Good Diet, Athletic Performance, Obesity and Health - Term Paper Example

Good Diet, Athletic Performance, Obesity, and Health Obesity is one of the most significant health problems confronting not only Americans but the whole world today. Since obesity is mainly caused by the intake of unhealthy foods and having a sedentary lifestyle, then it is hypothesized that reducing the intake of unhealthy foods and increasing the activity of one’s lifestyle can actually remedy this serious health condition. The question being address is therefore, “Can obesity be reduced best by addressing both nutrition and lifestyle issues compared to addressing just one of them?” Definitions and the Present Situation The World Health Organization defines “obesity” as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health”1. The problem with obesity is that it has several complications ranging from diabetes, cancers like those of the breast, colon and endometrium, as well as cardiovascular diseases, especially heart diseases and stroke. There are also possible musculoskeletal disorders such a arthritis1. Obesity occurs in both high-income and low-income countries alike, and is more prevalent than people think it is. So far, it has doubled since 1980. Moreover, in 2011 alone, more than 40 million children under the age of five in the whole world are considered overweight and have great chances of becoming obese and of developing complications. Normal body mass index is from 18.5 to 24.9 but those overweight score 25 and obese ones 30. In 2008 alone, more than 10% of the world’s adult population was considered obese, and the percentage must be higher now. Among those overweight, there are 200 million men and around 300 million women in the world fit the description1. Based on data from the CDC or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone, more than 1/3 of the entire population, or specifically 35.7%, are actually obese, and that the annual medical cost related to obesity in 2008 alone was $147 billion2. This is how serious the problem actually is in the United States. Obesity has a two-pronged cause. According to data from the World Health Organization, what is considered as the leading cause of obesity and overweight is “increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat”1 as well as “increase in physical inactivity”1 mainly due to a sedentary lifestyle characterized by modes of transportation and work habits. The Nutrition Factor Obesity is caused by poor nutrition. According to a study entitled “Are fast food restaurants an environmental risk factor for obesity?,” eating at fast food restaurants are indeed positively associated with a high fat diet and a high body mass index, especially among children. Such high-calorie foods that are considered bad for the health and are main contributors to being overweight and obese include pastries, doughnuts, cakes, milk shakes and the ice cream in them, hot dogs, fried chicken, fried fish, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, tacos or burritos, cookies, corn chips or popcorn, pizza, fries or onion rings, cold cuts or lunch meats, franks or bratwurst and potato chips3. These foods actually contribute much to the greater incidence of obesity and overweight in society, particularly in the American society. Obesity depends on food intake and the age of the consumer. Moreover, in another study entitled “Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Energy Intake and Diet Quality Among Children in a National Household Survey,” experts blame obesity and overweight on fast food and the proliferation of fast food restaurants since the 1950s, thus negatively changing the dietary patterns among Americans today, especially the children. In fact, the study concludes that “fast food adversely affects diet quality in ways that might plausibly increase obesity”4. This means that obesity may indeed be more or less related to the consumption of high-calorie foods in fast foods. Moreover, another significant factor pointed out by the authors of the study is age. Since adolescence represents the time of an ever increasing autonomy, then teenagers are expected to purchase more fast food with their money compared to younger children4. This means that the incidence of obesity somehow increases with age, specifically starting at the age when one develops not only autonomy but also the age where one can hardly be taught well by one’s parents, and where one seldom pays attention to one’s health habits. Obesity also depends on the distance of the consumer from the fast food area. The findings of the two previously mentioned studies were also confirmed by another study entitled “Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity.” According to the study, just mere exposure to the environment that tolerates and promotes fast food nutrition is already a significant risk factor for the development of obesity. Fruit juices, soda, and fried potatoes still rank among the foods that are mostly eaten by children in this study conducted in California. Moreover, the incidence of overweight and obesity also significantly depends on the distance that one has to the fast food restaurant starting at one half mile5. This means that the nearer one is to the source of the fast food, the more likely he is obese or overweight. Nevertheless, poor nutrition is not the only factor here. The Lifestyle Factor The other risk factor for obesity and overweight is a poor lifestyle, which is often described a sedentary. According to a study entitled “Effects of Diet and Exercise on Obesity-Related Vascular Dysfunction in Children,” obesity and obesity-related vascular dysfunction are actually related to both poor nutrition and an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, for an obese person to remedy his situation, he must either partially reverse the condition by regulating his diet, or completely sustain the improvement by having not only a healthy diet but also regular exercise. Exercise can actually significantly improve arterial endothelial function and can generally improve the conditions of adults with cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, exercise can afford overweight and obese people not only safety in health but also improvements in the absorption of insulin (thus possibly preventing diabetes), and improvement in the absorption of cytokines and lipoprotein profiles, thus facilitating normal bodily processes6. This means that exercise is a highly significant factor in the improvement of one’s physical health, particularly if one is obese or overweight. Exercise is very much significant especially among aging people who are obese, and somehow the efficiency of an exercise on an obese person depends on how it is done. In another study entitled “Exercise in aging: its important