Essay on The Hawaii Diet : Returning to our Roots

America is known for being one of the most obese countries in the world. Once you step foot in America, people can quickly find out why; everywhere you look there are a ton of fast food chains on nearly every block. Fast food to Americans is a quick, easy, and affordable way to get food. In the past Forty years, more than 160,000 fast food restaurants have opened in America (Pirello). This cheap and quick meal comes at a cost; according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDCP), more than 66 percent of Americans are overweight and obese. To make things worse, the CDCP notes that one third of children and adolescents are obese. David Zinczenko, the editor-in- chief of Men’s Health

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate (Barness et al, 2007). For thousands of years obesity was rarely seen, it was not until the 20th century that it became common, some much so that in 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized obesity as a global epidemic (Caballero, 2007).

“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”.

Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).

The Native Hawaiian Diet will be organized, implemented and evaluated in the course of three years. The mediation will start with a planning year. Where a necessities appraisal will be directed and assets will be collected. The next year will be dedicated to usage of the program. At long last the third year will comprise of assessing the information gave by the program and utilizing upgrades for the near future programs.

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. With such a significant percentage of the population (68.8% of Americans are overweight or obese) dealing with weight issues and with food marketing pushing cheap, fast food options, Americans are suffering from serious health consequences.

In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous burden on both the health and healthcare of those affected. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. According to the Centers of Disease Control, as of 2013, 34.9% of our population is considered overweight or obese. America is the richest yet the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein, 1994).

The last decade has welcomed, with open arms, a new epidemic: obesity. Currently in the United States, more than one-third of adults, 35.7%, and approximately 17% of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is not only a problem in the US but also worldwide with its prevalence doubling in high income and economically advanced countries and is also growing in under-developed areas. Its incidence rate is continually increasing with each successive generation and in each age group, including the elderly (Byles, 2009; Dorner and Rieder, 2011).

Obesity in the United States has been a serious problem affecting Americans and has been continually growing higher in numbers each year. American obesity has nearly doubled within the last 40 years and is now considered to be an epidemic that is affecting millions of people around the nation. According to the National institute of Diabetes and digestive and kidney Diseases, 31% of men and 35% of women are considered seriously overweight, along with 15% of children between the ages of six and nineteen are also overweight. The lack of physical inactivity and extreme poor dieting are catching up to almost the same threat as cigarettes and tobacco smoking. We as a nation are considered to be the fattest country in the world.

Adult overweight and obesity have become a worldwide issue that has very dangerous consequences on health. World Health Organization defines obesity as the “epidemic of the 21st Century”. WHO reports show that 1.9 billion people with 18 years age and older are overweight, and 600 million of them are obese. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem today that results from overconsumption of high-fat food and sugary food with lack of exercise. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reports show that the obesity rates are above 20 percent in all states. Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue because of their high rates of mortality and morbidity. People who are considered overweight or obese are at increased

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.

From 1960-62 to 2005-06 the number of obese Americans almost tripled from 13.4% to 35.1% (Weight-control Information Network 2). These two extreme upward trends might make a convincing case that the extra fast food intake has caused the hike in obesity rates, and it may very well be a good indication, but it is far from proof. Too many things have changed over the years, from the way the average American exercises, to the types of other food that people are consuming.

Obesity does not discriminate, it is a condition that effects all genders, races, ethnicities, and ages. Across the United States millions of people suffer from health issues related to poor nutrition, a lack of exercise, and excessive weight gain. These problems can be remedied or avoided with a proper diet and exercise to reduce body fat, eliminate chronic illness risk factors, and improve quality of life. With extreme obesity comes an increased risk of insulin resistance, heart disease, and some cancers. When a person’s body mass index (BMI) is between 30-39.9 they fall into the category of obese, any BMI over 39.9 is considered extreme obesity. This method for calculating an ideal body weight based on height can be flawed as it does not give the percentage of body fact, nor does it account for those with excessive muscle weight. Despite that fact BMI is still widely accepted throughout the nutrition community as an acceptable first step at categorizing individuals based on height and weight.

Obesity Problem Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Almost one-third of the US population is currently obese with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, and close to 5 percent is morbidly obese with a BMI greater than 40 (see Obesity in America). Obesity not only increases the risks of many health problems, including hypertension, respiratory disease, orthopedic disorders, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia, but also has adverse social and economic consequences. Current approaches to weight control are in general not very successful and results vary greatly between individuals. This is mostly due to the fact that obesity is a complex, multifaceted issue which requires an integrated and comprehensive solution.

Obesity is a significant public health problem. Its prevalence in the United States estimated to be 35.1% in 2011–2012 (6291981) and 33.7 in 2014 (http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A900A?lang=en)