National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveal a

distressing picture of excessive weight and obesity in American

Society( These increases have been

caused by greater daily caloric consumption and a relatively low

level of consistent physical activity. Today the average American

man consumes 2,684 calories per day compared to 1,531 calories

in 1980. Additionally only 22 percent of adults engage in thirty

minutes of moderately intense activity for the recommended

number of days per week. This increase in weight occurs, however,

only when the body is supplied with more energy than it can use

and the excess energy is stored in the form of adipose tissue, or as

we know it fat. The continuos buildups off adipose tissue leads to

excess weight and eventually turns into obesity. Obesity is so closely

associated with chronic conditions, that medical experts now

recommended that obesity itself be defined and treated as a

The most prevalent forms of malnutrition in the more affluent countries of the world are overweight and obesity. Most people think of malnourishment a

s a shortage of certain types of essential nutrients. In developing countries, food deprivation forms the basis of malnutrition. However, malnutrition can also be a disease of plenty. Due to the fact that our food supply exceeds the needs of our population, people are able to eat more than is required for healthy living. They often consume more calories than they expend. They can then become overweight and eventually may become obese. There is one big question that people ask a lot and really do not understand, when obesity and overweight are discussed. That is, ôHow can people tell the difference between obesity and being overweight?o Nutritionist have said that obesity is apparent when fat accumulation produces a body weight that is more than twenty percent above an ideal or desirable weight. On the other hand, people are said to be overweight if their weight is between one percent and nineteen percent above their desirable weight, the more likely they are to be labeled obese. The word obesity requires further refinement. When people are between twenty percent and forty percent above desirable weight, their obesity is said to be muled, whereas excessive weight in the forty- one percent to ninety û nine percent above desirable weight is defined as moderate obesity, and finally, weight of one hundred percent or more above desirab

Some common words found in the essay are:
American Society, Examination Survey, Weight Data, desirable weight, percent desirable, percent desirable weight, excessive weight, desirable weight defined, leptin found lower, found lower levels, energy output, twenty percent, physical activity, weight defined, adipose tissue, body types, weight obesity,
Approximate Word count = 910
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)