Research Paper- Obesity

A condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.

Quote: "According to a book published in September 2010 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, obesity rates in the U.S. and Mexico are the highest in the world."

According to Fox Americans are below the average on many measures of health. She says that "Americans are by far the fattest, with an obesity rate of 36.5 percent in 2011, compared to 32.4 percent in Mexico, 25.4 percent in Canada, 4.3 percent in Switzerland and 2.1 percent in India."

What the Harvard organization is saying is that even though the United States obesity rates have steadied, they have still more than doubled compared to the past.

A trend that fits as the U.S. has the highest obesity rate of any OECD nation.

Quote: "In 1990, not one U.S. state had an obesity rate greater than 14 percent, according to the CDC. Ten years later, 23 states reported an obesity rate between 20 to 24 percent. And in 2010, 36 states had an obesity rate of at least 25 percent, with 12 states reporting an obesity rate beyond 30 percent."

Paraphrase: Other countries have found ways to try to control the obesity rate. The different solutions range from counseling by family doctors and nutrition specialists to information campaigns targeting children and parents. In Japan they make their employees have their waist size measured as part of a promotion program organized by their insurance fund. In the UK and Korea, national programs have been launched to reduce the salt and trans fat contents of foods.

Paraphrase: Thought the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world it is not one of the healthiest. America spends far more per person on health care than any other nation, yet the US is the most unhealthy.

Visual: Picture of predicted obesity rate in America for adults aged 20-74. This chart predicts that half of all American adults will be obese by 2030.

Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, researchers evaluated the relationship between physical activity in the workplace and obesity over the past several decades. In 1960, nearly half the jobs in the private sector required at least moderate physical activity, but in 2010, less than 20 percent demanded this much physical work. Advances in manufacturing and agriculture explain the drop in human energy needed at work. -Paraphrase (explain how modern technology has affected obesity)

Summary: This article clarifies what obesity is and what is causing the epidemic in America. It explains the financial and health costs. It brings up new policies to help prevent obesity.

"In most countries, obesity is strongly linked to gender and socioeconomic standing, with poorly educated women two to three times more likely to be overweight than those with more schooling. For men, disparities are less prominent and almost non-existent in many countries."

"In a health report card published in September, titled "F as in Fat," the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America's Health1 predict that half of all American adults will be obese by 2030."

"While U.S. obesity rates have, overall, stayed steady since 2003, they have more than doubled since 1980. They remain worrisomely high—the highest among all of the high-income countries in the world."

Picture that also depicts future obesity rate in 2030

Summary: This article is about how obesity has sort of leveled off in America, but it is still a problem. The statistics show that there hasn't been that much of a change since when the obesity rate was skyrocketing.

"In both 2010 and 2012 about 78 million adults were obese."

"In the U.S., however, obesity is more likely to be linked to race than to income, with African-Americans and Hispanics more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic whites or Asian-Americans."

"Americans are below average on most measures of health — from obesity to infant mortality — when compared with other rich countries, and they're falling behind on lifespan, too, according to the latest survey."

"The OECD survey compares the 34 member countries to one another on a range of measures, from lifespan and spending on drugs to infant mortality. It shows the health of Americans is worsening even as other countries improve things for their citizens."