OBESITY EPIDEMIC: POOR DIET AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY A MAJOR GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE The health implication of the nation’s weight Okechukwu Ndukwu PUBH 8165 April22, 2012

Obesity and Overweight simply means body weight greater than an acceptable range in relation to the height of the individual. It is usually measured with an index called ‘Body Mass Index’ (BMI). According to the National Institutes of Health, Obesity and Overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States

More than one-Third of the U.S adults (over 72million people) 35.7% and (over 12.5 million) 17% of the U.S children are Obese (CDC 2011a). In 2010, no state had a prevalence of Obesity less than 20%. Most Southern States had a prevalence of 30% or more (CDC 2011b). Obesity rates for all population groups regardless of age, sex race, ethnicity social economic status, educational level or geographic region have increased remarkably.

. An estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to the Obesity epidemic.

Risk factors for Obesity Human behavior (Physical inactivity and consumption of unhealthy food) Environmental factors Genetic factors

What has been done in the Past? Various Public health campaigns Education, Research and advocacy (Obesity Society 2011) Various legislations such as H334 which requires public schools to provide physical activities as part of physical education.

Stakeholders in the campaign to control obesity Restaurant owners Nutritionists Epidemiologists Healthcare providers Community groups Hospitals Media organizations Worksite School/Institutions Government agencies

What needs to be done? Current American Medical Association guideline requires maintenance of BMI of , and lose weight if already overweight. Individual participation- Make healthy decisions to exercise regularly and promote healthy eating Parents-Encourage outdoor games. Provide healthy meals and fruit/vegetable as snacks. Regulate TV watching at home. Community Participation-Increase in physical activities, encourage healthy living and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Workplace- Employers encourage staffs to exercise at work, use of bikes, taking a walk and provide incentives for not smoking. Government Regulations- More taxes on Junk food and beverages, enforce requirements for nutritional facts labels on foods and beverages sold in the restaurants

The weight of a nation (Complications of obesity) Sudden Death -Obesity causes approximately 300,000 sudden deaths per year and an obese individual has about % increased risk of premature death than a healthy weight individual(Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NHANES). Heart Disease -The incidence of heart disease is increased in the obese individual and the chances of developing high blood pressure, heart attack and congestive heart failure is also increased in the obese (American Heart Association 2009). Diabetes – Over 80% of people with Diabetes are overweight or obese.Obese individuals are more likely to be at risk of developing type 2 Diabetes than individuals with regular weight (NHANES 2010) Cancers – Obesity is associated with an increased risk of endometrial, gall bladder, colon, prostate and breast cancers (CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics NCHS 2012). Other Health and Social Consequences – May include depression due to low self-esteem and job discrimination.

Conclusion The menace of obesity is preventable and controllable. Recently the initiative of the first lady Michelle Obama in addressing childhood obesity gained some media publicity. Tackling obesity epidemic mainly requires both individual and community-based efforts and appropriate government programs and legislation.

Reference: Moeller, D. (2011). Environmental Health (4 ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Schneider, M.J.(2011).Introduction to Public Health (3 rd ed.).Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA Center for Disease Control (CDC): U.S. Obesity Trends Retrieved from Center for Disease Control (CDC): US Obesity trends Retrieved from Center for Disease Control (CDC): Trends by State 1985–2010; Retrieved fromhttp:// State Legislative and Regulatory Action to Prevent Obesity and Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity Obesity soc iety: Mission and vision, culled from - us/mission -and-vision.htm Google images( (2012 )- culled from