Obesity in African Americans

Obesity in African Americans

Introduction

At present, obesity is spread worldwide, and it is also often called "third epidemic of the Millennium.” In 1995, the number of obese was about 200 million; in 2000 this number had risen to 300 million. Being overweight and obese is currently estimated to facing up to a billion people on our planet, while the number of undernourished is around 850 million. It is the first time that the global number of overweight people outnumbers the hungry and malnutrition.

The problem of overweight and obesity affects not only the developed countries. Already spread to socio economic classes and ethic population where such developments are surfacing at alarmingly high levels. For example, the African Americans and Latina population is hugely obese and overweight.

As stated above obesity endemic is global. A trend has been witnessed globally, where it can be seen that the representatives of the population that are belonging to lower socio economic classes, are generally more obese in comparison to other ethnic populations that are in majority and often have better socio economic statuses. Obesity is not unknown in countries like China, Thailand and Brazil. It occurs even in African countries (South Africa), which is due to lifestyle and the belief that plump shapes are the hallmark of abundance and prosperity.

The aim of the research effort is to discuss the obesity issues prevalent in African American population in the U.S. the paper would also go on to suggest that the African American women are severely hit from the epidemic of obesity; more to than men.

Discussion

Obesity in the U.S.

If you say obesity, many of us immediately think of the U.S. population. America is associated with the development of fast food and all the modern lifestyle. Obesity has become an American phenomenon that continues to grow its force. Over the last twenty years, there proportion of obese people in the population increases rapidly. In 2006, only four states had a smaller proportion of obese than 20%. Most affected by the state is Mississippi, where up to 62% of the population is overweight and 24% are obese. This "epidemic" burdens America in economic terms. Expenses for the treatment of obesity continue to increase. For example, in 1998, it spent 10% of all health spending, which amounts to about $ 80 billion. It is presently increased to 12%, which is $ 100 billion.

Obesity in EU

Obesity is increasing even in European countries. It is not in the European Union, however, entirely new trend because obesity increases gradually from 80 years. However, for the last thirty years, the number of extremely obese is on the rise. If you divide the numbers by gender in the EU suffer from overweight or obese 27% of men and 38% women. A major problem is childhood overweight and obesity. The proportion of overweight in some countries, such as Spain or Italy, has reached more than 30%. Today in the Member States of the European Union struggling with overweight, around 22 million children, of whom 5 ...