Obesity in AmericaIntroductionThe dynamics of obesityOnce the problem of malnutrition afflicted many countries around the world, today obesity has become the new epidemic. The word epidemic traditionally “refers to an acute outbreak of disease caused by a specific microorganism that spreads through a sizable portion of a population and requires serious responses such as quarantines, travel restrictions, and medical care” (Bellisari, 2013, p. 4). . Dealing with an epidemic often involves social disruption. When you consider how many millions of people are affected by obesity and related health problems, the use of the word epidemic seems very appropriate. When discussing the dynamics of obesity it is necessary to consider the growing number of people affected by this disease, the causes of obesity and the costs of obesity. The numbers are rising The United States has the highest obesity rate among developed nations. We have seen a steady increase in the number of obese people since the 1920s. This trend caught the attention of public health officials who began tracking this increase in 1985. By 1991, 12 percent of Americans were obese. In 1998, 20% of Americans were considered obese. “Today, approximately 60% of Americans are overweight and 26% are obese. Another 6 million are “super obese,” meaning they weigh at least 100 pounds more than they should” (Kornblum & Julian, 2012, p. 39). This number of obese Americans is astronomical and affects both men and women everywhere. ethnicities. Analyzing the numbers we see that 33% of men of all ethnic groups are obese. For women the percentages vary slightly depending on the ethnic group. With African American and Mexican American women we see that almost 50 ...... half of the paper ....... 20). References Bellisari, A. (2013). The obesity epidemic in North America: Connecting biology and culture. Long Grove, Illinois. Waveland Press, Inc. Kornblum, W., & Julian, J. (2012). Social problems. 14th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson Education, Inc. Walsh, T., & Cameron, V., (2005). If Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents. Oxford, New York. Oxford University Press. Wang, L. (2008, June). Weight discrimination: a remedy suitable for everyone? Yale Law Journal, 117(8), 1900+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T002&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm ¤t Location = 2&contentSet=GALE|A187961756&&docId=GALE|A187961756&docType=GALE&role=