America is said to be the fattest country in the world. With 33% of Americans over the age of 20 in the overweight category, and 36% considered clinically obese, it is predicted that by 2020, almost 75% of Americans are going to be either overweight or obese. Obesity is caused by eating more calories than burned, and also, the type of food being consumed. McDonald's for instance, is something that Americans love to eat due to the fact that it is inexpensive, quick in service, and tasty. Unfortunately, this mass produced food is full of fillers, calories, and added sugars and fat. These are all things that are causing obesity in Americans. With that being said, obesity has been linked to various health issues such as, high blood pressure, heart failure, and also cancer. High blood pressure does not discriminate with age, race, or gender. In fact, the highest predictor of hypertension is caused by obesity in young adults. According to Heart Disease Weekly, "researchers found a trend between overweight and high blood pressure in children 8-17 years old" (72). There is evidence that supports the theory that weight gain causes an increase in arterial pressure. Excessive weight gain particularly in the mid section is more intense determinant in the elevation of blood pressure than body fat any where else on the body. …show more content…
Body mass index, also known as BMI, plays a substantial role in heart failure among obese individuals. According to Fonarow and Hornwich, "in a study of 5,881 participants in the Frammingham Heart Study, increase in the risk of HF per unit BMI increase was 5% for men and 7% for women" (285). In addition, the level of physical activity also corresponds to heart failure. Studies have shown, that that the highest risk of heart failure is seen in obese men who are physically lethargic compared to men of healthy weight and physically