Dangers of Obesity - Research Paper Example

e quality of life and, ultimately, result to death, but because it has become acceptable due to cultural beliefs and practices that promote excessive/unhealthy food and beverage consumption and sedentary lifestyles. Obesity is more than a physical disorder because it is a product of modern life that is geared towards lack of responsibility for one’s health, a healthcare industry that continues to prioritize treatment of illnesses over prevention, social practices of convenience and sedentary living, and an environment that promotes inactivity and unhealthy consumption beliefs and practices.

Obesity is a danger to human life because it leads to the development of various illnesses and social and emotional consequences. Obesity is connected to many illnesses. Robert Sturm compared the effects of obesity, overweight, smoking, and problem drinking on health care use and health status using national survey data. He learned that obesity is highly associated with having chronic medical conditions, lower health-related quality of life, and higher health care and medication spending than smoking or problem drinking (Sturm 249).

Viren Swami reviews literature on obesity and notes that, according to numerous studies, obesity is a “risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, adult-onset diabetes, hypertension, endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer, and gall bladder disease” (3), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms these risk factors of obesity. Obesity endangers people’s health by leading to both lower duration and quality of life. In addition, being obese exposes people to prejudice and discrimination.

Rebecca Puhl and Kelly D. Brownell studied discrimination against obese individuals. They learned that discrimination is present in three aspects of society: “employment, education, and health care” (Puhl and Brownell 788). In particular, some teachers think that being obese is the worst that can happen to people, people are less likely to