What is the largest contributing cause of obesity in the United States, and what can be done on a societal and individual level to reverse the growing obesity trend in the United States?”

What is the largest contributing cause of obesity in the United States, and what can be done on a societal and individual level to reverse the growing obesity trend in the United States?” 

Obesity

According to the WHO, Obesity is an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.  A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres).  A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.  

Contributing Causes of Obesity in the USA

KathleenGasior listed some causes of obesity which include

        i.            Inactivity: Due to the sedentary lifestyle lived by American due to availability of conveniences.

      ii.            Poor Food Choices: Owing to busy work schedule, a lot of people now depend on highly processed convenience foods which carry hidden sodium, saturated fats and high-fructose corn syrup at the fast foods.

    iii.            Genetics: Family genetics plays a role in the way you store fat and where it accumulates on your body.  Genes alone do not mean you will be obese, but can cause certain obesity-related diseases such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Bardet-Beidl syndrome

Largest Contributing cause of Obesity in the United States

Food seems to be the largest contributor to obesity in the United States.  Janet Renee a clinical dietician in one of her articles emphasized the role food plays in obesity.  The work schedule of most American does not allow them to cook a well-balanced meal at the convenience of their home instead they choose to settle for already processed foods from fast foods, which are highly saturated with fats.  Regular intake of oversized portion of food is another cause of obesity; more calorie intake increases the overall portion size.  Snacking on unhealthy foods throughout the day is another culprit, this happen due to unavailability of time to cook healthy food and also being on a tight budget and not being able to afford healthy food. Many people live in neighbourhoods that have several convenience marts and fast food restaurants -- and with today's busy lifestyle -- grabbing a bite to eat at one of these places offers convenience. However, making poor food choices regularly contributes to obesity and puts your health at risk.

Things that can be done on a societal and individual level to reverse the growing obesity trend in the United States

Reversing obesity on a societal level

Teaming up to reverse childhood obesity has yielded promising results—including new data that shows rates among 2-4 year olds enrolled in the federal WIC program have declined in 31 states.  In many places across the country, we’re seeing a team approach not only to reversing the obesity epidemic, but to building a Culture of Health where all of us—no matter who we are or where we live—have the opportunity to be healthy. And we’re beginning to witness the exciting results of parents, policymakers, community leaders, health officials, educators, business owners, and industry executives coming together.  Schools are setting a great example.  Updated nutrition standards for school foods are working, and several districts are implementing minimum time requirements for physical education. Communities are innovating. Grocery stores and other healthy food retailers are receiving incentives to locate and expand in undeserved neighborhoods, and 33 states have implemented policies to encourage walking and biking.  Rates have steadied nationally for both adults and kids, and childhood obesity declines are popping up all over the map.  The 2016 State of Obesity report revealed even more good news: For the first time in the past decade, adult obesity rates actually declined in four states between 2014 and 2015.  Therefore on the societal level it is more of teamwork between the government and the society.

Reversing obesity on an individual level

Procrastination  is one action that has been stopping a lot of Americans’ from losing weight. The reasons why people procrastinate doing something are usually NOT because they are lazy, disorganized or don’t care.  The reason is mainly discomfort associated with whatever they have to do.

www.fastslimbody.com goes on to list common reasons why people procrastinate and these include:

1. Fear of failure

In terms of weight loss, you may wish to avoid the negative emotions you feel if the diet fails, or having other people see that you did not succeed with the diet.

2. Fear of success

In terms of weight loss, you may be afraid of being attractive for whatever reason, perhaps because your spouse or all your friends are overweight.

3. Perfectionism

You are seeking perfectionism, and as a result, feeling overwhelmed by all the things you need to do to complete the task “perfectly.”

In terms of losing weight, you may feel overwhelmed by all the changes you need to make in your life, to do the diet or exercise perfectly.

4. Negative Association

In terms of dieting, you may have a negative association with diets in general. For example, you may associate dieting with extreme hunger, painful exercises, non-satisfying foods, and lack of concentration.

Therefore the first step to take as an individual in reversing the effect of obesity is to stop procrastination.

There are many weight loss tips an individual can indulge in so as to reverse obesity and also according to www.fastslimbody.com, these tips include

Going for low or zero carb meals, zero carb diet is a diet plan in which the goal is to consume absolutely no carbs whatsoever. In other words, in a zero carb diet plan, you do not consume any sugar, starch or fibre.  Sugar, starch and fibre are what comprise carbohydrates.

Motivating oneself through the use motivational quotes are very powerful tools one can use to get himself motivated to lose weight.  It is recommended that one read a motivational quote every day and ideally at least 3 times each day. This really helps one to keep the faith that you will reach your goal one day.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) for running, which is a type of running exercise in which one rotates between fast running and recovery walking.  HIIT running is considered by some to be superior to traditional marathon style jogging in terms of health and weight loss benefits, and ability to sculpt your body.  One of the greatest benefits of HIIT running is that it is psychologically easier to do.