Poor Nutrition And Lack Of Physical Activity - 1031 Words

Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity contribute to the rise of obesity which is leading to many diseases such as diabetes type two, cardiovascular diseases and premature death. A major goal is to reduce obesity by 2020. Many changes are being incorporated at an early age to promote healthy lifestyles. The main focus is getting people to become more active in their daily routines, and to educate them about healthier foods they should consume. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2015), one third of U.S. adults are obese which is about 34.9% (78.6 million) and 16% of children and adolescents are obese. There are many factors contributing to this rise in cases. Some of the determinants include built environment, social and†¦show more content†¦Socioeconomic status is another factor that contributes to obesity. According to the CDC, individuals with higher incomes are more at risk to becoming obese than those with lower income (Adult Obesity Facts, 2015). Ma ny factors are contributing to obesity, but there are many preventive measures that could be implemented in daily routines to lower the incidence of obesity. The goal is to begin by targeting the public school system in order to change nutritional behaviors. A major concern that is being targeted in schools is the access to healthier foods. Many schools have vending machines where students are able to purchase sweetened beverages throughout the day. In 2006, a study showed that 9.3% of schools did not sell or offer calorically sweetened beverages to students(ODPHP, 2016a). One of the goals is to increase this number to 21.3%. Another concern would be the consumption of sodium. A study conducted in 2009 showed that the average sodium intake for people aged 2 years and older was 3,655 milligrams, with the goal being 2,300 mg(ODPHP, 2016a). The major target in reducing sodium intake was the white community who had an average of 3,710mg in 2009-2010. Surprisingly, when this study was conducted it showed that people who were 25 years old with lower education had a lower sodium intake than those with higher education. A major role in sodium intake was also related to income, those with 100-199% of the poverty threshold has an intake of 3435 mg while