Based on a study carried out in the year 2016 stated that about 36.5 percent of the adult US citizens were obese when contrasted with about 14% in the mid-1970s. Further, obesity contributed 10 percent of all deaths and healthcare expenditure in the US. By the year 2002, approximately 500 million people were reported to be obese globally in the US; the rates have doubled since the year 1970 to about 30 percent with about two-third of the citizens in the US being obese (Wang et al., 2008). According to WHO, overweight is simply the body mass index that is estimated to be equal to or greater that 25 kg/m² while on the other hand, obesity was defined as the body mass index that is equal to or greater than 30 kg/m². In the year 2000, there was a study by WHO that confirmed that the obesity rates were very high in the US which was approximated to be about 13.5% of the US population and these rates were further approximated to reach 19.3% by the year 2030 (Withrow & Alter, 2011).
Studies have shown approximately 1 in every three children who are of ages between 2-19 are either overweight or obese. These situations have led to various risky chronic diseases associated with increased death rates and morbidity. Such as type II diabetes. Childhood obesity is considered a complex health issue globally (Flegal et al., 2010). This situation often occurs when a child weighs above the average healthy weight for his or her height and age. Studies have shown that primary causes of excess weight among children are similar to those experienced in adult including behaviors and genetics (Withrow & Alter, 2011). The major contributing factor identified here is the behavioral factors. Focusing on behavioral factors that contribute towards obesity, the study focused on dietary patterns, inactivity, and the physical activity. According to Withrow & Alter, (2011), food and physical environment are therefore the key aspects of behaviors. Studies have shown that poor energy balance of consumed calories from various unhealthy foods and the number of calories used up in the body play a role in contributing towards increased rates of weight gain and obesity. Unhealthy diet pattern and lack of physical activities have led to increased obesity among children (Wang et al., 2008). Obesity has been associated with adverse economic cost, social cost and declining health costs which makes it a big problem in the United States today.
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Sociological theory
The social-ecological model focuses on the ecological theory focusing on a particular health behavior and outcome. The approach shows how an individual health is determined by his or her behaviors and interactions (Hammond & Levine, 2010). This model can, therefore, be used to understand behavioral as a contributing factor to childhood obesity and weight gain. It focuses children’s exposure to various environmental factors and understanding the interplay between exposure faced by children and how they lead to the development of health behaviors (Withrow & Alter, 2011). It thus analyzes how a child behavior could lead to overweight and obesity and the most effective intervention point. Studies have shown that individuals’ behaviors and other environmental factors will lead to a higher intake of calories in addition to the small amount of required physical activities. Based on this analysis, it is evident that increased snacking and fast foods have led to increased rates of obesity (Flegal et al., 2010). Therefore, health behaviors and lifestyle are the major areas that should be focused on when fighting against obesity.
Declining Health in the US
Based on a study conducted by the American Heart Association about one out of three young citizens in the US are overweight and obese. Additionally, the long-term impacts associated with childhood overweight and obesity endemics are decidedly disturbing. The report further indicated the current generation in the US history would be the first to have a very shorter life expectancy and at the same time poor, healthy lives when contrasted to their parents (Hammond & Levine, 2010). Obesity and overweight are connected to the increasingly mounting rates of the severe illness in the US among them including; diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Obesity has been shown to meet the definition of a disease. According to a 2013 study undertaken by the American Medical Association, it found out that three clear criteria ought to be used to define a disease (Wang et al., 2008). First, obesity as disease substantially impairs the normal functioning of a certain aspect of the body. Additionally, as a disease, it is characterized by specific signs and symptoms. It also causes harm or even morbidity (Flegal et al., 2010). Evidently, obesity has been established to satisfy the definition ad criteria of the definition of a disease and medication condition. Obesity impairs the normal mobility further limiting ranges of motions in the knee and hips. Currently, obesity has been reported to make approximately 33 percent of all the joint replacement operations. Generally, as a disease, obesity has reduced the life expectancy resulting from immature death.
