Preview

Socioeconomic Status Paper

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1628 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Socioeconomic Status Paper
The Disparity Between Socioeconomic Status and Obesity
Holli B. Taylor
Eastern Michigan University

The Disparity Between Socioeconomic Status and Obesity
The purpose of this paper is to discuss one of the many health disparities that are common in the United States. Medlineplus defines a health disparity as health differences between groups (Medline, 2012), I will be discussing the correlation between ones socioeconomic status (SES) in relation to the prevalence of obesity. I will go into detail about the specific population being affected and how they are affected by obesity. I will discuss disease management including preventative measures and health promotion. I will discuss how the information used throughout this paper was obtained …show more content…
Obesity is not racist or biased; it will affect all individuals when given the opportunity. However obesity does seem to give preferential treatment to those of low SES. The predominate reasons for the increased prevalence in areas of low SES is lack of education, availability of healthy food choices, and cost and preparation time for healthy meals. There are many programs and policies that have been implemented to decrease to rate of obesity including legislative, state, and local policy and programs. The treatment for obesity is first and foremost prevention; if prevention has failed the next action is diet and activity modification as well as medical intervention. The problem of obesity confronts many actual and potential ethical dilemmas. As care providers we must ensure that we are caring for patients ethically and respectfully. The cost of obesity is wide stretch from the monetary cost of providing specialized care to the emotional impacts that obesity has on the individual. Obesity is a global problem but communities of low SES are the hardest hit. We must unite to battle this epidemic with an emphasis on aiding the low SES communities.

References
Braveman, P. (2012). Health inequalities by class and race in the US: What can we learn from the patterns?. Social Science & Medicine, 74(5), 665-667. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.12.009
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/
MedlinePlus. (2012). Health Disparities. Retrieved from www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
United States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Choose my Plate. Retrieved from www.choosemyplate.gov
Walsh, B. (2008, June 12). It’s Not Just Genetics. TIME. Retrieved from
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Obesity: America’s Modern Day Societal Crutch
    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Obesity: America’s Modern Day Societal Crutch

    Today’s society has been faced with the never ending problem of obesity. Many would blame this problem of obesity in America to poor genetics, unhealthy eating habits, and even lack of physical fitness. After viewing this paper and reviewing these credible sources the reader will have a better understanding as to why individuals become obese. All sources in this paper have been written, reviewed, and critiqued by credible individuals.…

    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Vermont Fights Obesity
    • 1783 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Vermont Fights Obesity

    In the last 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in obesity in the United States and the rates continue to remain significantly high. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% of children are considered obese (Overweight). According to WebMD a person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. The most common consequences of obesity are the health risks associated with it such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but there are also social and psychological problems that result from it as well. These social and psychological problems caused by obesity might be even more detrimental to a person than the physical effects associated with it. The levels of stigma rise along with weight, and affect both people's working and social lives. Fifty-two percent of people who fell into the obese or morbidly obese categories believe they have been discriminated against when applying for a job or promotion and about two-fifths of them said they have been socially shunned. In addition, 36 percent said they felt they had been discriminated against when being seated in theaters or restaurants (Gardner). “The reaction of Americans to a fat person, particularly one who is more than 25 percent to 35 percent above the so-called ideal weight, is so intense and so overwhelmingly negative that some scientists are exploring it as a window on the raw material of human nature” (Angier). As the obesity rates in the United States continue to grow, so does the discrimination against this community. More states are becoming aware of this issue and realizing the affect it has on their communities. Vermont in particular is very aware of the negative effects of obesity. Vermont officials have put into place numerous programs to promote good health and exercise to try and eliminate the rise of childhood and adult obesity. Rather than…

    • 1783 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Obesity Unit 2 Essay
    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Obesity Unit 2 Essay

    Obesity is known to be one of the most public health disorder concerned globally. Some of the factors that impact obesity socially is greater exposure to fast-food advertisements, limited access to physical activity opportunities, and poor individual choices/ lifestyle choices. Furthermore according to the article, sociodemographic (age, race, ethnicity, and language) plays a huge role in obesity. For instance, low-income families are likely to face more challenges and become obese due to not being able to eat healthy. These factors of social impact and individual choices also impact biological reasons. For example, due to an individual’s choice of living and…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Status Research Paper
    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Social Status Research Paper

    For a rich male it probable to lose a lot of ethical behavior. A rich male may believe he is superior to the rest because of his education. Some rich males may have been born rich and have gained no morals because of their lifestyle. Many rich males may easily become addicts because of their free time. The rich male may believe he makes the rules because of the way they were raised. Without a doubt males economic standpoint definitely plays a big role in their attitudes and beliefs. I encourage everyone to try to break these barriers that society has thrown on us and make a difference on this earth after all rich or not we all continue to be human…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disparity In Healthcare
    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Disparity In Healthcare

    Disparities in healthcare refers to differences between ethnic groups in health insurance coverage, access to care, and the quality of care. Although the term disparities is often used to describe racial or ethnic disparities, there are many dimensions of disparity that exist in the U.S. "There's evidence indicating that socioeconomic status, racial discrimination, and their consequences play a substantial role in health disparities in the U.S." Research shows that racial and ethnic disparities in health are the result of existence of adverse social determinants that contribute to minorities poor health and less access to healthcare. In this report I talk about why there's disparities in healthcare, and the reason why African Americans have…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Childhood Obesity Epidemic Paper
    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Childhood Obesity Epidemic Paper

