Health Care Cost Of Obesity Essay

Obesity is a serious problem in the United States. In fact, more than one third of adults are considered obese (CDC.gov, 2016). Additionally, being obese contributes to the development of disease such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer (CDC.gov, 2016). Furthermore, in 2010, the annual medical costs of obesity exceeded $147 billion and medical costs for obese people are often much higher than those of normal weight (CDC.gov, 2016). The trends of excessive weight gain and obesity are rising in the United States. Simply explained obesity or the state of being obese is caused by an imbalance of energy consumption to use. Thus, multiple studies have linked excessive weight gain to specific behaviors such as the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, fast food, poor snack choices, negative opinions

Individual behaviors such as dietary patterns, physical activity, inactivity, medications and other exposures are typically the culprits of causing obesity (CDC.gov, 2016). The medical care costs of obesity are extremely high and in the United States in 2008, the costs exceeded over $147 billion (CDC.gov, 2016). Furthermore, the annual nationwide productivity costs of obesity-related absenteeism exceeded $6 billion (CDC.gov, 2016). Due to the rising prevalence of obesity and the ever increasing burden it places on an already taxed medical system, this research will assist with determining effective amounts of physical activity and the relationship with obesity and the prevention of. Overall, the purpose of this research is to determine the optimum amount of physical activity that leads to a healthy body mass index. A firm understanding of this perfect amount may be utilized to create hybrid obesity prevention programs in the pursuit in decreasing the prevalence of obesity and reducing its burden on the health services