Among adults, research has established the Obesity can lead to three years loss of life. An acute obesity has the potential to shorten the lifespan by about ten years (Withrow & Alter, 2011). Based on a Lancet meta-study in the year 2016, it was reported that a moderate obesity has the potential to increase the chances of early death. Diabetes is a condition that is caused by imbalanced diet in addition to the lack of exercise which causes insulin resistance in addition to the full-fledged type 2 diabetes (Wang et al., 2008). Cardiovascular disease, on the other hand, has been shown to be one of the leading cause of deaths throughout the US and studies have shown that overweight has become one of the main risk factors for the disease. By the end of the year 2007, about one-quarter of the entire US deaths were related to heart diseases. The other disease associated with obese is cancer which is also the primary cause of death in the US. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), obesity causes various types of cancer. Weight gain and obesity are considered one of the major contributing factors in approximately 20 percent cancer diagnoses. Many studies carried out in the US have suggested that there is a close link between obesity and depression particularly among the children and the adolescents (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn & Wang, 2003). Research has further shown that obesity significantly reduces fertility rates among the US population and further raises the risks of miscarriages particular among the US pregnant mothers. Additionally, Sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome have further been shown to be common among the obese and overweight population in the US (Flegal et al., 2010).
Additionally, Neurologist has also identified that there is a close link between overweight and the cognitive decline, for instance, the typical memory loss in addition to the thinking skills. Finally, obesity is also related to the musculoskeletal disorders (Wang et al., 2011). Obesity was reported the leading cause of arthritic pain, injuries and even atrophy, particularly in the joints and muscles. All these chronic diseases and condition have substantially resulted in massive death in the US. The country continues to lose prospective future leaders who could have transformed the economy positively. Obesity has been associated with increased premature mortality. Most studies have established that there-there is a close correlation between mortality and obesity (Wang et al., 2011).
Economic Costs of Obesity in the US
Studies have determined that obesity is weighing heavily on the economy of US. With increased efforts by the scientists on strategies to help the US trim down, most unpublished research has shown that medical expenses related to obesity have rapidly skyrocketed. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), the massive damage in the US economy has been augmented by lower productivity, wide income, and gender inequality. According to a study by the Harvard’s School of Public Health, the annual medical expenses related to obesity and overweight are staggering where it accounted for approximately $190 billion yearly which is about 21 of the entire US medical costs. In addition to this, the per capita cost of the medical for the overweight and obese patients in the US was further estimated to be about 36 percent to 150 percent higher compared to the non-obese patient (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn & Wang, 2003).
Other studies confirmed that a universally negative impact on the economy of overweight and obesity pandemic in the US is associated with both direct and indirect medical expenditure. Apparently, overweight and obesity among the US citizens are linked to very high risks of numerous chronic health conditions that are very expensive to treat including Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, hypertension and even asthma. In general view, the direct medical cost associated with the diagnosis and the treatment of these numerous conditions has risen rapidly with higher rates of obesity (Wang et al., 2011).
Obesity rates in the US have been associated with increased indirect costs that further drive the negative economic impact of obesity. Such price seems to be substantial and at the same time with significant variations in the magnitude of the individual estimates. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), there is aggregate productivity loss as a result of obesity that is caused by increased rates of absenteeism and presenteeism. Other groups of productivity costs include the early mortality in addition to the reduced quality of life. Studies estimated that the level of absenteeism cost associated with obesity makes a huge group of productivity costs (Withrow & Alter, 2011). There is a strong correlation between the increased rates of obesity and the high levels of absenteeism. When focusing on the presenteeism aspect, obesity contributes immensely to productivity loss if this individual becomes unproductive at their workplace. It has been established to occur due to the physical and mental state considered common among the overweight workforce and adversely impacts their overall productivity capability (Wang et al., 2011).
Obesity further leads to high cases of disability payment in addition to increased disability insurance premium. All these costs precisely mirror a significant loss regarding economic productivity in the country far beyond what is often recorded in the absenteeism information. Further, increased level of disability has also represented high fiscal rates to the government. The health insurance market externality in the US associated with obesity has been considered to be another major economic cost (Withrow & Alter, 2011). The pool insurance often causes the moral hazard that tends to incentivize obesity through transferring the medical expenditure away from these patients to large insurance pools (Wang et al., 2008). Evidently, these problems often result in more costs of overweight through welfare loss. Most studies further argued that despite the fact that individuals do not consciously decide to consume additional calories or even do not engage in the physical exercises, the pooled insurance reduces the cost associated with obesity. Obesity is highly responsive to the price signal such as food prices.
Many studies have reported that obesity significantly affects the cost of transportation. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), the increase in the body weight among a majority of the Americans implies that additional fuel would be consumed. In such cases, larger vehicles might be required to transport an equal number of passengers and travelers yearly. Therefore, this contributes to direct cost regarding enormous expenditure on the fuel. It is further associated with increased indirect cost which is experienced in the form of greenhouse gas emission (Mokdad et al., 2003).
