¶ … obesity and diabetes increased? In spite of the fact that technology and medical science have experienced significant success in the recent decades, maladies like diabetes and obesity are increasing in prevalence in developed countries. This provides society with a dilemma, considering that most people fail to understand that they are actually exposed to these diseases. Moreover, these individuals are unacquainted with basic actions that they can perform in order to prevent diabetes and obesity. Even if people have access to information that can assist them in combating a great deal of diseases, the fact that they express indifference in regard to particular aspects of their health reflects negatively on their condition.

When considering that diabetes and obesity occur more frequently in developed countries makes it possible for the masses to comprehend that certain lifestyles promoted in these areas are essential in increasing the number of individuals who suffer. What is even more disturbing is the fact that the masses have come to associate individuals in developed countries with obesity. It is thus essential to focus on particular developed countries and the recent rates of obesity present there.

The U.S. is a hallmark for obesity when taking into account recent figures regarding the malady. "By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 21.0% in Colorado to 34.0% in Mississippi in 2010. No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more" (Overweight and Obesity). More than one third of all the individuals in the U.S. are obese and this has raised significant attention as the international public has come to focus on reasons why people in the country are exposed to an unhealthy environment. The fact that diabetes rates have increased alongside of obesity makes it possible for society to understand that there is a strong relationship between the two maladies. Skinny individuals in the U.S. have come to be a minority while a third of the country's population is overweight and the...

"In England about 47% of men and 33% of women are overweight (a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2), and an additional 21% of men and 24% of women are obese (a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2)" (Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee, T-15). It appears that age has a significant influence on obesity rates in England, as individuals have a tendency to become overweight as they mature. The number of elderly individuals who are obese is much larger in comparison to the number of young people who are obese. Gender is also important when considering obesity rates in England, as men are apparently more likely to develop the malady In comparison to women (Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee, T-15).
Obesity and diabetes are primarily believed to occur more frequently as a result of the fact that individuals in developed countries are unhesitant about adopting a lifestyle involving decreased physical activity and abuse of cheap food that contains a lot of unhealthy substances. It is actually surprising that being poor in underdeveloped countries is equivalent to undernourishment and underweight while being poor in developed countries is associated with obesity (Hossain, Kawar, and El Nahas).

While people generally look at obesity and diabetes and consider that the two maladies only affect health in individuals, the truth is that they are much more influential and are responsible for significant problems present in the contemporary society. "The human and financial costs of obesity are also mounting: a higher body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) has been shown to account for up to 16% of the global burden of disease, expressed as a percentage of disability-adjusted life-years. In the developed world, 2 to 7% of total health care costs are attributable to obesity" (Hossain, Kawar, and El Nahas). Billions of dollars are spent on a yearly basis as a consequence of the direct and indirect effects of obesity and…