With the current fast-paced lifestyle of the average American, fast-food restaurants and unhealthy eating habits have become apart of their everyday routine. America is considered the fattest country. (Matthews, 2014) Obesity has become one of the most major health problems for not only adults, but also children in the United States. Over 35% of U.S. adults are obese and 17% of today’s children and adolescents are obese, which is triple the rate from one generation ago. (CDC, 2014)
Until the early 1990s, obesity was more ore less ignored by public health officials. Now, however, health professionals are downright alarmed, not only because the incidence of obesity among adults and children is rising so rapidly but also because it is now well
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The Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) is a calculation that is based on your weight and height and is compared to a chart that states what the average person their height should weigh. (Salinsky, 2003) The B.M.I. is used as a measure of being overweight and obesity in adults. There are complications that come along with using the B.M.I. calculation though. One flaw is that muscle weighs more than fat. If someone is physically fit and very muscular, they will tend to weigh more. Since the scale is so vague and doesn’t take into consideration specific instances, some think it is not reliable. According to Dr. Carl Lavie, a New Orleans cardiologist, “The B.M.I. tables are excellent for identifying obesity and body fat in large populations, but they are far less reliable for determining fatness in individuals.” (Brody, 2010) One could look at this scale and consider themselves overweight, even if they practice healthy nutritional habits. Health systems need to have more of a specific calculation for measuring B.M.I. because some people could be considered obese that are not. When it comes to measuring obesity in children, it is based on growth charts and physical development. These charts are provided from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention