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Healthy People 2020
Obesity is a worldwide health concern that can be reduced and prevented by public health
education and awareness. The increasing rates of obesity leads to various other detrimental
chronic health conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and mental health problems. According to Lancaster and Stanhope (2016), low income persons
often choose foods high in fat and sugar because they are lower in cost, which further
exacerbates the burden of chronic disease. Poor people are more vulnerable for obesity and
chronic health conditions (Lancaster & Stanhope, 2016).
History, Depth, and Breadth of Obesity
Childhood obesity remains at an all-time high of one in five children suffering from
obesity (Skinner et al., 2018). According to a study conducted by the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey, there continues to be an increase in obesity across all age groups
(Skinner et al., 2018). In the past decade there have been many public health initiatives to
decrease the rate of obesity including Michelle Obama’s Lets Move campaign, and the American
Academy of Pediatrics established a section on obesity in 2013 as well as efforts from various
state and local communities.
Despite these efforts the obesity epidemic is now becoming an endemic, with continued
decline in improvement in Americans’ obesity rates (Skinner et al., 2018). While studying
obesity rates, it is important to consider the history of the individuals as well. For example,
individuals that are not obese at the time of a study however have a history of obesity had a
higher incidence of overall chronic disease (Stokes & Preston, 2017). According to Stefanovics
et al. (2018), the incidence of obesity has risen by twenty eight percent between 1980 and 2013.
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Impact of Obesity on the American Population
Obesity is a part of a chronic disease that is recognized across the life span that has the
ability to lead to functional impairments, increases the risk for other chronic diseases and is
related to premature death (Jastreboff et al., 2019). The Obesity Society published a statement in
2008 which identified obesity as a disease, which was further updated to reflect obesity is now
referred to as a noncommunicable chronic disease (Jastreboff et al., 2019).
Rising body mass index (BMI) has reduced life expectancy in the United States by 0.9
years and accounted for neartly two hundred thousand deaths in 2011 (Preston et al., 2018).
Among wealthy countries the United States has the highest rate of obesity and the rise in average
BMI was also significantly larger than other nations (Preston et al., 2018). Directly rated to the
increase in obesity, the rate of medication use for chronic conditions such as hypertension,
hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia have significantly increased as well (Preston et al., 2018).
Impact of Health Care Policy-Making on Obesity
As early as 1904 policymakers have pondered ways to raise revenue and discourage poor
health decisions among Americans, however it was not until the mid 1990s that there was a shift
in clinical research to support obesity related policy efforts (Richardson et al., 2017). The
implementation of obesity related public health policies could provide a great deal of resources
to Americans, including funding for healthy behaviors initiatives and public health education.
However, initiating policies related to obesity often spark debate due to the possible limitations
on personal and business freedoms along with cost (Richardson et al., 2017).
Finding the balance between providing health education to the public as well as offering
autonomy is a difficult task although crucial when developing policies related to obesity. It is a
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well-known fact that a diet high in sugar leads to obesity and various chronic health conditions,
however limiting Americans purchasing abilities of these products may also be an infringement
on American rights. Creating policies require many resources, therefore it is essential there is
sufficient evidence to ensure resources are not wasted in the early stages of policy
implementation (Binks & Chin, 2017).
Recommendations
Obesity among Americans is a well-known problem that leads to many chronic disease
processes and premature death. Despite the knowledge surrounding the detrimental effects of
obesity many Americans continue to consume diets high in sugar and have limited physical
activity. One way to combat this public health crisis would be to limit Americans on the amount
of sugar consumed. Food and drink companies should have a limit on the amount of sugar and
sugar substitutes allowed in products. Beginning in 2005 France adopted a nation-wide
regulation that bans vending machine from secondary schools in an effort to decrease sugar
intake among adolescents (Massri et al., 2019). Policies such as this find creative ways to reduce
sugar intake among individuals. By limiting sugar addition and artificial sweetener to food and
drinks this will limit intake and therefore reduce obesity rates. Education and public health
awareness will provide Americans with resources needed to prevent and combat obesity.
Christian Worldview
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were
bought at a price” (New International Version [NIV]). Man is made in the image of God, as
Christians we are to do only what is Holy and honor Him with our thoughts, behaviors and
actions. Participating in vile, unhealthy, vulgar activities does not honor or glorify God. Our
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References
Binks, M., & Chin, S. (2017). What are the challenges in developing effective health policies for
obesity?International Journal of Obesity (2005),41(6), 849-852. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.1
Jastreboff, A. M., Kotz, C. M., Kahan, S., Kelly, A. S., & Heymsfield, S. B. (2019). Obesity as a
disease: The obesity society 2018 position statement.Obesity,27(1), 7-9.
doi:10.1002/oby.22378
Lancaster, J., & Stanhope, M. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in
the community. Elsevier.
Massri, C., Sutherland, S., Källestål, C., Peña, S., Medicinska fakulteten, Medicinska och
farmaceutiska vetenskapsområdet, . . . Uppsala universitet. (2019). Impact of the food-
labeling and advertising law banning competitive food and beverages in chilean public
schools, 2014-2016.American Journal of Public Health,109(9), 1249-1254.
doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305159
Preston, S. H., Vierboom, Y. C., & Stokes, A. (2018). The role of obesity in exceptionally slow
US mortality improvement.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America,115(5), 957-961. doi:10.1073/pnas.1716802115
Richardson, M. B., Williams, M. S., Fontaine, K. R., & Allison, D. B. (2017). The development
of scientific evidence for health policies for obesity: Why and how? International
Journal of Obesity (2005),41(6), 840-848. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.71
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Skinner, A. C., Ravanbakht, S. N., Skelton, J. A., Perrin, E. M., & Armstrong, S. C. (2018).
Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US children, 1999-2016.Pediatrics,141(3),
e20173459. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-3459
Stefanovics, E. A., Potenza, M. N., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2018). The physical and mental health
burden of obesity in U.S. veterans: Results from the national health and resilience in
veterans study.Journal of Psychiatric Research,103, 112-119.
doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.016
Stokes, A., Ni, Y., & Preston, S. H. (2017). Prevalence and trends in lifetime obesity in the U.S.,
1988–2014.American Journal of Preventive Medicine,53(5), 567-575.
doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2017.06.008
