Obesity The Body Mass Index Essay - 1699 Words

Introduction Obesity can be defined as an abnormal increase in the proportion of fat cells, mainly in the viscera and subcutaneous tissues of the body (Mosby, 2010). The official medical measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), an index of an individual’s weight relative to height. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines obesity as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30 (World Health Organisation, 2015). New Zealand (NZ) ranks 3rd highest for obesity rates amongst OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries with 1 in 9 children classified as obese (Statistics New Zealand, 2015). The rate of childhood obesity in NZ has increased from 8% in 2006/7 to 11% in 2014/15 (Ministry of Health, 2015). Obesity is of particular concern amongst children due to the association with a wide range of health conditions and an increased risk of early onset illness. Obese children are more likely to be obese adults and have impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension a t a younger age. Obesity in children is also associated with asthma and musculoskeletal problems as well as mental health problems due to low self-esteem and depression (Ministry of Health, 2015). This essay will discuss the environmental factors that aid the prevalence of this health issue. Also, discussion will be had about the environmental worldview that is reflected by this situation. Lastly, the role of government laws and policies in the management of this issue will be analysed.Show MoreRelatedObesity And The Body Mass Index1404 Words   |  6 PagesToday I am discuss about one of the major health problem obesity. According to Wlardlow (2000), obesity is defined as a condition characterized by excess body fat. Health reduces and it creates some big and little bit small problems related to the body of the certain people who has this kind of problem. It extends many negative effects on people’s health and reduces the life expectancy people are considered obese when their body mass index is a measurement obtained by dividing individual s weightRead MoreObesity As A Body Mass Index1606 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION: Background Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≠¥30 kg/m2. It is a rising epidemic due to many factors including genetics, lifestyle and other hormonal/medical issues. According to the World Health Organization, worldwide there are about 500 million obese adults and 42 million obese children. In the United States, 35 percent of adults (roughly 100 million people) and 17 percent of children are obese. Obesity is linked to many complications, including hypertension, dyslipidemiaRead MoreObesity As A Body Mass Index ( Bmi )1458 Words   |  6 Pagesoverweight and obesity is caused when an energy imbalance between energy consumed and calories expanded takes place. The cause for this energy imbalance is often complex, resulting from the multifactorial interactions between genetics, overeating, slow metabolism, medications, and physiological factors. Obesity can be measured in several ways; the most widely used technique is BMI. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of size based on a person’s mass and height (NHLBI, 2015). Obesity is defined asRead MoreObesity Is Defined As A Body Mass Index2779 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction a. The prevalence of obesity in the United States has doubled over the last two decades (Pomerantz et al, 2010) and tripled over the last three decades (Taylor et al, 2006); similar trends are also occurring worldwide (Sabharwal and Root, 2012). i. In children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific CDC BMI-for-age growth charts (Ogden et al, 2012). 1. Severe obesity is defined as a BMI at or aboveRead MoreChildhood Obesity Is Defined As A Body Mass Index924 Words   |  4 PagesOF THE TOPIC According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009), Childhood Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index at or above 95th percentile for both male and female children in the United States. Approximately 9 million children are struggling with Obesity (Gootman, J.A., McGinnis, M., Kraak, V.I., 2006). The rate at which children are being diagnosed with obesity has more than doubled over a span of 25 years form 7% to 18% for children ranging in age from 6-11 yearsRead MoreObesity : An Individual s Body Mass Index1418 Words   |  6 Pages Measures Obesity is determined by an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the CDC, â€Å"an adult who have an index mass of 30 and over, is considered obese†. Body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m) 2), is used to calculate the height and weight to determine if the individual is obese. Poverty is defined â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2014). Since the majority of Austin is poverty stricken,Read MoreChildhood Obesity : A Child s Body Mass Index1701 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood Obesity is usually measure by a child’s body mass index. This tells where a child lands on the health scale. At the same time, a child’s body mass index doesn’t give the final and complete picture about that child. In order to create an effective action plan to combat this public health issue, it is imperative that it is understood that children are very unique. Children are a lot like snowflakes; each one has different and unique characteristics to them. How a child grows is usually differentRead MoreObesity : The Major Health Problems Worldwide1211 Words   |  5 PagesObesity is one of the major health problems worldwide. The World Health Organization estima ted that over 1.4 billion people around the world diagnosed with overweight and obesity in 2008 (Haberka, Stolarz-Skrzpek, Cazrnecka, Gasior, Olszanecka-Glinianowicz. 2014. P,1). At all ages and throughout the world, women are generally found to have higher rate of obesity than men. The method that used to measure the obesity is the body mass index. The body mass index is the weight divided by height squaredRead MoreObesity Epidemic in America1748 Words   |  7 Pagesthe fattest country in the world. Obesity in America has reach epidemic proportions. Obesity and weight gain has become major concern of public health in the United States. In every state, at least twenty percent of adults are obese, and in twelve of these states the obesity rate is above thirty percent. Mississippi currently holds the highest rate of obesity with 34.9 percent of its residents being obese. On the contrary, Colorado has the lowest rate of obesity with 20.7 percent. CNN estimated thatRead MoreChildhood Obesity And Its Effect On Children s Wellbeing And Health999 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood obesity is described as a condition whereby excessive body fat interferes or affects child’s wellbeing and health. The condition is often diagnosed based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) since it is considerably difficult to determine the body fat directly. This condition is now recognized as a serious issue requiring public health concern owing to the increased of its prevalence among the children. To avoid stigmatization, overweight is often used in children rather than obese (Ogden, 2014)