Date of Award
January 2023
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Department
School of Public Health
First Advisor
Debbie Humphries
Abstract
Arguably the most pressing public health issue in the United States today is the obesity epidemic, which has affected children, adolescents, and adults alike. A lack of longitudinal research on distinct factors related to obesity in different groups has made addressing the epidemic difficult. Many lifestyle and environmental factors, including nutrition, sleep, stress, the gut microbiome, screen time, and marketing, are all related to obesity, but many of these factors are also related to each other. The current study investigates these systemic relationships, presents a hypothesis on the complementary causes of obesity, and contributes to contemporary longitudinal research by investigating obesity rates at different levels of daily television and video watching time in the United States. Analysis of long-term obesity trends combined with a systems thinking approach is needed to inform population-level interventions and policy decisions aimed at combatting the obesity epidemic.
Recommended Citation
Mcdowell Cook, Acree, "Missing The Forest For The Trees: The Causes Of The Obesity Epidemic" (2023). Public Health Theses. 2306.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysphtdl/2306
Comments
This is an Open Access Thesis.