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Hyunsook Jang

Professor Nate Hellmers

ENG. 1201. 5B2

12 December 2020

What Factors Cause the High Obesity Rate in the U.S.?

Since the late 1980s, obesity in America has been a looming public health concern.

The United States has the 12th highest obesity rate in the world of 36.2% and is the most

obese OECD country. (WHO) So, what factors cause the high obesity rate in the U.S.?

Obesity, which is defined as having a high body mass index, is most commonly

measured using the body mass index (BMI) scale. The World Health Organization defines

BMI as: “a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight,

overweight, and obesity in adults. BMI values are used to define whether an individual is

considered to be underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese. (WHO) Obesity is now one of

the world’s largest health problems – one that has shifted from being a problem in rich

countries to one that spans all income levels. It is a risk factor for several of the world’s

leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various types of cancer.

(Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser)

Obesity rates vary significantly by country as a result of different lifestyles and diets.

There is no direct correlation between the obesity rate of a country and its economic status;

however, wealthier countries tend to have the resources to implement programs, campaigns,

and initiatives to raise awareness and education people about what they are consuming.

(ProCon.org)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity is a

complex health issue resulting from a combination of causes and individual factors such as

behavior and genetics. Behaviors can include physical activity, inactivity, dietary patterns,
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medication use, and other exposures. Additional contributing factors include the food and

physical activity environment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion.

(CDC)

Some scholars see that the major factor that causes the high obesity rate in the U.S. is

a market failure in the U.S. In a recent working article by Aneel Karnani, of the Ross School

of Business, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Brian McFerran, of the Beedie School of

Business, Simon Fraser University, and Anirban Mukhopadhyay, of the Hong Kong

University of Science and Technology (hereafter Karnani et al.), these management scholars

argue that obesity represents a market failure. In their research study, the authors start with

the premise that the food and beverage industry is not operating an efficient market where

people are making choices that are in society’s best interest. The reasons supporting this

premise are that consumers, especially children, are poorly informed about what causes

weight gain (“medical research demonstrates that the central cause of obesity is caloric

overconsumption, rather than the lack of exercise”) or the long-term personal consequences

of being obese. Moreover, a societal externality of obesity includes higher healthcare costs

and reduced employee productivity. (Hemphill, Thomas A.)

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Works Cited

CDC, CDC. “Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Sept. 2020,

www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html. Accessed 15 November 2020. Accessed 15

November 2020.

Hemphill, Thomas A. “Obesity in America: A Market Failure?” Business and Society

Review, vol. 123, no. 4, 2018, pp. 619–630., doi:10.1111/basr.12157.

ProCon.org. “Global Obesity Levels - Obesity - ProCon.org.” Obesity, 20 Apr. 2020,

obesity.procon.org/global-obesity-levels/. Accessed 16 November 2020.

Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “Obesity.” Our World in Data, 11 Aug. 2017,

ourworldindata.org/obesity. Accessed 17 November 2020.

WHO, World Health Organization. “Obesity and Overweight.” World Health Organization,

World Health Organization, 2020, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-

and-overweight. Accessed 16 November 2020.