The negative effects of obesity on youth - Research Paper Example

of the English of the Concerned 25 October The Negative Effects of Obesity on Youth Introduction The contemporary youth is living in the times that differ in many ways from the issues and challenges the young people had to contend with a few decades ago. The industrial age has given way to the information age and this big socio-economic shift has influenced the quantum and nature of dietary preferences and the extent of mobility in the young people’s life in many ways. Being influenced by the popular culture and general perceptions, young people sometimes resort to dietary choices and leisure and recreation habits, which give way to weight gain and the related negative medical and emotional effects. However, the latest trend that is more alarming is the prevalence of obesity amongst the young people, giving way to not only a high susceptibility to life threatening diseases but also resulting in many debilitating emotional and psychological consequences and diseases, which have a drastic negative effect on the lives of young people. Statistics It is, indeed, an irony that diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders that are linked to obesity and were more prevalent in senior adults could today as likely be traced amongst the young people (“Obesity Related Statistics in America” 1). The proportion of young children and adolescents that could be technically considered as being obese is increasing ever more rapidly than before (“Obesity Related Statistics in America” 1). Experts trace the incidence of obesity in the youth to poor dietary habits and a lack of interest in physical activity, sports and exercises. Many associated socio-economic factors such as the dearth of community associated recreational facilities and curtailment of physical education programs in schools could be linked to obesity in youth. In that context, the prevalence of being overweight is higher amongst young boys, amounting to 32.7 percent, while amongst young girls it stands at 27.8 percent (“Obesity Related Statistics in America” 1). When it comes to the adolescents, the percentage of individuals being overweight stands to be quite alike amongst the girls and the boys, amounting to 30.2 percent and 30.5 percent respectively (“Obesity Related Statistics in America” 1). The figures that do solicit the attention of parents, schools and health services are the facts that convincingly lead to the conclusion that the incidence of obesity amongst the adolescents has expanded by four times in the last three decades (“Obesity Related Statistics in America” 1). This means that the young people today are four times more likely to suffer from obesity related diseases and psychological ailments than they were just 30 years ago. Possible Causes and Reasons for Obesity amongst Youth There is no denying the fact that the youth of today tends to eat more and leads a lifestyle that is quite different from the generations of yore (“America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity” 1). The life of young people today is more prone to being sedentary and activities free (“America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity” 1). Besides, going by the influx of virtual sources of entertainment, young people do prefer to spend much more time sitting before television sets, computers and video games rather than sweating it out on the playgrounds (“America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity” 1). Societal changes have also to do with this propensity towards sedentary lifestyles and obesity. With two-income families and a rise in the number of single parent households, young people are more prone to consuming a higher degree of calories in the form of cheap fast foods and high calorie sugary drinks and sweets (“America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity” 1). The augmenting number of activism and protests against the fast food chains such as Big Macs do say a lot as far as the task of accounting for rising obesity amongst the young people is concerned. In that context, young people hailing from low income neighborhoods are more prone to being overweight, going by the fact that fast foods happen to be affordable and readily accessible as compared to fresh and healthy foods (“America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity” 1). Negative Health Impacts of Obesity on Youth The bad thing is that obesity is not a condition that tends to be neutral in its scope and ramifications, but rather it tends to have multiple negative health and psychological effects on youth. Obesity at an early age gives way to a vicious cycle that happens to be utterly debilitating in its scope. The teenagers and adolescents who happen to be obese are more likely to grow into obese adults. Besides, this vicious cycle unraveled by early obesity is very difficult to break or get over. A sedentary lifestyle marked by a tendency to overeat and gain weight has been known to give way to many serious health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke and cancer during the later stages in life (Gard and Wright 179). There is no denying the fact that the negative health consequences of obesity for young people are manifold and immense. Obese young people are more likely to develop heart ailments. Atherosclerosis, which is a health condition marked by the relative hardening of arteries, tends to develop at a very early stage in children and adolescents prone to obesity (Gard and Wright 138). This condition is known to be one of the most common reasons for contacting heart diseases during the adult life. Atherosclerosis is mostly caused by above average levels of cholesterol in blood that is in a way related to poor dietary choices and lack of mobility. Besides, obese young people are more prone to suffer from high blood pressure that augments and worsens the heart