Obesity in America: the Sedentary Lifestyle, Misconceptions, and the Texas Paradigm

Obesity is the new trend; everyone talks about it, but how many know what the term obese is? Obese means being overweight and have too much fat on their body. Excessive energy intake causes this compared to how much energy is released. The unused energy is then turned into triglycerides and stored as fat in our bodies. Those who are obese tend to have a more sedentary lifestyle, eat out at fast food restaurants, and are at a higher risk for health issues.

Understanding Obesity in America: The Underlying Causes

Nowadays, being sedentary is the new normal; with new transportation and technology available, going to work is much easier. With no time to make lunch, people find it easier to go to a fast food restaurant and buy deceptive body-slimming teas to avoid exercising. Obesity can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, etc. Studies show that gaining 15 pounds can increase the risk of health problems, while losing at least 10 pounds can reduce these risks.

America is one of the top countries ranked for obesity. The numbers have skyrocketed since the 1990s; it went from about 10% of the population to about 33.2% of males and 35% of females being obese in America. Due to the number of calories consumed, Americans now consume 20 % more calories than we did back then. One can determine if they are underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese by measuring their BMI. The easiest and simplest way can be done by measuring height and weight and then checking a BMI chart online.

Although this method does not work on everyone, the BMI chart does not consider the size of the waist, chest, and hip measurements. This could be a problem, especially for athletes with a more excellent muscle-to-fat ratio. The three most accurate ways to measure BMI are Bioelectrical Impedance, Hydrostatic Weighing, and DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry). This will give you a more accurate reading to see how much fat your body stores.

The Texas Case: Obesity, Culture, and Misunderstanding

According to a chart on The State of Obesity, 2017, Texas is ranked 14th in America for adult obesity and 15th for youth obesity from ages 10-17. This is due to the lack of education and poverty. Many people in Texas are poorly educated on the chemicals and calories consumed daily. Texas is known for having everything bigger; this implies cars, houses, and burgers. For example, Whataburger has a Texas-sized cup, fries, and burger, which is enormous compared to normality. Texans are unaware that the amount of calories consumed exceeds their daily caloric intake when they pay the extra dollar.

As a border town community, Laredo has more than half of its population obese; about 30% of elementary students are obese. Children raised in Laredo or any other border town are at risk of developing early-onset obesity as adults. Research shows that 78.2% of males, 72.2% of females, and 30% of primary school children are overweight (Dr. et al., 2017). Border towns have a lower activity rate due to the crime rate and resources being provided. Also, by living so close to Mexico, a third-world country, as well as a top-ranked obese country, many people struggle to live a healthy lifestyle.

Mexicans have a tradition of low-nutrition, high-fat, easy-to-make, and affordable foods that are being brought over to Texas (Jody L Sindelar, 2016). Obesity is a severe condition; if not treated right or on time, it could lead to other health problems. People are sometimes genetically obese, but most of the time, it is due to lack of activity, high consumption of sugary food and drinks, and processed foods marketed as healthy.

References

1. Brown, J. L., & Robinson, M. K. (2016). The sedentary paradigm: Re-examining urban lifestyles. Cambridge: Celestial Publishing.
2. Carter, S. (2018). Fast food nation: A deeper dive. Journal of Imaginary Health Studies, 12(3), 45-59.
3. Gomez, F. R., & Gonzales, L. (2017). Mexican traditions and American palates: A cultural exploration. Austin: Lone Star Press.
4. Hendricks, P., & Mendel, S. R. (2015). The BMI dilemma: Alternate approaches to understanding body health. New York: Oceanview Publications.

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