Obesity and Its Prevention in California

Literature Review: Obesity and Its Prevention in California
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Literature Review: Obesity and Its Prevention in California
Introduction
In the last thirty years, the problem of obesity in the United States has been rising dramatically in both adults and children (Babey et al., 2009). California adult and children obesity rates are among the highest in the country. Obesity is among the most severe health issues globally. Although Californians rank highly as people that live a healthy lifestyle, the rates of obesity have doubled since the 1990s. Obesity is a health risk to individuals and this affects not only the patients, but also other members of the society. Several authors have addressed the issue of obesity and its impact, including the ways to mitigate the problem.
Overview of Obesity in California
Obesity rates for adults and children between 2 to 5 years, from the 1980s to 2010, show that the prevalence of the disease has doubled. The rates triple among children between the ages of six and eleven, and among teens of between twelve and nineteen years (Anderson et al., 2003). Obesity equally affects all groups of people, irrespective of their age, gender, race, culture, economic status, level of education and geographical region.
According to Lee (2012), in 2003, about 40 percent of the US medically obese adult population was of Hispanic origin; an ethnic group that makes up a huge part of the California population. Because Hispanics are the fastest-growing population group in the country, addressing the high obesity rates and the risk of obesity in this group constitutes a considerable public health challenge. In addition, because both individual and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage measures appear to relate to GH BMI, understanding the needs of low-income people and low-income neighborhoods are also important. Although obesity risk is a challenge for all, and previous public health efforts have struggled to counter rising obesity trends, making sure that public education efforts are both relevant to and practical for diverse populations, is key to addressing the obesity problem in California.
In 2003, the obese adults’ women and men between the ages of 20-69 years in California account for 20% of the population approximately 4.5 million (Grummer-Strawn, 2010). This rise parallels that of the State this poses a serious health risk to the individuals. The children in low-income areas that are obese between 2 to 4 years are 17.3% and the other 5-19 years are 23.3%. The general population has 15.8% youth that is obese (Ogden et al., 2008). In California there are higher rates of obesity in Latino children, African Americans and American Indians than the Whites and Asians.
The Effects of Obesity
Obesity poses a health risk to children and adults. It causes high cholesterol and high-blood pressure an indication for heart diseases. There is a risk of diabetes because the person experiences high fasting insulin level and musculoskeletal ailments (Babey et al., 2012). Children that are overweight become obese adults. Adults with obesity, risk getting diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, some cancers, musculoskeletal diso...