Major factors of obesity - Essay Example

Obesity Obesity With the advancements in technology, the human race has moved ahead and reached an era of development and progress. These advancements have provided many benefits for the human race but they have resulted in many negative effects as well. The changes in the living patterns of individuals have led to the emergence of problems like obesity. Obesity is a matter of global concern owing to the alarming increase in the statistics of the problem. This can be assessed by the fact that the World Health Organization labeled obesity as an epidemic in the year 1997. Obesity is a condition that can result in affecting the health of the individuals. It results due to many underlying causes which include an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and it may also result in individuals due to a genetic predisposition (Brown 2008; McCambridge 2006). Obesity is currently a leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. With the advent of remote controls, fast-moving vehicles, electric doors and stairs, increasing junk food intake, long-hours in front of the computers and the less active lifestyle options adapted by the mankind, the health status is directly or indirectly worsening. Obesity is not just a cosmetic defect it brings a plethora of co-morbid conditions that can cause prolonged disability and even death. The prevalence of obesity is rising in the U.S. with the passing years which is quite an alarming situation. According to a report presented by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2004, 400,000 deaths are caused each year due to obesity caused by poor diet and lack of physical activity. One year later another research body, superior in its scientific methods to CDC, estimated that 26, 000 deaths per year are caused by obesity and overweight (Center for Consumer and Freedom 2005). The problem of obesity is being considered to be a serious issue in the United States of America owing to the fact that the number of people who suffer from this condition have increased. According to the statistical analysis of the year 2010, in the United States one out of every five individuals had increased weight in comparison to the normal limits. This analysis revealed the fact that the problem has been increasing in the country as statistics from the year 1991 showed that one out of every eight people suffered from the problem of increased weight. Recent reports presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the fact that in the year 2011, there are 9 million youths and young children who are overweight. A similar report indicated the fact that 130 million adults were suffering from the problem of increased weight. The effects of obesity on the health of individuals have led to mark obesity to be a serious problem. The Department of Health and Human Services in the United States highlighted the fact that healthcare costs of the people who were suffering from obesity served to lay a burden on the healthcare system of the country owing to the higher cost that has to be paid for their health. It was also indicated that the pathological conditions that resulted due to obesity led to the death of 300,000 individuals in the United States (Bass III 2011; Huber 2010; McCambridge 2006). The Body Mass Index (BMI) of the individuals is used to assess the weight of the individuals and to analyze if they are suffering from obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a BMI lying in the range of 25 to 29.9 corresponds to increased weight and a BMI above 30 is suggestive of obesity. Obesity is known to result if the intake of calories is greater than the amount of calories that are burnt due to exercise. This results in an excessive accumulation of fat in the body and hence the person becomes obese (Bass III 2011; McCambridge 2006). The increased consumption of food has been marked to be an important cause of obesity. It has been seen that the residents of United States have started consuming higher calories over the years. The food choices of the people have altered as well and the nutritional choices have moved from healthy diets towards unhealthy diets. The consumption of an imbalanced diet has increased owing to the lack of fruits, vegetables and fibers in the foods of the individuals. This has been accompanied by the intake of food which has higher calories but lower nutritive value. The consumption of junk food has also greatly increased. People have started visiting fast food restaurants more regularly than before and this also results in increased eating. This is because it has been indicated that when a person is provided with food that tastes good, an individual tends to over eat and therefore, he eats more than he normally does. These altered eating habits have resulted in an increase in the number of people who develop the problem of obesity (Brown 2008). Lack of physical activity is also a major contributory factor of obesity. Technological breakthroughs have served to make life easier as compared to the olden times. The invention of television and similar forms of entertainment has restricted the outdoor activities of people. This has led to the adoption of inactive lifestyles by individuals. People tend to chose to drive for even short distances which can be easily covered in a very short time by walking or by using their bicycles. These activities have resulted in a lack of the burning of calories and therefore this lack of physical activity promotes obesity (Brown 2008). It has also been seen that physical activity programs are not promoted in the schools in the United States. This lack of regulations as well as the lack of motivational factors for children to participate in physical activity programs has resulted in obesity amongst the adolescents and the younger age groups (McCambridge 2006). Genetic predispositions are also considered to be a leading cause of obesity. It has been highlighted that a few individuals are more prone towards the development of obesity owing to their hereditary characteristics. Thus, genetic predisposition accompanied with “environmental triggers” can serve to cause obesity in a large number of people. It has also been indicated that individuals who do not have normal levels of the hormone leptin as well as the people who have raised levels of insulin in their body are more prone to develop obesity. Thus, the adoption of unhealthy living patterns for these people would result in the development of obesity at higher rates in comparison to the normal population (Brown 2008). Obesity is a pathological condition that needs to be controlled and prevented owing to the fact that it may result in very serious effects for the health of the individuals. Obesity increases the susceptibility of diabetes mellitus type two, cardiac diseases, stroke as well as raised blood pressure amongst the adolescents. The adults have a risk of developing high blood pressure, altered levels of body lipids as well as the development of insulin resistance. Cardiovascular diseases are also very common amongst the obese population (Bass III 2011; Huber 2010; McCambridge 2006). The statistics of obesity have greatly risen across the globe. The condition poses serious problems owing to the health outcomes of the individuals who suffer from obesity. Obesity results in many pathological conditions and therefore the problem needs to be tackled in an effective way. Obesity results owing to many underlying causes. Genetic predispositions as well as the consumption of an unhealthy diet are major causes of obesity. An inactive lifestyle and lack of physical activities are other major reasons that result in obesity. Prevention and awareness programs should be launched to solve the problem. References Bass III, P.F. (2011). Obesity in America. Health MSN. Retrieved from: http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100140084 Brown, J. E. (2008). Nutrition now. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Center for Consumer Freedom. (2005) An epidemic of obesity myth. Washington, D.C. : Center for Consumer Freedom. Huber, J. (2010). The Obesity Epidemic – America’s Most Pressing Health Concern. Healthy People. Retrieved from: http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhuber/readings/the_obesity_epidemic_americas_most.html McCambridge, T.M. (2006), Active Healthy Living: Prevention of Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical Activity, Pediatrics, 117 (5), pp. 1834-1842. Read More