Article Critique About Obesity: A Global Health Problem

Obesity: A Global Health Problem
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Obesity: a Global Health Problem
Obesity has become a huge problem globally, with 60% of the adults in the United States being either obese or overweight (Hurt et al., 2010). Obesity has become very dangerous since it is related to other health issues like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Lack of adequate exercise and poor diet (fatty food and excessive sugar) is regarded as the leading causes of the obesity (Gorber et al., 2007). The article, “The Obesity Epidemic: Challenges, Health Initiatives, and Implications for Gastroenterologists” by Hurt et al., 2010 seeks to expose the epidemic nature of obesity, while discussing its challenges, the health initiatives being taken to address it, and its impact on Gastroenterologists. Obesity is common across all ages, whether it is in children or adults, and this raises major concerns that should be addressed. The consequences of obesity are so severe that, without quality health initiatives to address the problem, many people will be hugely affected.
Summary of the Article
Hurt et al. (2010), in the text, are very candid on the dangers of obesity to one’s health. The authors point out that obesity is highly linked with other diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and even diabetes. Obesity is not only considered a problem in the United States, but a global problem that is becoming a leading cause of death. In fact, Hurt et al (2010) point out that obesity is among the top ten causes of death in the world. Due to the high prevalence of obesity, life expectancy has drastically reduced. The life expectancy for women has reduced by 7 years, while that of the men has reduced by 6 years (Hurt et al., 2010). The consumption of fast foods has been attributed as the leading cause of obesity because of the high fat content in it. Most people consume fast foods because they are easily accessible and they taste better than other healthier alternatives. As a way of dealing with the health problems associated with obesity, there are initiatives that have been put in place. The initiatives include: high taxation on foods and drinks with high amounts of calories, eliminating high-fat content foods, food labeling, and sensitizing the public on the importance of physical activity (Hurt et al., 2010). In this regard, gastroenterologists have a huge role to play in managing obesity and the complications associated with it.
Analysis of the Main Arguments
The global nature of obesity shows that it is a problem that needs to be addressed with immediate action. Global institutions should work collaboratively to come up with strategies of reducing the epidemic (Adams et al., 2006). Gi...