Overeating and Poor Eating Habits: Making Healthy Choices

Introduction

Obesity has reached near-epidemic levels in many Western nations, including the United States, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles are further contributing to the incidence of poor eating habits. Young people in particular are at high risk of becoming obese, due in part to unhealthy dietary patterns. To determine the extent of the problem and what can be done, this paper reviews relevant literature concerning a general and personal definition of health and how consumer health behavior relates to these definitions. An examination of the implications of obesity and poor eating habits is followed by a comprehensive plan for behavior change for healthcare consumers to address these problems. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Definition of Health and Consumer Health Behavior

The World Health Organization's (WHO) general definition of health describes it as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" (quoted in Schneider & Stokols 425). From a personal perspective, this general definition should also include a happiness indicator, making the definition of health "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being that contributes to an overall sense of happiness." This personalized definition is discussed further below with respect to how it relates to consumer health behavior.

The expanded definition of health described above suggests that in order for people to become and stay healthy, they must make healthy choices in their diet and remain physically active. In this regard, Maeda and Murata (2004) report that "an increase in poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles in the United States has reduced physical activity and increased the prevalence of obesity and overweight, which can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other negative effects on one's health" (42). The results of Maeda and Murata's study underscore the cultural aspects of consumer health: what may be regarded as a healthy choice in one context may be viewed differently in another. For instance, Maeda and Murata report that "in Hawaii, for example, the average level of obesity in children is higher than the national average" (42). These authors suggest that the high representation of Asian cultures in Hawaii reflects cultural preferences for certain foods as well as differing physical body image norms (Maeda and Murata 42).

Moreover, consumer health behavior is highly influenced by aggressive marketing efforts from the food, beverage, and restaurant industries (Lee, Choi, and Quilliam 130). In fact, these industries combined spend more than $1.6 billion each year to promote their products to young consumers, with overall marketing expenditures for brands targeting children and adolescents amounting to almost $10 billion annually (Lee et al. 130). In response to the dual trends of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits, researchers and policymakers alike have debated the precise role of food, beverage, and restaurant advertising in the childhood obesity epidemic (Lee et al. 130). Taken together, it is clear that a personal definition of health is influenced by the larger culture as well as targeted marketing efforts by the food, beverage, and restaurant industry, and the implications of these trends are discussed further below.

Overeating and poor eating habits have lifelong implications, and young children are especially at risk of developing weight-related problems later in life. Over the past 25 years, the United States alone has experienced a staggering increase in childhood obesity levels (Benavides and David 292). The 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 17% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are currently overweight, and these young people have an 80% increased chance of remaining overweight into adulthood, with a correspondingly higher rate of morbidity and mortality (Benavides and David 292).

Implications of Overeating and Poor Eating Habits

These trends are troubling enough, but policymakers and researchers must also contend with their enormous economic implications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that obesity has a major impact on employer healthcare costs — including medical expenditures and absenteeism — ranging from $460 to $2,500 per obese employee per year (Benavides and David 292). The implications of obesity also include the way the condition contributes to comorbidity in other life-threatening diseases. As Benavides and David report, "The leading cause of death in the United States today is heart disease. A major contributor to this disease is the sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits of a majority of the people" (292). The National Center for Health Statistics similarly reports that nearly 30% of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older are obese — a population of more than 60 million people — and defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. An estimated 65% of U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI of 25 or higher (Benavides and David 292).

During the period from 1995 to 2005, the prevalence of obesity increased in every state in the United States. At the public health level, these trends represent an increased drain on already scarce healthcare resources and a damaging effect on a wide range of other health conditions. Benavides and David emphasize that "being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases including: hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, and some cancers. All of these diseases contribute to lower productivity and decreased efficiency for cities" (292). Moreover, obesity and poor eating habits are among the most destructive individual behaviors — yet they can be changed through a commitment to healthier choices and physical fitness. O'Flaherty, Flores-Mateo, Nnoaham et al. (2012) emphasize that "apart from smoking, the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease are elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, all related to poor eating habits" (522). Likewise, the U.S. Surgeon General has cited obesity as being inextricably related to poor eating habits and insufficient physical exercise, and these conditions have even been identified as a national health risk (ACEI Resolutions 37).

Taken together, these implications mean that young consumers are on a very precarious healthcare trajectory and face a barrage of marketing that complicates making healthy nutritional choices. Lee (1999) emphasizes that "with so many influences encouraging poor eating habits, it is important for children to learn about good nutrition. Children are notoriously difficult to influence towards measures which might protect future health; by and large they are healthy and have difficulty considering the future effects of their actions" (249). Indeed, young people often feel invincible, and choosing an energy drink over juice or French fries over fruit may seem inconsequential. Nevertheless, the implications of these trends in both developed and emerging nations are clear. According to Lee (1999), "The problems of hunger, of obesity, and of malnutrition are among the world's most serious concerns. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases owe much of their prevalence to poor eating habits" (3). Given the enormity of the problem, identifying timely and effective plans for behavior change has assumed new relevance and importance.

Human behavior is notoriously difficult to change, and once people become accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle, effecting substantive changes can be challenging. Nevertheless, this is precisely the area where public health authorities can help address the fundamental problems of poor eating habits and obesity. According to Eaton, Marx, and Bowie (2007), around two-thirds of adult deaths among those aged 25 years and older in the United States can be attributed to preventable healthcare risk factors, including poor eating habits and inadequate physical activity.

Because resources are by definition scarce, it is vitally important for public health administrators to use them to maximum advantage. Eaton and colleagues suggest that public schools are an ideal setting in which to implement behavior modification regimens that promote healthy nutritional choices and increased physical fitness among young people as well as adults. According to Eaton et al., "U.S. schools employ an estimated 6.7 million workers, or nearly 4.5% of the nation's workforce, and are ideal settings for promoting adult health through employee wellness programs. Moreover, many schools already have key facilities (e.g., gymnasiums, swimming pools, fitness centers, and athletic fields) and staff (e.g., health and mental health professionals, health and physical education teachers, classroom teachers, and nutrition services staff) to support employee wellness programs" (557).

Conclusion

The research showed that poor eating habits and increasingly sedentary lifestyles have contributed to an increased incidence of obesity in young people, with some authorities maintaining that these levels represent an epidemic and a threat to the public health. Because young people who develop poor eating habits are at high risk of remaining obese throughout their lifetimes, the need for timely interventions has never been greater. Unfortunately, the research also showed that there are powerful forces shaping individual definitions of health that defy easy remedies, and that compelling adults to engage in physical fitness activities is realistically possible only in highly structured environments. The schools, however, represent an ideal setting for an increased emphasis on physical fitness activities and healthy nutritional choices. In the final analysis, action at the national level is required to address these problems, and the sooner evidence-based solutions are implemented for young consumers, the more effective they will be in reducing the alarming levels of obesity seen in many countries today.