Obesity in America
Obesity is a rapidly growing trend in America. Nationwide, obesity rates have increased exponentially between 1991 and 2000, with a large amount of increase in the southern states. According to research done by the CDC, all 50 states in America had obesity prevalence rates of at least 15 percent and 35 out of 50 states had obesity prevalence rates of higher than 20 percent. The United States government has implemented several initiatives to help combat obesity in America. The Food and Drug administration began a program entitled “Calories Count”, and the Department of Health and Human Services teamed up with the Ad Counsel to educate American’s about bettering their health and providing weight loss tips. While both programs are a step in the right direction, they focus more on the behavioral aspects of weight loss. Diet and exercise are an important part of combatting obesity, along with appropriate medical attention. Many doctors believe that it is not only behavioral components that cause obesity, and that there are many biological components of obesity as well. Endocrinologists are specialists in the field of hormones and glands. They can determine if obesity in an individual is caused by hormone and glandular dysfunction. A survey conducted by The Endocrine Society showed that 37 percent of all endocrinologists believe that a quarter of their obese patients are affected by endocrine disorders that lead to their obesity. There are also other health factors that affect obese people. Diabetes, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol are other health factors brought on by obesity. Millions of dollars are spent by insurance companies every year to insure treatment for these conditions. Obesity in America has been an expanding epidemic for 20 years, and understanding this disease and educating the public on the causes of obesity will help many in the future.
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