FAT AMERICA

Fat America 

by John Mar Fernandez

Research

Obesity is a huge problem that continues to increase every year here in the United States. A common health issue that puts people’s lives in danger. Obesity is defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. According to obesity statistics taken in 2014 by the NCSL(National Conference of State Legislatures),” obesity affects more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of youth in the United States. By the numbers, 78 million adults and 12 million children are obese.” Sad to say, our country is in bad shape, literally. Each year we continue to neglect and ignore our diets. Being unhealthy and overweight can negatively affect our lives and body in a variety of ways. Obesity puts us at many risk such as to hypertension (high blood pressure), osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint), dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides),type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems and cancer. (pancreas, kidney, prostate, endometrial, breast, and colon). This is very important to know because being overweight and obese is linked to more deaths worldwide. We need to be aware of our diets to life a long and healthy life. As a community, we need to stop feeding our children ads on greasy, sweet, junk food, instead enforce and display a healthy living. Eating healthy is better in the long run, some people avoid eating healthy because it is expensive but research shows, eating healthy now can save you money from long term medical bills.

Personal

Obesity is a huge problem here in the US. Obesity was once my biggest enemy. Throughout the last year of high school, I gained unwanted weight and completely stopped caring about my health. Day by day I sat home behind the TV screen snacking and playing games till I fell asleep. I was in a bad place in life, and I was at risk of many life threatening diseases. It was sad, and I let myself go. I was disappointed every time I saw myself in the mirror, till I discovered weightlifting at my local gym. My action is to promote a healthy living, to live a long and happy life.    

Members of my community also affected by this issue:

The following are my fellow colleagues, Joshua Cabrera, Saivon Russell, and Marianne Pacursa all affected by the issue of obesity. Joshua Cabrera, my high school friend was affected by this issue because as a child he was also overweight due to video games and a poor diet. He developed a low self esteem and lacked self confidence due to his appearance, but the last year of high school he turned his life around by joining the weightlifting program after school. Saivon Russell, a fellow classmate here at CSULA is also affected by this topic. His younger brother had a poor diet but Saivon helped him steer away from eating junk food and helped him with a proper meal plan. Lastly, Marianne Pacursa, just like Josh and I, had poor eating habits and gained weight because of it. After getting sick and tired of being bullied and belittled due to her physical attributes, she decided to exercise regularly and eat right, now she feels better than ever.

 Joshua Cabrera

"I chose to replace chips with fruits to better myself. I'm happy."

Saivon Russell

"Obesity has affected my loved ones, from health to relationships."

Marianne Pacursa

"I was insecure, lost, disappointed at my appearance. An hour a day at the gym saved my life."

Sources

Balentine, J. R. (2015, December 9). Obesity. In Medicine Net. Retrieved November 4, 2017, from https://www.medicinenet.com/obesity_weight_loss/article.htm

Obesity and overweight (2017, October). In World Health Organization. Retrieved November 4, 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

OBESITY STATISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES (2014, September 4). In National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved November 4, 2017, from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/obesity-statistics-in-the-united-states.aspx