Heath Crisis Facing American Women Essays - Obesity, Bariatrics

Debra Brown Heath Crisis Facing American Women The health crisis issues facing American women today have increased to chronic epidemic proportions. The main issues facing women are obesity and obesity-related health issues. A few of the obesity-related issues are diabetes and coronary heart disease. These illnesses affect women differently by ethnic background. These ethnic backgrounds are Euro-American, African American, and Hispanic American. The Hispanic American women include Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican women. Women need to become more educated to the repercussions of obesity and scientifically proven related health issues. The government needs to allocate funding for these much-needed education programs. The major causes for the increasing prevalence of these diseases are in direct correlation with an intricate complexity of social, economic, and political issues. There are numerous social causes of obesity in Euro-American, African American, and Hispanic American women in America such as body image, cultural upbringing, stress, poor self-image, and change. Due to the cultural upbringing, African American and Hispanic American women within the lower social status groups are less likely to view themselves as overweight, and they do not actively attempt to engage in physical activities when compared to Euro-American women. The sociocultural environment in which women learn their eating and activity behaviors has begun to raise questions as to being a cause leading to obesity. African American women believe the full, shapely figure is more attractive and more readily accepted in their social groups. African American women do not believe that their upbringing and eating habits are a cause of their obesity, whereas Euro-American women place the blame on their upbringing for not being provided enough knowledge regarding obesity. Mexican women do no t believe that being overweight is a disease at all and tend to lean toward the African American women?s view on diet. Social attitudes need to be shaped in this area. Other factors must be considered for some of the other social reasons for obesity. These factors are lifestyles, life transitions, life stress, and emotional problems. The majority of women view these factors as causes. As quoted by Janet D. Allen, author of an article in Western Journal of Nursing Research, "Life transitions were defined as a passage from one life phase, condition, or status to another involving a disruption of patterns? (qtd. in Allen). For women, role changes play an intricate role in obesity. The transition from being single to becoming married changes the conditions of their lifestyles. A sedimentary lifestyle greatly increases the risks of obesity. In addition, emotional problems and life stress play an intricate role in the prevalence of obesity in women. In all groups of women, there is a cons ensus that food is used as an outlet to meet emotional needs. Euro-American women, more so than any other group, are more concerned with poor self-image, emotional problems, and social interaction as consequences of being overweight. According to Allen, ?African American women and Hispanic American women were more similar than Euro-American women in their views of the consequences of being overweight. African American and Mexican American women mentioned with equal frequency both personal and medical consequences of being overweight.? Euro-American women tend to look at obesity in a more personal way. Euro-American women worry more about unattractiveness, poor self-image, and limited social activities. Many of the obesity-related diseases, including diabetes, have been found in much higher rates among racial-ethnic minorities compared to the Euro- Americans. Black women with diabetes feel that having to be on a strict diabetic regime would have a more profound impact on their health because of the increased stress. According to Ike S. Okosun, author of ?Racial Differences in Rates of Type 2 Diabetes in American Women: how much is due to the differences in overall adiposity ?Over one-third (39%) the difference in the rates of diabetes between Black and White women was attributable to differences in the prevalence of over all obesity? (Okosun). Hispanic-American women also have a significantly higher prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes when compared to the Euro-American women. According to the evaluated research, more studies need clearly need to evaluate the impact of obesity and related diseases in the Hispanic American women. As stated by Marianne J. Legato, Professor of clinical medic ine at Columbia College