Obesity in America has become a pressing issue that has all different types of people concerned. The rise in the number of obese Americans has been called an epidemic, and while some may consider this to be somewhat dramatic, the supporting statistics surrounding American obesity are staggering to say the least. According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2004 32.2% of adults suffered from obesity, while another 30% were considered overweight. This number has not declined since, and in fact has drastically increased over the past six years.
According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight) However, a person is generally considered obese when they are at least 20% over their ideal weight when height, sex, age, and build are taken in to consideration. Obesity is incredibly dangerous and can lead to a number of health issues including type two diabetes, coronary heart disease, high LDL or “bad” cholesterol, stroke, hypertension, osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints), sleep apnea and other breathing problems, complications of pregnancy, and even some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney).
Several factors can lead to obesity, including heredity, diet, culture, lack of exercise, and generally “unhealthy” lifestyles. In Katherine E. Jones, Jennifer J. Otten, Rachel K. Johnson, and Jean R. Harvey-Berino’s behavioral study entitled “Removing the Bedroom Television Set: A Possible Method for Decreasing Television Viewing Time in Overweight and Obese Adults,” two of these factors, lack of exercise and unhealthy lifestyle, are apparent. In this study, a group of adults aged 21-65, with BMI’s between 25 and 50, who reported watching at least 3-8 hours of television a day, had their television viewing, and sleep habits recorded. Special monitors attached to the television sets were used to record when and how much television was viewed, and participants recorded when they went to sleep and woke up, both including naps and excluding naps. These monitors were attached to all television sets in the household; however, only the data collected from the bedroom television sets was observed. Television viewing in the bedroom contributes to less exercise along with disruption of sleep habits, both main causes of obesity.
At the conclusion of the study it was found that those with bedroom television sets viewed significantly more television per day. (5.4 hours with compared to 3.6 without) This study reveals that if television sets are not present in the bedrooms of both adults and children, there is a possibility that obesity may be reduced due to more time spent not watching television and improved sleep habits. This is supported by other studies that have shown reduced television viewing time leads to greater energy expenditure, as much as 119 kcals/day. It is essential that the America’s obesity rates drop significantly and while large-scale steps toward this goal are most important, small steps, such as the removal of bedroom television sets, can also help stop this epidemic from spreading.
http://bmo.sagepub.com/content/34/4/290.full.pdf+html
According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight) However, a person is generally considered obese when they are at least 20% over their ideal weight when height, sex, age, and build are taken in to consideration. Obesity is incredibly dangerous and can lead to a number of health issues including type two diabetes, coronary heart disease, high LDL or “bad” cholesterol, stroke, hypertension, osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints), sleep apnea and other breathing problems, complications of pregnancy, and even some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney).
Several factors can lead to obesity, including heredity, diet, culture, lack of exercise, and generally “unhealthy” lifestyles. In Katherine E. Jones, Jennifer J. Otten, Rachel K. Johnson, and Jean R. Harvey-Berino’s behavioral study entitled “Removing the Bedroom Television Set: A Possible Method for Decreasing Television Viewing Time in Overweight and Obese Adults,” two of these factors, lack of exercise and unhealthy lifestyle, are apparent. In this study, a group of adults aged 21-65, with BMI’s between 25 and 50, who reported watching at least 3-8 hours of television a day, had their television viewing, and sleep habits recorded. Special monitors attached to the television sets were used to record when and how much television was viewed, and participants recorded when they went to sleep and woke up, both including naps and excluding naps. These monitors were attached to all television sets in the household; however, only the data collected from the bedroom television sets was observed. Television viewing in the bedroom contributes to less exercise along with disruption of sleep habits, both main causes of obesity.
At the conclusion of the study it was found that those with bedroom television sets viewed significantly more television per day. (5.4 hours with compared to 3.6 without) This study reveals that if television sets are not present in the bedrooms of both adults and children, there is a possibility that obesity may be reduced due to more time spent not watching television and improved sleep habits. This is supported by other studies that have shown reduced television viewing time leads to greater energy expenditure, as much as 119 kcals/day. It is essential that the America’s obesity rates drop significantly and while large-scale steps toward this goal are most important, small steps, such as the removal of bedroom television sets, can also help stop this epidemic from spreading.
http://bmo.sagepub.com/content/34/4/290.full.pdf+html
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