Hayden Stansbury Gilmer-English 1301 November 23, 2011 Professor Harris Bad Health

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The University of Michigan states that obesity simply means having too much body weight and that most obese people have at least 20% higher body weight than their non-obese counterparts. Centuries ago if someone was characterized as being fat that meant they were of the rich class. People never knew if they would have food in the future, so the rich would fatten up as much as possible while the lower class remained much leaner. Today times are different. With an abundance of food, people eat as a habit resulting in obesity. Unfortunately, these habits combined with poor exercise result in overall poor health.

From National Health and Examination Survey research, Cdc.gov found that in the US 33.8% of adults are obese, and 17% of children and adolescents from ages 2-19 are also obese. Unfortunately, obesity has been linked with many health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea, breathing problems, joint problems, gastro-intestinal diseases, early puberty, and psychological problems. Obviously, obesity can lead to high doctor bills and a myriad of health issues that could lead to death. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that in the US alone 112,000 deaths per year are associated with obesity. Other health problems that obesity leads to are gout, pulmonary problems, gall bladder disease, liver disease, reproductive problems and some types of cancer. All these factors lead to the rapid decline of an obese persons health. It is imperative that people reverse their weight

Stansbury 2 problem if they want to live a long and productive life. Furthermore, research over the last 40 years shows that overweight kids are at greater risk of becoming obese adults; these health problems tend to last throughout their lives. It has been found that kids in families with obese parents will tend to be obese; statistics even show that if one parent is obese the chance that the children will be obese is 80%. Also there is a possible link of children being obese when their mother has diabetes. The best way to test for obesity is to talk to a doctor and get a BMI, a Body Mass Index test. Obesity can rarely be caused by medical conditions like endocrine problems, but genes, environments, and habits cause most obesity (umich.edu).

Knowing how to change or prevent obesity is a challenge. Key factors of obesity are environments and eating habits. Cdc.gov suggest that some eating habits that should be avoided are eating too fast, always cleaning a plate (eating wise), eating when not hungry, eating while standing up, always eating dessert, and skipping meals (mainly breakfast). Since breakfast fires up the metabolism for the day, it is extremely bad for a child to miss breakfast. Actually one should eat five to six small-portioned meals daily, which keeps the metabolism rolling throughout the day. In order for a person to change their eating habits, the CDC suggest the following: reflect on all eating habits good or bad, replace unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones, and reinforce new healthier eating habits. Once a person has identified their problems, they are ready to move to the next step. Everyone needs to know about healthy food and calories but this is especially true for obese people. A calorie is defined as a unit of energy supplied by food. There should be a balance between the food eaten daily and daily exercise. If one is maintaining

Stansbury 3 weight, the amount of food eaten should equal the amount of energy used during the day. When the amount of food eaten exceeds the need for daily energy expenditure, then one is gaining weight. Finally, if one is trying to lose weight, then the amount of food eaten should be less and the body is to pull energy from fat storage cells. Fitness.gov states that each pound of fat in ones body stores 3,500 calories of unused energy. So to lose one pound, one must take in 3,500 fewer calories or burn 3,500 calories through exercise. The Government bases nutritional information on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. To find out how many calories people are consuming, they should measure the amount of food eaten according to nutritional labels and use an Energy Expenditure Chart to measure how many calories are burned. The outcome of this information will give one an idea of the number of calories being burned compared to those being consumed. According to statistics from Cbc.ca, people are eating too many fatty foods, not taking in enough fruits and veggies, not getting enough calcium-rich foods, eating too many fatty foods, not eating enough fiber rich foods, and not maximizing vitamin and mineral intake. An easy way to maintain healthy eating habits is to follow a daily intake based on the Governments food pyramid. This pyramid consists of four servings of fruits and veggies, four servings of breads and cereals, two to four servings of milk and dairy products, and two servings of meats. Eating too much dietary fat increases the risk of heart disease by clogging arteries. Reducing consumption of red meat, sugary desserts, snacks, and soda can reduce these dietary fat risks. Eliminating poor eating habits, avoiding environmental temptations, such as a candy bowl, and counting calories leads to a healthier lifestyle that excludes obesity (fitness.gov).