conditions (Gard and Wright 22). Recent trends have also shown that the obese young people have a higher incidence of suffering from Type 2 diabetes (Gard and Wright 199). Being overweight and obese has also been known to cause asthma. Young people who are obese are also known to be more vulnerable to developing liver issues such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which, if aggravated, leads to liver cirrhosis (Fairburn and Brownell 523). It is a known fact that people resorting to overeating and consuming a high fat diet are more prone to having gallstones (Fairburn and Brownell 426). Obesity could also cause hormonal imbalances and sleep problems. Girls who are obese have been known to develop puberty at quite an early stage in life (Gard and Wright 225). Besides, obesity at an early age in females may also fluctuate into menstrual cycle associated problems and uterine fibroids (Gard and Wright 237). Obesity is also the associated cause of disturbance of sleep cycles in young people. Obese people who are young are also vulnerable to developing sleep related conditions such as sleep apena (LeBlanc 329). Sleep apena is a serious condition leading to periodical interruptions in breathing patterns during sleep. This is really serious in the sense that young people tend to require more high quality sleep, considering their age related requirements and needs, but are deprived of this by the extra kilos they have gained over time. A significant proportion of the young people who are obese are prone to acquiring the metabolic syndrome, which is a health condition accompanied by above normal levels of lipids in the bloodstream, tendency to gain weight, shooting blood pressures over time and a tendency to develop resistance to insulin (Fairburn and Brownell 478). The metabolic syndrome is in a way the precursor of serious heart conditions and diabetes. There is no doubt left that obesity at a young age could lead to many serious health conditions at a later stage in life. Besides, obesity in youth is a condition that has become to solicit attention and concern at a relatively recent stage. New studies are coming up with various other negative health conditions that the obese young people are more likely to acquire. Also, the obese youngsters who already have some attendant health conditions may suffer more owing to overweight. For instance, a study has led to the conclusion that obese children and adolescents who tend to have pain such as conditions in the lower extremities, fare worse off as compared to the obese youngsters who do not have such health conditions (Martinez 1). Youngsters suffering from such painful conditions could be expected to bear with additional physical and emotional distress if they also happen to be obese. Another study has revealed that boys within the age span of 14 to 20 have half the testosterone as compared to the boys who have a normal weight – a condition that potentially results in infertility and impotency during later life (Martinez 1). Therefore, obesity at a young age is a condition which impact is far reaching and negative. Early obesity is a factor that could strongly retard the young people from leading a normal and wholesome adult life. When it comes to mental health, obesity at a young age certainly has marring influences on the essentials such as self-esteem, self-concept, sense of wellbeing and the capacity to lead a fulfilling social life. Psychological and Social Ramifications of Obesity in Youth Obesity at a young age is a condition that has many negative social and psychological implications. Going by the prevailing social attitudes, people consider obesity as not another health condition, but prefer linking obesity to laziness, a lack of control over one’s life and a dearth of moral direction. Such social attitudes prove to be very disturbing for the young people who are obese (Welk and Joens-Matre 43). Even commonsense and regular observation testify to the fact that young people who are obese are mostly more likely to accrue negative reactions from their family members and friends, which may range from good natured bantering, heavy lecturing, and ridicule to outright disapproval. It does not take a rocket scientist to imagine the negative consequences of such attitudes and views on the mental stability and self-esteem of a young person who is obese. In fact, the irony is that such societal attitudes that disturb obese young people eventually get transported to their professional adult life (Welk and Joens-Matre 43). Many a times young people who are really qualified and appropriately skilled are not able to avail good career opportunities simply because of being obese. In fact, at a psychological level, too, obesity gives way to a vicious cycle. Going by the ridicule that the obese young people have to contend with, it severely mars their sense of self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence, making them hesitant and passive while dealing with social and professional situations (Welk and Joens-Matre 43). This, in turn, makes them more vulnerable to being sidelined and bullied. Obese young people are also restrained in their capacity to engage in activities which require physical effort such as sports and adventures. They may also face problems in engaging with and soliciting the approval of the opposite sex. It is not that all obese young people have to face social and psychological issues, but there are many young people who may develop anxiety, shyness and depression owing to being obese. Hence, in that context, the society also needs to change its attitudes pertaining to the obese people in general and obese young people in particular. It may be that a young person suffering from obesity may actually turn out to be a really beautiful and accomplished person on a close and considerate interaction. Conclusion The young people going by a predilection towards sedentary