Obesity

Obesity is currently a public health crisis in the U.S, affecting the lives of many
Americans. The medical condition is associated with chronic ailments that include type-2
diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The condition is a threat to
Americans as it constitutes one in five deaths annually. The essay discusses the issue of obesity
in the U.S, potential practices and interventions, including a recommendation to health
organizations focused on addressing the public health issue.
Problems Related to this Public Health Issue
Obesity is a national concern impacting millions of adults and children in America.
Between 2017 and 2018, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4%, and it is expected to rise within
the next decade (CDC, 2021). Conditions related to obesity include stroke, type-2 diabetes,
certain cancer types, and heart disease. Currently, 35% of American citizens have obesity, which
poses a threat to the health status of the country. The most at-risk population are the non-
Hispanic adults constituting 49.6%. The subsequent groups with higher rates of obesity include
Hispanic adults, non-Hispanic whites, and non-Hispanic Asians, constituting 44.8%, 42.2%, and
17.4%, respectively (CDC, 2021).
The high prevalence of obesity has adversely affected the performance of employees in
their workplaces. As a result, organizations face an immense struggle in their effort to attain
organizational objectives and goals. Obesity has become a huge economic burden on society; for
instance, it has led to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity in the workplace. The
obesity cost related to absenteeism is estimated at $4.3 billion annually (Gonzalez, 2021).
Additionally, the job cost as a result of decreased productivity is $506 per employee annually.
Other than absenteeism and decreased productivity, employees suffering from obesity have

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higher compensation claims, which is costly for organizations to incur in the event of a claim.
The high cost of obesity has undermined the health outcomes of Americans. In 2008, for
instance, the estimated medical cost was $147 billion, which is a threat to service provision. The
overall healthcare costs related to the treatment of obesity-associated conditions are expected to
increase by $48 billion to $66 billion annually by 2030 (Gonzalez, 2021). Despite the financial
consequence of obesity, the disease will cause early mortality, including increased susceptibility
to ailments such as diabetes and cancer. The increased susceptibility to chronic diseases will
negatively impact the quality of life of American populations and families.
The potential causes of obesity among youths and adults are diverse, and they include
eating habits, genes, physical inactivity, medical conditions, sleep habits, and accessibility to
healthy foods. Poor eating habits are a significant contributor to obesity; for instance, eating
foods rich in excess fats increases the likelihood of becoming obese (Newman, 2019). Lack of
regular exercise is another threat associated with increased susceptibility to obesity since the
body mass fails to remain fit. Leisure activities such as watching TV, excessive use of computer
and phone without any physical movement increases the vulnerability to obesity.
The recent COVID 19 pandemic puts more American citizens at higher risk of obesity.
The pandemic has worsened food insecurity since Americans now struggle to access nutritious
foods free from cholesterol. Besides, the restriction of movement as a result of the deadly virus
has made Americans grow overweight and obese. Socioeconomic factors such as discrimination
and poverty have increased the obesity rates among ethnic and racial populations in the country.
The American states with obesity rates above 35% in 2020 include Mississippi, West Virginia,
Alabama, and Colorado (Newman, 2019). The higher rates of obesity in these states are a threat
to the American population and society. Cases of mortality as a result of obesity and related

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chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes will rise; hence, lowering the country’s status of
health.
Practices and Interventions
The intervention for addressing the obesity issue is increasing the availability of healthier
foods, including beverages, in schools. Cases of obesity among students or individuals between
ages 12 and 25 years are very high. Students constitute a higher percentage of obesity cases in
the country due to poor eating habits and unhealthy foods that increase the amount of body fat
(Shaya et al., 2008). The provision of healthier foods and beverages has the potential of reducing
obesity cases.
Meal, snack, and fruit interventions aim at providing healthier beverages and foods that
appeal to students and reduce or limit accessibility to unhealthy options. The suitable practices
include meal policies requiring school breakfasts or lunches to meet nutritional standards.
Programs that provide vegetables and fruits to students during meal times play a vital role in
keeping people free from obesity. It is important to increase the accessibility to healthy foods and
beverages to reduce the likelihood of eating unhealthy foods. Offering taste tests and lowering
the cost or prices of healthier foods and beverages will help reduce the prevalence of obesity.
The next intervention for obesity is reducing screen time. The majority of Americans
spend most of their time on technology. Technological advancement has contributed to the
numerous cases of obesity as most people prefer remaining indoors while using their various
gadgets or devices. As a result, they gain a lot of weight, adversely affecting their health
outcomes (Waters et al., 2011). It is prudent for Americans to spend less time playing computer
or video games and watching TV or DVDs to curb the obesity menace. Besides, surfing on the
internet has contributed to increased weight gain; hence, it is appropriate for people to spend

