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Miguel Hernandez

“Professor. Hugetz”

“ENGL-1302.06”

“9 November, 2020”

Transcript

My name is Miguel Hernandez, since my youth soccer has been my favorite sport. First, I

started listening to the radio, then watching it on television, then playing it in any place I could do it.

Life is not always easy and sports such soccer can be a helpful physical activity to escape from other

difficult realities such violence and poverty. I also learned that soccer is a great way to know people

around the community or around the country and perhaps the world. At that point I knew that soccer

could help me and others to find help in reducing health problems such as heart diseases, levels of

cholesterol and obesity. Those are real problems that people face today on a daily basis. There are

some solutions to stop obesity, however, some organizations are telling people what to do, but they are

not showing how to do it. I believe that physical activities can be a real solution to stop obesity in

people especially in young people.

The lack of inclusion, the low income that families face every day and the lack of

opportunities for people to have access to any physical activities such as soccer and other sports, can

be a great reason why people, especially young people are dealing with obesity. According to the

article, soccer has been the fastest youth sport in the United States of America. Soccer is an excellent

opportunity for adolescents to have or meet the recommended 60 minutes a day of aerobics physical

activity. The article suggests that one of the solutions to the obesity problem is to do physical activity

at least 60 minutes a day. Soccer is a sport where people are constantly moving. As we know, in other

sports players take multiple breaks and the player may do less moving activity. However, during
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soccer games players move backward and forward for 90 minutes. According to American Heart

Association, people that play soccer can see the results in the first 12 weeks of playing it. This is a

great reason why people need to go outside and play at the park or in open areas. The article also

mentions that soccer is a simple sport to play and that should be a good reason to go to the open fields

and play the sport. Creating green areas or recreational parks near communities or neighborhoods will

help people with low income to have access to go and to do physical activities by playing sports such

soccer and others. Soccer is a sport that will help to create social relations among people. When a

group of friends get together to play soccer, they realize how much they have in common. After they

play for a few hours, people usually start asking questions and getting to know other people. These

types and conversations help people get included in society and in daily activities.

Racial disparities, low income and poor diet are one of the reasons why obesity has become a

pandemic in communities in the United State of America. This pandemic is more likely to happen in

minorities like blacks and Hispanics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plays a

key role in tracking data on the burden of obesity and its related racial and ethnic disparities to provide

information that can highlight areas where state and local actions are most needed. Until further

innovations allow for measured data on height and weight to be available for all states, self-reported

data are the best source for understanding where the burden of obesity is highest among different

populations. This understanding is critical given that the prevalence of obesity is increasing among

adults in the United States (1). As such, obesity continues to put a strain on overall health status, health

care costs, productivity, and the capacity for deployment and readiness of military personnel.

The first 12 weeks of playing it. This is a great reason why people need to go outside and play

at the park or in open areas. The article also mentions that soccer is a simple sport to play and that

should be a good reason to go to the open fields and play the sport. Creating green areas or
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recreational parks near communities or neighborhoods will help people with low income to have

access to go and to do physical activities by playing sports such soccer and others. Soccer is a sport

that will help to create social relations among people. When a group of friends get together to play

soccer, they realize how much they have in common. After they play for a few hours, people usually

start asking questions. These types and talks help people get included in the game and in their

community.

Studies reveal that the cause of obesity is the lack of health care to people specialty among

minorities. The study shows that the disparities in prevalence of obesity in racial/ethnic minorities are

apparent as early as the preschool years and factors including genetics, diet, physical activity,

psychological factors, stress, income, and discrimination, among others, must be taken into

consideration. A multidisciplinary team optimizes lifestyle and behavioral interventions,

pharmacologic therapy, and access to bariatric surgery to develop the most beneficial and equitable

treatment plans to slow down the levels of obesity in people of low income. People with low salaries

have more difficulties buying healthy food than people with higher salaries. The low income also

makes it difficult for the families to afford better health care. Obese people incur higher health care

costs at a given point in time, but how rising obesity rates affect spending growth over time is

unknown. We estimate obesity-attributable health care spending increases between 1987 and 2001.

