Answer

Obesity in US Children, Adults and Adolescents

Obesity is a general state of overweight, whereby the body mass index is greater than 30. Two major classes of obesity exist; gynoid and android (Wilkund 4360). Android obesity is obesity where adipose deposition around the abdomen predominates and is further linked to increased heart disease and insulin resistance (Yusuf 1640). Gynoid, on the other hand, has been linked to protection against cardiovascular diseases (McCarty 173). Android ‘fat’ has been thought to be metabolically active, further leading to dysmetabolism of fatty acids and increased influx of free fatty acids into the splanchnic circulation, paving the way for atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, visceral fat has been shown to release greater quantities of pro-inflammatory cytokines than gynoid ‘fat’ and this has been postulated to cause insulin resistance. Overally then, android fat has more health hazards when compared to gynoid.

In the US, obesity is currently a silent epidemic affecting all groups from adolescents, adults and even children at 35% for adults and 18%-49% for children (Hruby 673) and with dire projections pointing to over 85 percent of adults being overweight by 2030 (Tanko 1626). The prevalence of obesity amongst adults and children has been marked by increase of obesity associated diseases such as ischemic heart disease, hypertension and other associated heart and vascular conditions (Hruby 673). The increased prevalence of risk factors across all ages, and the reduction in the preventative measures clearly indicate that obesity is an epidemic through adults, adolescents and even children.