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reasonable time on the internet to help in weight loss. Behavioral interventions are crucial in
reducing screen time; for instance, creating classes to improve attitudes, skills, or knowledge can
reduce screen time resulting in modest weight loss among adolescents and children. The relevant
classes that reduce screen time include reinforcement techniques, family support encouragement,
goal setting, and skills building.
Counseling and coaching interventions through the use of technology are also significant
in addressing the issue of obesity. Healthcare practitioners and instructors can use technology to
counsel and coach people on how to lose weight, eat less, and maintain weight loss. People can
learn new ideas of losing weight from their homes without necessarily visiting physical places to
receive treatment or therapy (Teixeira et al., 2015). The technology aspects that support coaching
on weight loss include video conferencing, computer-based interfaces, computerized telephone
systems and personal digital assistants. It is convenient for people to train, learn and apply
relevant practices virtually to help weight reduction and living healthy. Further, intervention in
specific setting such as worksite nutrition is fundamental in keeping people healthy and free from
overweight and obesity. Worksite nutrition gives people the opportunity to access and apply
nutrition guidelines relevant for improving their health outcomes.
The final intervention for addressing obesity is physical activity or exercise. Physical
exercise is a behavioral intervention for the management of weight. Evidence suggests that
physical activity is a vital supplement for healthy dieting in obtaining optimal outcomes in
weight loss. Regular exercise increases lead to not only weight loss but also physical fitness that
helps in keeping the body fit and healthy. The duration for physical activity or exercise needs to
be at least 30 minutes to help reduce body fat. Thirty minutes of exercise daily keeps the body
healthy by losing excess or unnecessary weight. Therefore, physical activity prevents obesity or

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weight gain in diverse ways. For instance, it increases the total energy expenditure of people that
enables them to stay in energy balance, including losing weight. Exercise reduces total body fat
and fat around the waist, which slows abdominal obesity development. Push-ups, weight lifting
and muscle-strengthening activities help burn excess fat and calories; hence, keeping the body fit
and healthy.
A Public Health Organization or Agency that is attempting to address this Issue
Rud center for Food Policy and Obesity is a health organization devoted to the treatment
and prevention of obesity. The organization focuses primarily on supporting Americans to live a
healthy life by following the required dieting (UCONN, 2021). It promotes solutions to poor
diet, weight bias, and childhood obesity that negatively affect the health of Americans. The
organization documents the impact of local, state, and federal policies on improving accessibility
to healthy food in neighborhoods, childcare and schools. The policies aim at eliminating food
insecurities that could contribute to higher cases of obesity. Besides, the organization is crucial in
creating awareness of the harm related to the marketing of unhealthy food, especially unhealthy
food directed at teens and children.
Rudd center believes that everyone regardless of their economic, social, and political
status, deserves the opportunity of eating healthily. The organization gives priority to every
American citizen to understand the significance of eating healthy foods in an effort to curb the
increasing prevalence of obesity (UCONN, 2021). Over the years, the country has witnessed
increased cases of weight bias and stigma, which necessitated the need for the organization to
enlighten people concerning body weight and the potential remedies. For instance, in the
workplace, obese employees receive massive discrimination that undermines their morale and
work performance. Victims of obesity become stigmatized in their places of work and

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consequently reducing their quality of life. The organization, therefore, champions the eating of
healthy foods to boost both physical and emotional health. Rudd center uses education,
advocacy, and research to establish the most suitable and healthy food that can improve the
health outcomes of Americans.
The organization’s actions in promoting healthy eating foods are susceptible to some
controversies. For instance, certain groups may not eat a given food or diet that the organization
recommends due to their spiritual and social beliefs. As a result, the affected groups may
continue eating foods rich in heavy fats and calories that increase their vulnerability to obesity.
Therefore, it is important for the organization to educate people about the benefits of eating
healthy food to help curb the obesity menace.
Recommendation
Championing and providing healthy food cannot solve the issue of obesity wholly. The
organization should not only focus on healthy food as a remedy for obesity but also major in a
multi-component approach. Addressing the obesity issue fully requires the application of two
key approaches that include healthy foods and physical activity. The organization should include
physical activity in its strategies for solving the obesity problem. Combining healthy eating and
physical activity will help in the total eradication of obesity in the country. Regular exercise is
instrumental in breaking body fat and increasing fitness. Therefore, the organization should
include physical activity in its approach to eradicating obesity.

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References
CDC. (2021). “Adult Obesity Facts.” Cdc.gov. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Gonzalez, J.M. (2021). “Obesity in America: A Growing Concern.” Endocrineweb.com.
Retrieved from https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/obesity/obesity-america-
growing-concern
Newman, K. (2019). “Obesity in America: A Public Health Crisis.” Usnews.com. Retrieved from
https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-09-19/obesity-in-
america-a-guide-to-the-public-health-crisis
Shaya, F. T., Flores, D., Gbarayor, C. M., & Wang, J. (2008). School‐based obesity
interventions: a literature review. Journal of school Health, 78(4), 189-196.
Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Marques, M. M., Rutter, H., Oppert, J. M., De Bourdeaudhuij, I.,
… & Brug, J. (2015). Successful behavior change in obesity interventions in adults: a
systematic review of self-regulation mediators. BMC medicine, 13(1), 1-16.
UCONN. (2021). “Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.” Foundation.uconn.edu. Retrieved
from https://www.foundation.uconn.edu/fund/rudd-center-for-food-policy-and-obesity-2/
Waters, E., de Silva‐Sanigorski, A., Burford, B. J., Brown, T., Campbell, K. J., Gao, Y., … &
Summerbell, C. D. (2011). Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane
database of systematic reviews, (12).