Obesity in Miami Essay

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Obesity in Miami Essay

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Miami-Dade County, Florida. According to the website that I researched (County Health Rankings, 2017), health in this county seems to be pretty good. Ninety-nine percent of individuals living in this county have access to exercise opportunities however, obesity is a problem because 21 percent of the individuals are physically inactive – this corresponds to an adult obesity rate that is also 21 percent. Although this sounds like a fairly high rate (a little more than one-fifth of the population) it is important to keep  in mind that it is quite a bit less than the national adult obesity rate of 36.5 percent (CDC, 2016). Obesity in Miami Essay

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Obesity is an important health problem that should not be ignored as it contributes to several different types of adverse health outcomes. These include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and stroke risk (CDC, 2016). There are several lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity, and the main ones are dietary intake and physical inactivity. It seems pretty clear from the statistics in County Health Rankings (2017) that physical inactivity in Miami-Dade, Florida and obesity are going hand-in-hand, as the physical inactivity rate and the obesity rate in that county are exactly the same. Dietary intake is also important in that individuals who consume too much food are at great risk of obesity, especially when this consumption of food (and therefore the input of energy) greatly outpaces the activity level of the individual (and therefore the outflow of energy). Some health resources available to address the problem include the availability of counseling and therapy services, and weight loss centers and programs (for individuals who have enough money to afford these), and self-help groups like Overeaters Anonymous that are free and therefore available to people with lower income levels as well. These methods are useful for addressing the food-intake component of obesity. For addressing the physical inactivity component, there are gyms and county and neighborhood parks that everyone can utilize to increase their activity levels.

CDC. (2016). Overweight and obesity. Retrieved March 7, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html

County Health Rankings. (2017). County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Retrieved from http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/ Obesity in Miami Essay