lifestyles and recreation habits and a taste for easily accessible and affordable junk food are getting more susceptible to obesity. Obesity not only makes the young people prone to medical conditions such as heart diseases, asthma, diabetes, endcrinological abnormalities and hypertension, but the social and emotional aspects of obesity have far reaching consequences on the various salient aspects of young people’s life, whether academic, professional, career, emotional, romantic or otherwise. Obesity, indeed, has seriously negative medical and psychological effects on young people, which not only impact their emotional stability and choices in the short run but also continue to affect their health and emotional wellbeing on a long term basis. Works Cited “America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity.” The New York Times 29 November 2002. Web. 25 October 2012. Fairburn, Christopher G., and Kelly D. Brownell. Eating Disorders and Obesity. New York: Guilford Press. Print. Gard, Michael, and Jan Wright. The Obesity Epidemic. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. LeBlanc, Claire M. A. “The Growing Epidemic of Child and Youth Obesity.” Canadian Journal of Public Health 94.5 (2003): 329–330. Print. Martinez, Jose. “Two New Studies Highlight Negative Effects of Obesity on Youth.” OnCentral.org. 17 October 2012. Web. 25 October 2012. “Obesity Related Statistics in America.” Get America Fit Foundation. 2012. Web.25 October 2012. Welk, Gregory J., and Roxane Joens-Matre. “The Effect of Weight on Self-Concept, and Psychosocial Correlates of Physical Activity in Youths: The Effects of Obesity Go Beyond the Physical.” The Journal of Physical Education 78.8 (2007): 43–44. Print. Annotated Bibliography “America’s Epidemic of Youth Obesity.” The New York Times 29 November 2002. Web. 25 October 2012. This news story published in The New York Times elaborately dwells on the contemporary epidemic of youth obesity, while elaborating on the underlying causes and lifestyle related hazards in a detailed and meticulous manner. The news story delves in detail on the health consequences associated with youth obesity and the related dietary and lifestyle associated trends. Fairburn, Christopher G., and Kelly D. Brownell. Eating Disorders and Obesity. New York: Guilford Press. Print. This book by Fairburn and Brownell pertains to almost every aspect of obesity and eating disorders and the associated health risks and consequences. The book is meticulous, detailed and exhaustive in its approach. Fairburn and Brownell are the names that are quite known to the researcher person active in the area of eating disorders and obesity. The special thing is that it tends to bring together and compile the various segregated and isolated scientific information existing on the issue of obesity and the obesity in youth. The book also delicately touches on the psychological and emotional aspects of obesity and their relation to self-esteem, body image and self-concept. Gard, Michael, and Jan Wright. The Obesity Epidemic. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. This work by Gard and Wright deals with the issue of obesity in a critical and analytical manner. It elaborates as to how the social contexts and influences shape and construct the social consequences and attribution of obesity. This book also unravels the social and political agendas incumbent on the issue of obesity and how the people suffering from obesity tend to adjust and adapt to the social implications of obesity. The Obesity Epidemic is an excellent source regarding the sociology of obesity and weight gain. LeBlanc, Claire M. A. “The Growing Epidemic of Child and Youth Obesity.” Canadian Journal of Public Health 94.5 (2003): 329–330. Print. This article is associated with the Canadian Journal of Public Health, a prestigious and reputed academic and peer reviewed source in the area of public health. The article tends to deal with the issue of childhood and youth obesity in a scientific and detailed manner. The approach of the associated research scholar is fact based and rational. Martinez, Jose. “Two New Studies Highlight Negative Effects of Obesity on Youth.” OnCentral.org. 17 October 2012. Web. 25 October 2012. This article published on the website OnCentral expands on the issue of obesity in youth by bringing in new facts and health risks associated with obesity, thereby adding to the already existing information regarding the health consequences of obesity. The conclusions drawn by the article are insightful and revealing. “Obesity Related Statistics in America.” Get America Fit Foundation. 2012. Web. 25 October 2012. Get America Fit Foundation is an organization that has been very active on the issue of public health in the US. The website facilitates much credible and valid statistical information regarding the issue under consideration. The statistics regarding the obesity in youth and childhood obesity adds to the available information regarding the issue of the obesity in youth in a very meaningful and detailed manner. Welk, Gregory J., and Roxane Joens-Matre. “The Effect of Weight on Self-Concept, and Psychosocial Correlates of Physical Activity in Youths: The Effects of Obesity Go Beyond the Physical.” The Journal of Physical Education 78.8 (2007): 43–44. Print. Again, this article related to obesity and weight ensues from a reputed and peer reviewed academic source. The crux of this journal article is more related to the psychological consequences of obesity in the young people and how obesity shapes their self-concept and the sense of wellbeing. The approach of the article is factual and scientific while it tends to draw the associated information from varied credible scientific sources and research. This article well mentions how the overall impact of obesity extends beyond the associated health implications. 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