Did You Know???

33.8% of Adults in America are classified as Obese?

17% of Children and Adolecence ages 2-19 are

Obese?

In Georgia alone, over 1 million kids are Obese, and that number continues to

grow

S

The Obesity Crisis in America: A Growing

Problem

What is Obesity

Obesity is simply weighing over the healthy limit for a specific height.

Obesity can be measured in BMI, with and obese person measuring in at 30 BMI.

Having excess body fat, people who are obese have a higher chance for health problems.

Problems

Obesity in the United States is at an all time high and will continue to go up.

Adults aren’t the only one’s getting fat, the epidemic is now spreading to children at an alarming rate.

Obese children are developing diseases earlier in life.

As a result of these diseases being developed, our generation is predicted to be the first to not outlive its parents.

Problems Cont.

Diseases

• Heart Disease

• Stroke

• Type 2 Diabetes

• High Blood Pressure

• High Cholesterol

• Numerousof Cancers

(According to the CDC)

Problems Cont.

This crisis affects everyone’s general health!:

• Will cost the U.S. $344 Billion dollars in health care spending by 2018, equaling 21% of this total spending.

• A study conducted by the Journal Health Affairs found that costs from hospitalization of pediatric obesity patients had spiked from $125.9 million in 2001, to $237.4 million in 2005

• Cost taxpayers Billions of dollars a year due to reduced labor productivity.

The Causes

Environmental Factors:

• In some parts of the cities, its not safe to walk to work, or to even get exercise, depending on where you live.

• Bad health choices the parents make directly effect the children.

Income Level:

• Food that is cheaper is less healthy.

• Families with low income levels have a choice to make, “Feed my family with fast, cheap food.” or “Buy healthy food, but in doing so, make a big cut in the family budget.”

The Causes Cont.

Genetics:

• Obesity can be inherited through disorders such as Bardet-Biedl, and Prader-Willi syndrome.

• Not always a deciding factor in whether or not a child becomes obese.

• Outside sources such as an abundance of food, help these genes kick in.

A Solution

Physical Education:

• Mandatory physical education would give kids the chance to exercise every day at school.

• This is one class that school districts tend to drop first, fueling the obesity crisis.

Decrease the Price of Healthy Food:

• If the price of healthy food is affordable for all, more people are likely to buy healthy food, even in low income areas.

Take Junk Food out of Schools:

• It’s a proven fact that diet contributes to your overall focus and well being.

33.8% of Adults in America are classified as Obese

17% of Children and Adolecence ages 2-19 are

Obese

Works Cited

• Hellmich, Nanci. "Rising Obesity Will Cost U.S. Health Care $344 Billion a Year - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-11-17-future-obesity-costs_N.htm>.

• Holden, By  Diana. "Fact Check: The Cost of Obesity - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/09/fact.check.obesity/index.html>.

• "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Childhood: Solutions | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/solutions.html>.

• "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Defining | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.html>.

• "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Economic Consequences | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/economics.html>.