Stansbury 4 To balance the caloric scale, one must counter their calorie intake with exercise. One could lower their calorie intake and have no change due to a lack of exercise. In other words, their food intake matches their daily energy expenditure. Today, one thing is certain; citizens do not get enough exercise. Though advances in technology have made life easier, people have become less physically active. Since our bodies need physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle, people with rigorous schedules must make a commitment to exercise. Fittness.gov also states that the best way to control weight and be healthy is to follow two rules. First, one must have a regular exercise schedule and second, increase daily physical activity. Some ways to increase physical activity are to reduce time spent watching television, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go bowling on the weekends, or participate in outdoor activities. The possibilities are endless. Just doing one of these things will not burn an abundance of fat, but when combined with an overall active lifestyle, it can lead to fat loss. Fitness.gov shares that aerobic exercises use the bodys large muscle groups in continuous, rhythmic, sustained movement and requires oxygen for the production of energy. Aerobic exercise is the form of exercise that uses the most energy. This form of exercise causes increased blood flow through the arteries, which flushes out waste that could clog arteries, and gives the whole body fresh oxygen. Because aerobic activity increases blood flow throughout the body, it improves cardio-respiratory endurance thus making the bodys organs and tissues ability to consume oxygen greater. Also with more oxygen intake, resulting in more calories burned, which will in turn decrease body fat. Some aerobic activities include jogging, walking, swimming, biking, long-distance running, skiing, and dancing. Experts recommend a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. Some

Stansbury 5 studies also show that after exercise ones metabolic rate will remain high throughout the day. Not only can exercise make you lose body fat, but it can definitely lower the risk of health problems associated with obesity. By adding exercise into ones daily schedule, Americans can lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle (Fitness.gov).

Many people use genetics as an excuse for their obesity. While genes can play a role in obesity, poor eating habits and a lack of exercise are more commonly the cause. Some genes can cause disorders such as Barde-Biedl Syndrome and Prader-Willi Syndrome. The evidence obviously supports a link between genetics and obesity for some people, but the fact remains that there must be a disparity between the amount of calories consumed and the amount burned. James O. Hill and Frederick L. Trowbridge, two Pediatricians from CDC quoted, despite obesity having strong genetic determinants, the genetic composition of the population does not change rapidly. Therefore, the large increase in [obesity] must reflect major changes in non-genetic factors. In other words, genetics is the only logical excuse for obesity, and in most cases, that is simply not valid. Statistics prove obesity is unhealthy and leads to illness and death. Being active and eating better leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Today, obesity is a major health problem in America. Being obese means having too much body fat and this can lead to bad health and even death. The list of health problems associated with obesity is undoubtedly long, and the yearly death count due to obesity is unnecessary. Eating healthier and eliminating bad habits are easy ways to avoid these problems and death. These habits can be eliminated by simply slowing down when

Stansbury 6 eating and not eating when bored. When combining a good eating program with exercise, the benefits are incredible. Preventing health problems and increasing self-confidence by reaching a goal should be the reward needed to motivate people to fight obesity. By exercising and eliminating poor health habits, Americans can avoid obesity and its threat to society.

Stansbury 7 Annotated Bibliography Boyse, Kyla. Obesity and Overweight. umich.edu. Regents of the University of Michigan. Aug. 2011. 22 Nov. 2011. This is a research article from the University of Michigan that will take one in depth about being overweight and obese. It will begin by a definition, followed by statistics and outcomes. Information will be provided on how to know if ones child is overweight and how to test it. The article shows how children become obese and then tell how to prevent it by planning and setting goals. The article later goes on to list a helpful list of other sources that can be obtained.

Bramble, Joy., Cornelius, Llewellyn Joseph., and Simpson, Gaynell. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 2009. Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press, 2011. The John Hopkins University Press. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. This article is a collection of research studies preformed upon four groups of Afro-Caribbean and African-American women. The purpose of this study was to examine cultural contexts for notions of good health/health practices, and perception of obesity. Cultural foods and food preparations were studied and the results showed that not all of the groups of typical cultural foods had the same effect.

Canadians Tackle Bad Eating Habits. Cbc.ca. CBC. 2 Jan. 2011. 22 Nov. 2011.

Stansbury 8 This is a news article from CBC News presenting information about the Canadians tackling eating habits. Canadians fruits and veggie intake are up while red meat intake is down. This is just some of the positive information found, since the negative reports of Canadian eating habits in 2001. CBC took a survey over one familys food intake and found out that their sugar and salt intake was too high.

Celermajer, David S. Wait for Weight or Waste the Waist. Onlinejacc.org. The American College of Cardiology Foundation. 2009. 21 Jul. 2011. Celermajer describes the insight of why people are obese by the biology and chemistry of their body reacting to the foods eaten. She continues to explain what can be done to protect the heart and blood vessels of obese children, and exercise schedules to correct obesity. A body mass index test can be used to test obesity; later, environmental affects on life and benefits of being healthy are explained.

Center for Disease Control. Causes and Consequences; Obesity and Overweight. Cdc.gov. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 May 2011. 22 Nov. 2011. This entry describes the causes and consequences of being overweight and obese. One must understand calories and their caloric intake in affect with their body; their caloric intake is countered with their physical activity. The entry goes one to describe how the environments affects one on eating and obesity and gives examples on how to help this at different locations. On will also find out that genes, drugs, and illness will also play a key role on obesity.