Increases in the proportion of and spending on obese people relative to people of normal weight

account for 27 percent of the rise in inflation-adjusted per capita spending between 1987 and 2001;

spending for diabetes, 38 percent; spending for hyperlipidemia, 22 percent; and spending for heart

disease, 41 percent. Increases in obesity prevalence alone account for 12 percent of the growth in

health spending. (Thorpe et al. The Impact Of Obesity On Rising Medical Spending)
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According to the article playing soccer or doing any physical activity will reduce a number of

diseases like heart attacks , stroke, type 2 diabetes, and multiple types of cancers . The estimated

annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008. Compared with spending

for someone of normal weight, medical spending for a person with obesity was $1,429 higher (42%

higher) per year (3). Adult obesity decreases productivity, and the cost of lost productivity is between

$3.4 and $6.4 billion per year (4). Adult obesity also increases the risk of workplace injuries (2).

Obesity among young adults limits the eligibility for many to serve in our military, given the weight

standards for recruitment that nearly 1 in 4 young adults are not able to meet all these expenses will be

reduced by simply playing soccer or other outdoor activity with friends or family. (Racial and Ethnic

Disparities in Adult Obesity in the United States: CDC's Tracking to Inform State and Local Action))

The CDC is a very reliable source that studies any kind of disease. In this case, the CDC is describing

the alarming growth of obesity in America. The number of people with obesity are growing and it does

not look like it is going to stop soon. We need to create a better way of living for those people with

low incomes. Creating projects that will help them to be part of a society that has better life conditions.

The CDC article is alarming because obesity is the cause of plenty of chronic diseases among young

and adults. The CDC along with the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) is

working to stop this food and income disparities among minorities. The article also mentions that one

of the diseases that come with obesity are type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and high cholesterol in people

with obesity problems. With an FY 2019 budget of $103.8 million, DNPAO focuses on improving

nutrition, supporting breastfeeding, increasing physical activity, reducing obesity, and reducing

disparities, which are differences in health status or access to health care across different geographic,

racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.( (About Us Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and

Obesity)
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In conclusion, obesity is a pandemic that is affecting more than a third of American’s people

young and adults. The social status, the low incomes, the lack of opportunities and the racial

discrimination are some of the reasons that caused high levels of obesity in America. It is clear that the

private and public sector are doing something about it but it is not enough. We have to stop seeing

people differently and do more for those communities that are more likely to suffer with this

pandemic. We live in a country where all is possible and we all must believe that we can stop injustice

among people. We are all equal, we all must have the same opportunities in order to face problems

such as obesity. All these articles clearly describe the problem and they also present some solutions. It

is a fight that we all must fight.

Work Cited

“Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adult Obesity in the United States: CDC's Tracking to Inform State

and Local Action.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 11 Apr. 2019, www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2019/18_0579.htm.

“About Us.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 26 Aug. 2020, www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/division-information/aboutus/index.htm.

“Ending Childhood Obesity.” AmpleHarvest.org, ampleharvest.org/ending-childhood-obesity.

Thorpe, Kenneth E., et al. “The Impact Of Obesity On Rising Medical Spending.” Health

Affairs, 1 Jan. 1970, www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.W4.480.

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“Identity and Cultural Dimensions.” NAMI, nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-

Dimensions?

gclid=Cj0KCQjwufn8BRCwARIsAKzP6944GmSwkYVt1E0xMOS3T_OKDC9qzqKAhO

NurKUyX1jIgySmbnCJORQaAoUmEALw_wcB.

Nelson, Toben F, et al. “Do Youth Sports Prevent Pediatric Obesity? A Systematic Review and

Commentary.” Current Sports Medicine Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444042/.

Bulatao, Rodolfo A. “Health Care.” Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in

Late Life: A Research Agenda., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK24693/.
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