JohannaAckerberg-HD599-Unit6Assignment-AudioSegment

The podcast discusses the obesity epidemic and its impact on public health. The rates of obesity have significantly increased in both adults and children. Obesity is linked to various health concerns such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Factors contributing to obesity include genetics, eating patterns, and physical activity levels. Addressing obesity requires a holistic approach, considering family dynamics and overall health. The podcast recommends modeling healthy eating patterns, engaging in physical activities as a family, reducing screen time, and seeking professional help. The aim is to improve overall health, save on healthcare costs, and enhance the quality of life. Hello, my name is Johanna Akerberg and this is Harmonious Health, a short weekly podcast focusing on easy tips and tricks to living your best life. Today we're going to focus on one of the nation's largest health concerns, the obesity epidemic. Obesity is considered a major public health concern. Among adults, the rate has more than doubled since 1990. For children and adolescents ages 5 to 19, it has quadrupled. That means in the United States today, 43% of adults and 25% of adolescents are obese. That is roughly 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 5 children have a body mass index, BMI, of 30 or higher. The higher the calculation, the higher the risk for someone developing serious health conditions. Obesity is a chronic disease and a contributing factor to many other health concerns like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even certain types of cancers. Some contributing factors to a person being obese include genetics, eating patterns, medical history, physical activity levels, social status, environment, behaviors, and psychology. Obesity is a complex condition and has serious social and psychological dimensions. Focusing solely on diet and exercise to address obesity may not be enough. We need to look at family dynamics as a whole and how they relate to a person's overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a few easy things you can do as a family to help support each other's health and well-being. First, model a healthy eating pattern. Try adding some fruits and vegetables to your family's daily diet. This can help reduce the overall calories consumed and fill the body with the energy it needs. Second, move as a family. Physical activity builds and maintains strong muscle and bones. Find activities you enjoy and plan to do them as a family 2 to 4 times a week. This can be as simple as taking a walk together, riding bikes, walking around the mall, working in the yard together, playing games indoor or out, washing the car, and even cleaning the house together. Activities like these will help strengthen family bonds while burning calories. Third, replace screen time with family time. Too much screen time can lead to poor sleep, weight gain, and poor mental health. Fourth, develop a family-based health program by working with your health care professional. A nutritionist or a dietician getting support to assist with positive behavior change will help the whole family achieve their health goals, save money on health care costs, extend life expectancy, reduce or eliminate other health conditions or concerns, and improve the quality of life for your loved ones. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast on Harmonious Health. I want to leave you with a quote from playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard. Quote, a healthy attitude is contagious, but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier. End quote. Thank you.