role in mortality, obesity and insulin resistance,” the most recommended form of exercise for obese people is not just as simple as jogging or running, but rather combination intervention strategies7. This means that exercises that have proven to be significantly effective in reducing weight and obesity must include both resistive training and aerobic training exercises. Resistive training exercises include training in increasing muscle volume and strength. Aerobic training exercises are those low-intensity exercises that promote oxygen intake. These two alone when combined in an obese individual will cause a significant amount of loss of weight plus a significant improvement in one’s health, including insulin absorption and even the actual prevention of Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, endurance exercises can also help bring about a better health condition especially for aging people who are obese. Although children may simply adopt a more active lifestyle in order to prevent or remedy obesity, adults and the aged must engage in combined intervention exercises in order to obtain the same effect. Obesity can also be prevented by regular exercise with specific guidelines. In fact, according to a study entitled “Exercise in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Diabetes,” what is recommended by the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines not only for obese and overweight people but for everyone else is to have at least 2 days per week for resistance training, and that one should spend at least 150 minutes per week for moderate-intensity physical activity as well as a 75-minute vigorous-intensity physical activity. This must be done either separately or in combination. Moreover, the figures are the minimum lengths of time that the exercises must be done within. Specifically, for the purpose of weight loss, there must be a combination of exercise training as well as reduced intake of foods rich in energy and sugar8. From this information, one can therefore conclude that a very strict regimen is needed for the remedy of obesity and overweight. Just simple exercise without being conscious of the weight, duration and intensity is definitely not recommended. Moreover, it is also best to consult a doctor or health professional before and while engaging in exercise training as there may be some risks associated with it especially of the person is suffering from an already existing medical condition. Once more, the combined effects of weight loss and exercise training are significantly more effective than those achieved by only either weight loss or exercise training. In a study entitled “Weight Loss, Exercise, or Both and Physical Function in Obese Older Adults,” aging adults managed to get through obesity and its complications through a combination of a strict diet and healthy exercise habits. The combination made significant improvements in physical functions and the overall quality of life, and specifically bone mineral density, frailty and body composition9. These are the effects among the aged. Moreover, as proven by another study entitled “Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet, Exercise, and Caloric Restriction on Neurocognition in Overweight Adults With High Blood Pressure,” the effects of combined weight loss training and physical exercise training to people with hypertension are actually significantly remarkable not only in terms of the alleviation of the severity of hypertension but also on the neurocognitive functions and psychomotor speed of the patient10. This information definitely ascribes a greater significance to the combined intervention strategy involving weight loss and exercise. Conclusion Obesity is indeed more prevalent than it actually is. Although it is brought about by several factors like proximity to the source of fast food as well as the age of the consumer, it is mainly caused by excessive and continual intake of high-calorie foods as well as a lack of physical exercise brought about by a sedentary lifestyle. What is worse is that obesity causes several complications including cancer. Nevertheless, true to what the World Health Organization mentioned, although it is not easy, obesity is indeed very much preventable1. However, the cure and prevention of obesity and overweight does not only rely on a single method. As the cause of obesity is twofold – excessive intake of energy and a sedentary lifestyle – the solution is also two-pronged. The most ideal solution to obesity as proven by scientific research is a combination of weight loss and physical training. Furthermore, physical exercise training must also follow a particular regimen in order to achieve significant results. Top of Form Bottom of Form Cited References 1Obesity. [Internet]. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2014. [cited 2014 Mar 16]. Available from: http://www.who.int/topics/obesity/en/ 2Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. [Internet]. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014. [cited 2014 Mar 16]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/ 3Jeffery RW, Baxter J, McGuire M, Linde J. Are fast food restaurants an environmental risk factor for obesity? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2006; 3(2): doi:10.1186/1479-5868-3-2. 4Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, Pereira MA, Ludwig DS. Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Energy Intake and Diet Quality Among Children in a National Household Survey. Pediatrics. 2004;113: 112-118. 5Davis B, Carpenter C. Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity. American Journal of Public Health. 2009;99(3): 505-510. 6Woo KS, Chook P, Yu CW, Sung RYT, Qiao M, Leung SSF, Lam CWK, Metreweli C, Celermajer DS. Effects of Diet and Exercise on Obesity-Related Vascular Dysfunction in Children. Circulation. 2004;109: 1981-1986. 7Ryan AS. Exercise in aging: its important role in mortality, obesity and insulin resistance. Aging Health. 2010;6(5): 551-563. 8Church T. Exercise in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Diabetes. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. 2011;53: 412-418. 9Villareal DT, Chode S, Parimi N, Sinacore DR, Hilton T, Armamento-Villareal R, Napoli N, Qualls C, Shah K. Weight Loss, Exercise, or Both and Physical Function in Obese Older Adults. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364(13): 1218-1229. 10Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Craighead L, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Browndyke JN, Strauman TA, Sherwood A. Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet, Exercise, and Caloric Restriction on Neurocognition in Overweight Adults With High Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2010;55: 1331-1338. Read More