Lazaro Aleman: Greene Publishing, Inc.
With more than 34 percent of adults and 17 percent of children and adolescents, ages two to 19, considered obese in the United States, the disease not only poses serious health risks implication, but it is now ranked as a national epidemic.
Indeed, projections are that if the current trend continues, three-quarters of Americans will be overweight or obese by 2020.
The medical community defines overweight and obesity as a Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29, and obese as BMI of 30 or greater. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9.
According to the State of Obesity in Florida, a report of the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released in September 2016, Florida had the 35th highest obesity rate in the country at 26.8 percent in 2015, compared with the other states.
Louisiana was in first place with an obesity rate of 36.2 percent, and Colorado was in last place with an obesity rate of 20.2 percent.
In terms of ages, the State of Obesity report listed the obesity rates in Florida at 16.5 percent for 18 to 25-year-olds; 25.7 percent for 26 to 44-year-olds; 32.1 percent for 45 to 64-year-olds; and 25.8 percent for 65 and older.
And in terms of gender, it listed the obesity rates at 26.5 percent for men and 24.1 percent for women, based on 2012 figures.
Finally, in terms of children, the report listed the obesity rates at 12.7 percent for two to four-year-olds, 13.4-percent for 10 to 17-year-olds, and 12.3 percent for high school students.
Specific to Florida, a separate report generated in 2014 and provided by the Jefferson County Health Department shows that 62.2 percent of the state’s population, which was 19,548,031, (at the time) was overweight or obese. That 62.2 percent breaks down into 36.0 percent overweight and 26.2 percent obese.
As for youths who were ages 11-17, the latter report showed 28.2 percent were overweight or obese, with the numbers breaking down into 15.8 percent overweight and 12.4 percent obese.
And specific to Jefferson County, the latter report showed that as of 2014, 62.8 percent of the county’s population of 14,654 was overweight or obese. Which numbers break down into 56.4 percent overweight and 26.4 percent obese.
Simply put, obesity results from having excess total body fat, whereas being overweight can result from extra muscle, heavier bones or water, in addition to excess fat. Both kinds of weight, however, are considered unhealthy.
Considered a chronic disease, obesity can contribute to serious, long-term health problems, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis and cancer, according to the medical profession. It can also lead to psychological and social problems in a culture that values thinness.
According to the medical community, the causes of obesity are not specifically known, as the mechanisms that the body uses to regulate weight and body fat remain a partial mystery. What is known, however, is that consumption of more calories than are burned is one factor. Lifestyle choices such as overeating, alcohol consumption and lack of exercise are contributing factors.
Obesity is the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the medical community.
A 2015 study in the journal Obesity found that participants who drank about two glasses of water before meals were more likely to lose weight than those who skipped the glasses of water and went straight to eating.
The risks of obesity include:
Type 2 diabetes, which makes the body resistant to insulin.
Heart disease, including hardening of the arteries, coronary artery disease, a build-up of cholesterol plaques in the arteries of the heart and heart attack.
Stroke, caused by blood clots that form in the narrowed arteries, move through the circulatory system and lodge in a vital area, cutting off blood and oxygen to the brain.
High blood pressure, caused by the need for extra blood to accommodate fat tissue and narrowing of blood vessels from cholesterol buildup.
Sleep apnea, caused by added weight on the chest wall squeezing the lungs and causing breathing problems or making a person stop breathing for brief periods during sleep.
The medical community notes that lifestyle choices factor into surviving obesity. Among the preventive measures the medical community recommends are eating a healthy diet, avoiding highly processed foods, sugary snacks and beverages, and exercising regularly.