Obesity among adults

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During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the United States. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30 percent of U.S. adults who are 20 years of age and older—over 60 million people—are obese. This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6-19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight. These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

 Hypertension

 Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

 Type 2 diabetes

 Coronary heart disease

 Stroke

 Gallbladder disease

 Osteoarthritis

 Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

 Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

 

Although one of the national health objectives for Healthy People 2020 is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults to less than 15%, current data indicate that the situation is worsening rather than improving (CDC: Overweight and Obesity).

 

Apply your knowledge as a health care expert:

You, as staff members to the Assistant Secretary of Health in the Department of Health and Human Services, have been asked to prepare recommendations for stepping up the effort to combat the obesity ‘epidemic’ in the United States. Your team is now meeting to compile your research into a report. The following is a list of potential interventions and strategies you have each brought to the discussion table.

  • Tax snack-food and fast-food sales (consumer pays)
  • Tax snack-food and fast-food production (producer pays)
  • Curtail food advertising, particularly to children
  • Promote healthy behaviors through city planning initiatives: bike paths, new urbanism (small town centers for walking, public transport), parks, recreation, etc.
  • Increase public (Medicaid and Medicare) and private insurance coverage for gastric bypass surgery and weight loss drugs.
  • Increase public (Medicaid and Medicare) and private insurance coverage for counseling and wellness programs.
  • Increase government investment in research to develop ‘medical products’ to treat obesity.
  • Increase locally sourced foods such as urban farms.
  1. Choose one strategy or intervention that you would support and provide your rationale for why this strategy would help reduce obesity.
  2. Choose one strategy or intervention that you do not support or believe would not be effective in reducing obesity and provide your rationale.