Prevalence of North American and Global Childhood and Adulthood Obesity and the Contributing Factors
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The obesity epidemic is affecting children and adults of all nations and ethnicities. People are struggling with overweight and obesity regardless of age, ethnicity, or background. Children and adults from North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa have seen shocking increases in overweight and obesity rates in the past few decades.
The combination of increased pre-prepared food consumption, increased fat and sugar consumption, decreased physical activity, and increased reliance on technological time and energy-saving devices has worked together to create this global obesity epidemic. A higher energy intake and lower energy output leads to weight gain, thus resulting in overweight or obesity over time.
Overweight and especially obesity has become a critical health-related issue because it has been attributed to the development of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancers, metabolic disorders, and atherosclerotic diseases. These secondary diseases are often associated with premature death. But, the development of overweight, obesity, and the associated secondary diseases is preventable. Through proper nutrition, food intake, physical activity, and overall lifestyle, obesity is a preventable disease.
Adults act as models for children, and thus, those adults with poor eating habits and physical activity patterns inadvertently teach children to do the same. Overweight and obese children have a high risk of also being overweight or obese in adulthood. Studies show that stressful, abusive childhoods are associated with the development of obesity in young adulthood.
With such an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity world-wide, people need to understand how poor dietary choices and lack of physical activity significantly increase their chances of premature death. If these unhealthy actions among individuals are reversed and turned into healthy choices, this global obesity epidemic has the potential to be significantly curbed.
JOUR
Jackson, Christina Marie
2009
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