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Center for Disease Control. Improving Your Eating Habits. Cdc.gov. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 13 Sep. 2011. 22 Nov. 2011. This entry will tell one on how to improve eating habits. It will take you through three basic steps to mask obesity. One will analyze good and bad habits, and then replace bad habits for good habits. These steps will teach individual how to recognize triggers and avoid them, while rewarding themselves on good cases.

Center for Disease Control. U.S. Obesity Trends. Cdc.gov. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 May 2011. 21 Jul. 2011. This is a Government article about U.S. Obesity Trends. In the U.S. alone 33.8% of adults are obese, while 17% of children are obese. The article later goes on to show a map of the 2010 State Obesity Rates and a chart to compliment the map. This obesity information collected and presented by states was from research from 1985 to 2010.

Finn, Katie and Rathert, Sarah, "The effectiveness of exercise as an intervention in the treatment of childhood obesity" 2009. Oregon: Pacific University Library, 2009. School of Physical Therapy. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. In this article, two authors portray insight upon the effect of exercise used as an intervention in childhood obesity. Lifestyle exercise is discussed, while incorporating aerobic exercise in the plan. This plan of exercise developed lower

Stansbury 10 Body Mass Index test, and raised fitness levels in children. The overall study showed that exercise will lower obese childrens weight performing lifestyle aerobic exercise, whether, individually or in a group program.

Gavin, Mary L. Why Exercise is Wise. Kidshealth.org. The Nemours Foundation. Feb. 2009. 22 Nov. 2011. Mary L. Gavin, a Medical Doctor, explains why exercise is wise for teens. Gavin starts out by explaining rewards and benefits towards exercise, and then different forms of exercise. Upon reading this article teens will know what exercise is best for them and learn not to become part of compulsive exercise.

Hampson, Sarah E., Andrews, Judy A., Peterson, Missy., and Duncan, Susan C. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2007. New York: Springer, 2007. Springer Link. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. The authors point out in this article that identifications of youth obesity need to be recognized and that youth obesity rates rising are taking toll on the nations health. The research found out that childrens social icons could take a toll on children physically. The research came from youth of all ethnicities from Oregon Youth Substance, and concluded that when childrens icons were physically active and fit, than the children took a toll to mimic their idol and their looks.

Holwegner, Andrea. Canadian Eating Habits. Cbd.ca. CBC. 14 May 2008. 22 Nov.

Stansbury 11 2011. Andrea Holwegner, a registered dietician, composes an article and about Canadian eating habits and the shortfalls she sees in diet everyday from patients. She gives five shortfalls and they are: not eating enough fruits and veggies; not getting enough calcium rich foods; eating too much fat; failing fiber intake; and not maximizing vitamin and mineral intake. Holwegner describes about each, and the correct path to follow that opposes these shortfalls.

Mann, Denise. Obese Teens Dont Grasp Weight Loss Rules. Usatoday.com. Gannett Co., Inc. 4 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011 In the article Mann goes on to describe how teens in America want to lose weight but might not be doing it the most affective way. They found that obese girls were more than likely to engage in physical activity but would counter it with a sugary soda and have no weight loss. Obese guys did not exercise and spent too much time playing video games. Basically teens just do not understand how hard they must work to burn off what they eat in a caloric view. Mann later goes on to give helpful hints on reversing these problems.

Paez, Christina J, and Kravitz, Len. Exercise Vs. Diet in Weight Loss. Unm.edu. The University of New Mexico. Feb. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. This article is started out by giving statistic about obesity in America, and it then goes on to explain the effects of obesity. Although it is know that exercise and proper diet are best for weight loss, the authors are challenging the ACSMs

Stansbury 12 statement that exercise alone is not affective at all in weight loss. A twelve-week study was looked at that consisted of men and women in two different categories; one group was a diet only programs and the other group was an exercise only program. Studies showed that the exercise only program lost weight and decreased body fat.

The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Exercise and Weight Control. Fitness.gov The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. n.d. 22 Nov. 2011. This is a Governmental publication from research that explains in depth about exercise and weight control. One will learn about being overweight and overfat and the courses to take upon them. Energy balance will be explained, which will help one in knowing how many calories to take in after one learns how to count calories. This will continue on to exercise and forms of it, while also explaining about active lifestyles and the benefits of an active healthy lifestyle.

Warkentin, J., Chan, M., Igric, A., Seabrook, JA., Matsui, D., Lim, R., and Joubert, G. National Institutes of Health. Paediatr Child Health. 2008. London: The University of Western Ontario, 2008. The U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. The composers of this article talk about how obesity levels in Canadian childhood is rising and call to action of reversing it has been issued. Obesity-

Stansbury 13 related anticipatory guidance was reviewed in pediatric emergency departments. Out of 200 surveys 52% respondents said they were obese, while 52% had people dieting in their family, and 41% wanted to find out how to reverse obesity.