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Obesity Obesity is generally referred to as a condition of being significantly overweight. Most physicians use the body mass index (BMI) to determine desirable weights. BMI is calculated metrically as weight divided by height (kg / m 2). People with a BMI of 25. 0 to 29. 9 are considered overweight and people with a BMI of 30 or above are considered obese. Studies show that individuals who are 20 percent or more overweight run a greater risk of developing diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some forms of cancer. According to some estimates compiled by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, almost 70 percent of heart disease cases in the United States are linked to excess body fat, and obese people are more than twice as likely to develop high blood pressure.
Obese women are at nearly twice the risk for developing breast cancer, and all obese people have an estimated 42 percent higher chance of developing colon cancer. The risk of medical complications, particularly heart disease, increases when body fat is distributed around the waist, especially in the abdomen. Due to the overwhelming obesity rate and expense that obesity cost both insurance companies and the government the two parties should unite and create a national weight management program. Currently, about 31 % or about 59 million Americans are obese. $ 93 billion per year goes to treat health problems of people who are overweight. If this amount is divided among Americas population, it turns out that each taxpayer gives out $ 175 each year for the national treatment of obesity. In 1998, overweight and obese individuals paid an average of 11. 4 % and 26. 1 % more on out-of-pocket medical costs.
While the data from studies on the effect of exercise for short-term weight loss are contradictory, research clearly indicates that regular exercise is the single best predictor for achieving long-term weight control. Regular exercise will also improve some of the medical conditions associated with obesity including elevated blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. That is why in order to save America from obesity and all the problems associated with it, there needs to be a national weight management program. It is clear that obesity has become a truly national problem.
It means that government should step in and make certain steps as to solving this problem and helping millions of people. One of the ways the government can help is to subsidize gym memberships. It can be done through group workout sessions, since helping many people at once will save money. Also, obese people should be required to participate in such group workouts in order to get their health insurance. This will be beneficial for the insurance companies as well, as they will save money by preventing obesity in many patients, which in turn would mean preventing the health problems mentioned above. Finally, the Federal and State governments could introduce mandatory courses in high schools, colleges and universities, which would deal with healthy diet and ways of keeping the normal bodyweight.
Even though it is proven that obesity is somewhat a genetically-caused issue, there are ways of fighting it by healthy diet and exercise, and American youth should be taught how to do it. Now arises a question of financing these various problems of preventing and fighting with obesity. The most reasonable answer is that all three parties involved (government, insurance companies and the obese people themselves) take financial responsibility. Government should take care of paying for weight management courses, and subsidize gyms. Health care companies should provide free courses and workout sessions for their insurance-holders. The most important contribution of the obese people would be their own recognition of the problem and a great desire to change the situation.
There should be enough of community counseling and support for the obese people. Each individual should try to persuade their obese friends to loose weight. The main argument would be that we want to see our selves as a healthy, energetic nation. If obese people saw the support of their friends and relatives, along with all the subsidies to treat their condition from government and insurance companies, America would soon become a happier and healthier place to live in. Bibliography: web web
Free research essays on topics related to: high blood pressure, regular exercise, obese people, heart disease, healthy diet
Research essay sample on High Blood Pressure Healthy Diet
