Gayle 1

Tim Gayle Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 2/3/13 Topic Proposal: Obesity: We Are What We Eat Introduction/Overview The topic I will be analyzing is the causes and risks of human obesity. The United States is one of the biggest countries that is experiencing obesity. Obesity is the medical condition where excess body fat accumulates over time and causes health and medical issues to humans. Many reasons contribute to human obesity, that includes: unhealthy eating, over eating, and lack of exercise. A third of American adults are overweight. Another third are obese. Combined, 68.8 percent of U.S adults are either overweight or obese. CDC Obesity is the contributing factor in five of the top ten contributing factors of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease.-CDC Losing as little as 5 to 7 percent of a persons total weight lowers blood pressure, improves blood sugar levels and lowers diabetes by nearly 60 percent in people with prediabetes.-CDC In 2009, roughly 94 percent of schools served lunch that failed to meet federal standards for healthy school meals. 80 percent of the lunches served in those schools exceeded federal recommendations for total fat and saturated fat.-USDA survey At the current rates of increase, obesity related health care costs are expected to exceed $300 billion by 2018more than double the $147 billion reported in 2008.

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Workers who are obese are less likely to be promoted than their fit peers. For women, its about 11 percent less than women of healthy weight, health economist John Cawley of Cornell University found. At the average weekly U.S wage of $669 in 2010, thats a $76 weekly obesity tax.-Reuters Obesity-related absenteeism costs employers as much as $6.4 billion a year, health economists led by Eric Finkelstein of Duke University calculated. *(http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/05/obesity-in-america-by-the-numbers-1.html) Looking at these statistics on the PBS website is very shocking but also informative. The main causes for human obesity are: lack of energy balance, an inactive lifestyle, the environment, genes and family history, health conditions, medicines, emotional factors, smoking, age, pregnancy, and lack of sleep. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/healthtopics/topics/obe/causes.html) The risks are: coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, abnormal blood fats, metabolic syndrome, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, reproductive problems, and gallstones. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html)

Initial Inquiry Question(s) Does the internet (blogs), television, and/or video games lead to obesity? My Interest in this Topic Im interested in human obesity because I live a very active lifestyle and want to learn the risks and causes of an unhealthy/non active lifestyle are.

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1. What do you already know? Obesity in America is becoming a major issue in children, teens, and adults. Eating unhealthy, not getting enough exercise, and lack of sleep causes obesity. 2. What do you hope to learn? What is the leading cause of human obesity? What is the leading cause of obesity? (pretty much the same question) What are other causes of obesity? Does modern technology, like iPhones, contribute to obesity? What are ways to prevent obesity? What types of food causes obesity? Do video games contribute to obesity? Does the Internet contribute to obesity? What are the ages that obesity affects the most? Which gender is most likely to be obese? What types of food/exercise are good to stay healthy?

Next Steps I will be visiting the librarys database to search for peer-reviewed sources that cover the issues. I also will be looking on the Internet for interviews, causes, risks, and preventions.

*First I would like to say that I liked the topic you picked. I do agree that technology does have a huge impact on obesity these days and when you visit the library and look on the internet for your research there will be plenty of information. Opening up with the explanation and examples of obesity was an effective way to start the paper. Also, having the statistics and percents helps prove your argument.