Obesity Epidemic in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Obesity Epidemic in America - Research Paper Example Obesity is considered a major health risk factor in different diseases, especially those related to cardiovascular illnesses (WHO, 2011). These diseases are a major cause of concern because they often lead to high morbidity and mortality rates. The global rates of obesity are fast increasing; people around the world are getting more and more obese. The WHO reveals that by the year 2015, there will be about 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world and about 700 million of these would likely be obese (BBC News, 2008). This problem is considered a contemporary problem because obesity statistics were not even known to exist 50 years ago. This increase has mostly been attributed to the prevalence of convenience foods and labor saving devices which have driven many individuals to high fat diets and sedentary lifestyles. It is also a major issue among children with about 20 million children under the age of 5 being overweight (BBC News, 2008). Since the 1980s, the rates for obesity grew t o extensive levels and in OECD nations, one in 2 adults was considered overweight; 1 in 6 was considered obese (Robb, 2010). This rate is expected to increase by 1% each year for the next 10 years in some nations. These rates are highest in the United States, Mexico, and are lowest in Japan and Korea; everywhere else, the numbers are increasing (Robb, 2010). One in three children of the world is considered overweight. They are exposed to risks associated with obesity including a reduction of 8-10 years in their expected life span – this is similar to smokers. They are also likely to develop diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer (Robb, 2010). Obesity is also a burden to the health care system and expenditure because the expenditure among these patients is at least 25% higher than for those with normal weight. In the US, childhood obesity is a major problem and if this issue is not somehow resolved within the next few years, these children would likely suf fer major weight-related diseases much earlier than expected. Considering the above scenario, this paper shall now discuss the obesity epidemic in the United States. It shall discuss the causes of obesity in America, the effects and health issues related to obesity, the current health programs being implemented to address the obesity issue, and the effectiveness of these health programs. This paper shall also come up with recommendations in order to address this growing problem. Body/Discussion Causes of obesity in America There are various causes of obesity in the United States. Experts have weighed in on this discussion and they have acknowledged that the main causes of obesity are the amount, the quality of food intake, and the sedentary living of Americans. The volume of food that the average American is taking seems to have increased during the past few years and the quality of these foods have also shifted to high-fat, high salt, and high-caloric content foods (Goodman, 2006). The fact that Americans have reduced their physical activities is also a major contributory factor to obesity. The portions in the food servings in the US have grown significantly in the past decade or so – especially the portions which are eaten away from home which mostly include fast foods from various food chains. The trends in the US have included the value menus which sell food items, like burgers and fries for lower prices but at lower costs (American Heart Association, n.d). These portions

Cognitive Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cognitive Assessment - Essay Example Parents are sometimes unable to understand the problems that their children might be going through. On the other hand, the parents may use forceful instructions to teach their children without knowledge on the underlying problems. Studies indicate that most children who have persistent poor performance have attention disorders. Attention disorders such as Attention Disorder Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are one of the commonest conditions among younger children that are hard to identify among school-going students. Parents may sometimes think that their children are impulsive and inattentive whereas such symptoms indicate serious attention deficits. However, it is important to ensure that the exact underlying issue is identified before the child is put into a serious strategy for resolving the learning problems. In the context of Jamir’s case, it would be necessary to diagnose the problem that the child suffers from. This will help in the identification of the best strategy to be applied in order to assist the student. The mother thinks that Jamir does not listen to the instruction. This is an assumption that might be more dangerous to the child. Children like Jamir normally have impulsive behaviors that prevent them from concentrating in certain activities. For Jamir to be able to listen and read, certain strategies must be used (Shaheem, 2012).