    The obesity epidemic is a multifaceted crisis and not just a food addiction. Since 1957, the government has been conducting the National Healthy Interview Survey (NHIS) which takes sample from 35,000 households containing 87,500 individuals (Center for Diseases Control, 2013). The survey revealed that the steady rise of obesity cases started in 1997. The crisis is expected to worsen; warns that childhood obesity is expected to increase. Since then, the scientific community took notice and started studying the crisis. A plenitude of study recognized that obesity is widely driven by environmental and social factors (Rosengren & Lissner, 2008).…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Childhood Obesity: A Case Study
    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Childhood Obesity: A Case Study

    Socioeconomic Factors: Rarely is childhood obesity caused by a medical condition. A child’s environment is very complex and includes family, peers, school, community/neighborhoods, and society at large, as filtered through media, advertising, and prevailing social norms. Socioeconomic status is an important determinant of standard of living and health status, as it influences the incidence and prevalence of various health conditions such as childhood obesity. Several ways of measuring socioeconomic status have been proposed, and most of them include some quantification of family income, parental education, neighborhoods, and healthy food accessibility.…

    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Class Research Paper
    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Class Research Paper

    The issue of social class in American society is popular topic of discussion but can also cause tensions to rise when being discussed. The basic construction of social class is divided into three parts: upper, middle, and lower class. According to Nicki Lisa Cole, “we are sorted into groups by how much money we have” (Cole). Social class can cause tensions to rise for the injustices they promote. For example, according to the New York Times, “The people at the top of America’s money pyramid have so prospered in recent years that they have pulled far ahead of the rest of the population” (Johnston). Another issue that arises with regard to social class is the fact…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Class Research Paper
    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Class Research Paper

    My views on the world have changed drastically since taking the sociology class. Now when I see certain people walking down the street I wonder what social class or group these people belong to. I also find myself thinking of the backgrounds of these different people, whether or not they are from the north or the south, rich or poor, strict upbringing or lax upbringing. I find I have fewer pre-thought ideas of how certain people should act and how I was wrong for thinking this way. I also think of how technology and science have changed my views. I now see people are less personable than I sure they were in the past. The invention of the cell phone and the internet have cause people to spend less time face to face and more time text or typing to each other on the…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Obesity: Contributing Factors
    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Obesity: Contributing Factors

    Introduction Statement - Imagine being a parent, friend or spouse to someone who is obese. Obese people are viewed as lazy with no self control. However, the truth be told: 68.8% of adults are overweight/obese; 35.7 are obese; 31.8% of children/adolescents are overweight/obese; 16.9% are obese; 30.4% of preschoolers that are overweight/obese come from low in-come households. (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2012). Obesity can be describe as a chronic health condition were a person has a excess amount of body fat. This health condition continues to be a…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Class And Poverty Research Paper
    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social Class And Poverty Research Paper

    Social class affects many people’s lives but more in people in poverty. They lives are very complicated and filled with worry and stress. They worry about what they’re going to eat and how they going to pay for it, some families can’t afford to eat three meals a day like other normally do. Most of poverty families eat from Homeless shelter or eat can veggies, microwavable foods. They don’t have the money to buy a juicy steak or make a full meal. They are worried when the cable or electricity is going to be shut off since they were unable to pay the bill, or when they’re going to get kicked out of the house or hotel. They are constantly under pressure and some even develop medical illnesses.…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Class Research Paper
    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Class Research Paper

    There is a saying that ‘’fingers are not equal’’, this is one of the reasons why things cannot be equal or same in the entire world.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socioeconomic Status
    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Socioeconomic Status

    There are a lot of studies surrounding ones status and its effects on ones psychology. I will be discussing what a Socioeconomic Status is defined to be, certain test and effects it can have on ones psychological being and also how it effects you in certain settings. I will break this down in to parts beginning with how it is defined, then I will move on to the effects and tests, and lastly I will explain how it effects people in certain settings.…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Class Research Paper
    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Class Research Paper

    It is not easy to change your social situation in this world. Usually, people stay in the same social class they were born into. The rich stay rich. The citizens in the middle class stay in the middle class. We consider this system we have created “common sense.” That should not be the way our world works. The mentality of the world should be: If one works hard in life, they should be given the opportunity to move up in life. In the world we live in, that is not the case, and society is the main cause of this.…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Fast Food
    • 1617 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Fast Food

    Obesity has become an international problem, but more so in the United States. I remember visiting Canada and every time a Canadian sees a very obese person passing by, they call him/her out as “oh he/she must be American” and to my dislike they were right most of the time. American society is battling with obesity at every socio-economic level, but the numbers show that adolescents of low-income families are more likely to be obese than those of above-average economical resources. I believe that there are four major reasons why low-income adolescents are more likely to be obese. The high prices of good quality foods have a great impact of accessibility to those who can’t afford to buy such products. A strong marketing force for junk food has proven to be a direct contributor to obesity in America. The lack of jobs for adolescents in this economy has been increasing, creating a bigger hole to succumb to inadequate nutrition. And finally a study reveals that teenagers of low-income families are less likely to engage in physical activities.…

    • 1617 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics