The Silent Epidemic Of America

“During an average binge, you may consume from 3,000 to 5,000 calories in one short hour. After it ends, panic sets in and you turn to drastic measures to “undo” the binge, such as taking ex-lax, inducing vomiting, or going for a ten-mile run. And all the while, you feel increasingly out of control” (Smith, Melinda. Bulimia). The final eating disorder discussed in this paper is binge eating. Binge eating disorder is known as overeating or a period of uncontrollable eating. Binge eating is becoming more and more common here in america because of the large quantities of food sold daily. Although, binge eaters do not purge after eating, they still feel shame or guilt after eating like a bulimic (Anorexia, Nervosa).

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution

Are Americans, where obesity is found to be a major struggle, in jeopardy with the various aspects that may cause obesity, such as poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, etc.? Poor eating habits such as eating processed foods is one reason for weight gain in children and adults. These eating habits are affordable, tasty, and an easy way out when an individual does not want to cook. Obesity is a personal issue that many have struggled with all their life. There are many risks that come along with being obese as well as ways to overcome it. In order to explain this the research report will ask: do individuals who are obese know the various health risks that come along with the constant weight gain and how to lose the weight

Psychological factors also play a large role in obesity. Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as sadness, depression and anger. These people are generally binge eaters. During a binge eating episode, a person eats large amounts of food and feel that they cannot control how much they are eating. These people have more difficulty losing weight and keeping it off than others without a binge eating problem. It is common that binge eaters suffer from low self esteem and depression.

“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.

I choose this topic because I think it is an interesting topic and everyone will like it. As can be seen, obesity is known as one of the most concern in the United States. Many children like to eat fast food, and adults do not have time to cook, so they usually choose to eat outside. Therefore, many people are obese, and they do not know how to balance their

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess fats have grown and accumulated to the point of harm, and a shortened life expectancy. Obesity is a problem that has been more prominent in the 20th and 21st century and is now a main concern for both society and the government. It is the citizen’s duty to resolve this epidemic known as obesity in the United States.

Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy.

Ramifications of obesity have been long recognized by health care professions, but there is no clinically recognized definition of food addiction. Mental health researchers at Yale University applied traditional criteria for substance abuse to eating and obesity and found striking similarities (Liebman, 2012). There remains considerable debate about classifying nonsubstance addictions, with some mental health professionals suggesting that these are behavioral disorders rather than disorders with neurobiological causes.

Her responses on the Overeating Questionnaire indicated she had a tendency to inaccurately disclose her eating behaviors and eating habits. Upon further questioning of her test results, she admitted to eat after hunger satisfied, eat for emotional reasons, cravings (specifically for sodas), She seemed to rationalize her eating behavior. Her motivation was intact along with plans to follow a regimen to maintain her weight-loss plan. She likely has the social resources to facilitate her weight-loss efforts. There were no gross indicators of stress, depression or anxiety.

Eating disorders and associated obesity are major public health issues. In addition to its adverse health problems, behavior related to overeating may have significant psychological and neurological underlying conditions (Moreno & Tandon, 2011). Research indicates that there may be an addiction component associated in the development of eating disorders, as there are similarities between substance dependence and overeating (Uher & Rutter, 2012). Their shared neurobiology and treatment, has led to new conversations and suggestions for a new category for food addiction in the new DSM-V, as well as be included with substance disorders under a broader category for addiction disorders (Moreno & Tandon, 2011; Uher & Rutter, 2012). The current classification systems of mental disorders in the Furth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-VI), Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and the Tenth Edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) are limited and challenging due to the complexity of symptoms that may occur in on one specific disorder (Hebebrand et al., 2014; Robbins et al., 2012). For instance, an individual can have the same diagnosis based on symptoms that may be opposite in

Over the years, the continuous rising in the rate of children obesity in America is worrisome. According to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of children obesity rise from 7% in 1980 to 12% in the course of twenty years. Many people might not compare obesity to other problems happening in the world, and deem it as important, but what they do not understand is the detrimental consequences of this epidemic on each individual facing it. Obesity can affect more than the physical attributes of a person, from the rise in blood pressure, liver diseases (Daniels, 2009), to psychosocial factors like depression, lower of self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction (Mustillo et al.; Hesketh et al.,).

A second diagnosis for Kathie is Mild Binge Eating Disorder (BED) (F50.8). BED is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating in which the client eats a large amount of food in a two-hour period that most people would consume in a similar situation. There is sense of lack of control over the eating. The binge episodes one to three times a week for three months. The client must meet three of the five criteria listed in the DSM-V for BED which include eating more rapidly than normal, feeling uncomfortably full after binge eating (BE), eating when not hungry, feeling embarrassed, and feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after the binge eating episode. Additionally, there is a feeling of marked distress over the binge eating episode. There are no compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, using laxatives, medications or excessive exercise (APA, 2013). Kathie has been secretly struggling with an eating disorder (ED) for the last six months. She has meets 3 of the 5 criteria listed in the DSM-V including eating excessively until she feels uncomfortably full. After binge eating, she feels ashamed and helpless, which makes her more depressed. She feels a loss of control over her eating. She eats alone and feels guilty after binge

Obesity has caused great dilemma in America. It was known as an adult disease. “Over two thirds of adults are over weight or obese.”(Obesity, Jerry R Ballenttne) these numbers are increasing rapidly. Obesity is not just a appearance