Obesity is rapidly
becoming the plague of the 21st Century. Obesity has silently, yet, rapidly
advanced up the scale of America's deadliest killers. With so many in America
being hyper-sensitive to the word obesity, it has made discussing this
devastating epidemic with any true detail and depth, almost impossible. In a
culture that is more concerned with being politically correct than it is with
being correct, much has fallen by the wayside as it pertains to addressing this
mammoth issue.
When you add the special
interest groups that are not the least bit concerned with having the truth
about obesity surface, the task of accurately and adequately educating
Americans concerning obesity becomes even more daunting. The fast food industry
is easily one of the greatest culprits or contributors to obesity and the
growth of that industry does not seem to be slowing in the slightest. Then add
to the equation those that are benefiting from this epidemic on the backend and
the battle intensifies. Manufacturers of medications for diabetes, heart
disease, hypertension, etc. are highly grateful to the part of the American
population that qualify as technically obese. During a period in which economic
growth and stability has been elusive, these industries have thrived.
Unfortunately, this growth has been at the expense of those Americans who are
classified as obese.
It is important to point
out that obesity is not what most envision it to be. Overweight is defined as a
body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or
higher. Those who are classified as, you are are at greater risk for
cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, type
2 diabetes, fertility issues for women, and more. The thing that is most
frustrating is that it is 100 percent preventable through lifestyle change.
One element of the
obesity equation that is not given nearly enough consideration is the strain on
the economy that it creates. It is estimated that the healthcare cost related
to obesity will range between $150 - $175 Billion dollars (that is Billion not
Million). Keep in mind that a great deal of those suffering from this deadly
disease fall below the poverty line and rarely have insurance. This means that
the cost for treating these patients will, at some level, be incurred by the
government. Even those that are insured are placing an enormous strain on
insurance companies subsequently increasing the cost of medical insurance. Once
again, please note that this disease is 100% preventable.
The prevalence of obesity
amongst Americans can be evaluated, anatomized, and observed in several areas:
Education - When
education is considered, the highest prevalence of obesity is found among high
school dropouts, with a rate exceeding 33%. High school graduates and college
dropouts are closely affected, with rates of 29.5% and 29.1% respectively.
Race - When it comes to
race Non-Hispanic blacks lead the obesity race with an obesity prevalence that
approaches 40%. This means that if nothing is done to reverse the trend, blacks
will soon be at an obesity prevalence that would have half of all African
Americans classified as obese. Next in line would be the Hispanic population,
with an obesity prevalence of 30.7%. Of all races in America, Asians have the
lowest obesity prevalence at 16.7%.
Age - Through natural
progression the obesity prevalence increases as age increases. The most
alarming statistic concerning age is the obesity rate among children in
America. The obesity prevalence among children in America has tripled over the
last 30 years. The obesity rate for children in America under the age of 18 is
over 17%, with over 70% of these kids having at least one risk factor for
cardiovascular disease. The health of this nation is declining rapidly and the
greatest weight exacerbating and accelerating this decline is obesity.
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| Dr. Rick Wallace Master Fitness 21 |
The combination of
cultural environment, socioeconomics, and behavior have predominantly
influenced this epidemic and it would seem that the best approach in battling
this epidemic of obesity would be to start with these major influences.
One of the greatest
barriers in battling this disease is that the majority of those impacted by it
fall below the poverty line and thereby have limited resources to help them
engage this devastating epidemic. So, it must be a matter of concentration to
develop low cost programs that can effectively equip these individuals to
defeat this deadly plague.
Whatever stance may be
taken on this issue, one thing remains lucidly clear, if this country doesn’t
do something about this, and quick, the ramifications will be devastating and
it will take decades if not longer to reverse. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace
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