Social Costs of Obesity
One social cost closely linked to obesity is the adverse effect on the human capital accumulation. Studies have shown that there is a tremendous impact of obesity on the attainment of education (Wang et al., 2011). These rates tend to rise significantly when the obesity rates of obesity rise. There is thus a close that has been confirmed to exist between overweight and the workforce accumulations. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), obesity further is correlated with overall performance and school attendance. The adverse impact of overall attendance to schools on the workforce and productivity are probably through its massive effect on the students’ attainment of education. School attendance significantly affects the productivity through related parental work absenteeism (Withrow & Alter, 2011). Studies have reported that the number of days that these affected students have missed from school is high especially for those associated with overweight than the rest of the normal-weight counterparts. The measures that are used in determining the performance at schools provides a suitable estimate of the connection between overweight and education quality which further significantly affects the quality of human labor accumulation overall school completion (Wang et al., 2011).
Research has established that there has been an increased rate of bullying cases in the US associated with obesity. Obesity raises the probability of an individual being oppressed by other people in the society by about 64 percent (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn & Wang, 2003). Research conducted in the year 2010 by the Michigan University established astounding result. The children associated with obesity are cruel which has further affected their psyche resulting in increased rates of school dropouts compared to the normal children. Obese students have recorded reduced performance in the classroom, and further, most of them withdraw social (Hammond & Levine, 2010).
Based on a study by Cornell University, it was confirmed that children with obesity tend to exhibit deprived social skills when contrasted to the rest of the normal weight children. The social stigmatization associated with the obese children often results in self-esteem problems that gradually lead into social stigmatization. According to Flegal et al., (2012), the moment an individual feels to be secluded, disparaged and vulnerable then it follows out that their resultant actions within the social environment could be stalled. Therefore, the cycle will go on especially as the victim’s poor social skills results into increase cases of bullying. Risks to psychological and social well-being associated with obesity include negative self-image, social isolation, and discrimination (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn & Wang, 2003).
Obesity has been related to increased cycle of poverty. Research has shown that the individual who have continued to be overweight often drop out from schools and end up receiving welfare and unemployment compensation at the age of about 40 (Kopelman, 2000). The chronically obese citizens in the US about 50 percent of them are more likely to be unemployed and entirely will depend on welfare and single. Being overweight carries with it a social stigma. Obesity further affects personal identity where most of them reported to experience poor mental conditions in addition to emotional health linked to obesity (Wang et al., 2011).
Preventative measures
It is evident that behavioral factor is one of the contributing factors to overweight and obesity. Certain preventive measures focus on behavioral contributing factors. This precautionary measure will focus on the need to exercise regularly and to adopt a healthy eating pattern.
Exercise regularly: there is the need for an individual to exercise for about 150- 300 minutes a week focusing on moderate-intensity activity to prevent weight gain. According to Hammond & Levine, (2010), these activities will entail, fast walking. Running or swimming. Physical activity thus plays a vital role in preventing behavioral related obesity. It is therefore encouraged that children should engage themselves in various physical activities.
Healthy eating plan: there is the need for individuals to focus on low-calorie foods in addition to nutrient-dense meals. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetable amount for healthy foods are recommended by nutritionists (Flegal et al., 2012). Children should try as much to avoid saturated fats and further eliminate sweets in their diet. Three meals a day is recommended in addition to limited snacking. Choosing food correctly especially those that will promote healthy weight is advisable. There is the need to change family eating habits rather than focusing on weight because, when one changes his or her eating pattern then the weight will take care of itself. A healthy eating pattern should, therefore, be adopted to prevent overweight and obesity (Withrow & Alter, 2011).
Evidently, the risk of obesity is associated with an excessive economic, social and health cost that has significantly affected the US to the extent that it has become a national disaster. From the above analysis, it has shown that childhood obesity globally has reached an epidemic proportion. As a result of obese, children and adults are subjected to an increased risk for various preventable chronic medical problems most of which associated with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. Further, these US citizens are subjected to serious psychological consequences including, low self-esteem, depression, and even lower life quality. Further studies have shown that obesity has an economic impact on the community’s healthcare system. It is evident that obesity and overweight are characterized by direct and indirect costs Focusing on the direct cost, the society spends an enormous amount of money on preventive, diagnostic and even treatment of obesity. Indirect cost entails the mortality and morbidity costs that in some way will affect productivity in areas such as absenteeism and presenteeism.
References
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