The Physical Consequences of Obesity and the Impact of Social Factors on its Incidence - Essay Example

? The Physical Consequences of Obesity and the Impact of Social Factors on its Incidence Outline Outline 2 Introduction 3 Background 3 Causes of obesity 4 Psychological effects of obesity 7 Physical consequences of depression 8 Social Factors 9 Economic Consequences 11 Conclusion 13 Research 13 Introduction Obesity is becoming an increasing problem in the developed world, and many countries are attempting to find ways of reducing this through the creation of health care policies and public health messages. Obese people are those with a high amount of weight due to body fat, which is often associated with high inputs of carbohydrates and low levels of exercise. Obesity is becoming a prevalent problem in Britain, in 2011, 23.9% of women were obese and 22.1% of men . However, an increase in obesity is not limited to the British population, but is increasing throughout the world . It is often assumed that people who are obese are this way because they are lazy or do not have any self control. Because obesity is an obvious physical trait, and the excess body fat tends to be clearly visible to people, many people experience significant social problems because of their weight. Consequently, obesity itself is often misunderstood, and people who are obese tend to suffer significantly, not only physically, but also mentally and socially. Many obese people suffer from prejudice and discrimination, within all aspects of society. As the focus on obesity continues to increase, it is important that the true causes of obesity are understood and considered when working with people who are obese. This discussion will consider the problem of obesity, what the underlying causes are and what effects obesity can have on physical health as well as psychological and social effects. Background Being obese is not the same as being overweight. While being overweight can refer to any factor that makes an individual weigh too much, such as excess water or muscle, obesity specifically refers to the person having too much fat. A person is considered to be obese if their weight is higher than what is considered to be a healthy amount for their height, and this excess weight is caused by fat . Obesity is measured using the body mass index (BMI), and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises three grades of obesity. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 is considered to be Grade 1 obese (moderately overweight), between 30 and 39.9 kg/m2 is Grade 2 obese (severely overweight) and a BMI of more than 39.9 kg/m2 as Grade 3 obese (morbidly obese) . This discussion will consider both Grades 2 and 3 together as severely obese. The most prevalent method of treating obesity is healthy eating and exercise. Often people will go on diets to lose weight, dramatically increasing their calorie intake. Other approaches include using weight loss pills, however doctors generally do not recommend this, as losing weight in this manner can be dangerous and unless there is a change in lifestyle it is likely that the person will put on that weight again, and potentially more. For severely obese people, diet and exercise can be very hard to do and may have little effect. Consequently, under this situation the most common form of treatment is a bariatric surgery, which results in significant weight loss. However, this is an invasive method of treatment, and has a significant cost. Thus, many people who are severely obese are unable to find an effective treatment and must live with the associated physical, psychological and social consequences Causes of obesity The primary factor that is responsible for obesity is having a daily intake of calories that is more than the body can burn. Calories that the body does not used are stored as fat . However, there are many different factors that can influence an individual to consume more calories than their body needs. Additionally, in some cases obesity can be caused by factors that have little to do with the amount of calories that a person consumes, but are instead connected to the way that the body processes food. Social factors have a significant influence on the prevalence of obesity. Society is filled with aspects that make it difficult to eat healthy, to eat the right amount and to stay active. . Increased mechanisation, urbanisation and westernisation is a collective term that is used to describe the changes in the way that people live and behave, especially in the western world. This concept is related to a move towards a more sedentary lifestyle where foods are rich in energy and easy to obtain .For example, many people work long hours at desk jobs in order to provide for their family. People in this position do not have the time to prepare healthy meals or to exercise often. Furthermore, they may be likely to look for easy meals, such as fast food, which is often high in calories and can lead to weight gain. The link between fast food and weight gain has often been suggested or assumed, but research into the exact relationship between the two has been relatively scarce. One study that considered this examined a possible mechanism where the consumption of foods purchased from fast food outlets was linked to the prevalence of obesity. Most modern fast foods have a high amount of energy for their weight. This high energy density appears to bypass the normal system of appetite control in humans, creating an environment where it is easy for fast food consumers to overeat without being aware of it, and this excess energy being converted to fat, and thus promoting weight gain . . The human body utilises a complex system to maintain a healthy body weight. This system does not work the same way in all people, and in some individuals, it is not efficient. Because of this, it is possible for two people who live in the same location to always eat the same food, and one become obese while the other one does not . Obesity also has been observed to have a familial effect. For example, a child of two obese parents is more likely to be obese than a child of two normal parents. However, the exact mechanism for this effect is not known. Living with obese parents may mean that the child has few opportunities to learn about ways of eating well and what foods can be unhealthy. Alternatively, there could be a genetic factor that is passed on from the parents to the child, and this interacts with the environment . Research does indicate that there is a genetic component to obesity, and that people can be more susceptible to obesity than others because of this . In addition, a number of external factors can have a significant role in weight gain and thus obesity. Some of these include, quitting smoking, stress, anxiety, poor sleeping patterns, menopause and pregnancy. In addition hormone or thyroid problems are able to cause weight gain, as are some medications, such as antidepressants . This shows that obesity is a multifactoral problem and can be caused by many factors, not all of which are in the person’s control. Therefore, obesity is much more than a problem of low self-control and laziness and needs to be treated as such, both by society and by the medical profession. If all efforts to reduce obesity focus on lowering the amount of carbohydrates that people eat, then this approach would fall dramatically short of addressing the full problem. Psychological effects of obesity Whatever the cause of obesity, the psychological effects are significant and consistent. People who are obese have low self-esteem, tend to feel that they are worthless, are highly self-conscious, and may develop mental conditions as a consequence . The development of a mental condition can also serve to exasperate the problem of obesity, as this might make it difficult for the person to seek help, may decrease the person’s desire or ability to exercise physically, or could increase the amount of food that the person eats. One example of this is depression, or major depressive disorder. This is a mental condition that results in symptoms such as being down, suicidal thoughts, low self-worth, becoming withdrawn, and a dramatic change in appetite .The relationship between depression and obesity is a complex one. Research has shown that there is a reciprocal relationship between obesity and depression. People who are obese have a 55% greater chance of developing depression than those who are not, while people who are depressed have an increased risk of 58% for becoming obese . This interaction means that obesity can be a difficult state for people to get out of; even those who are actively attempting to lose weight. One aspect of depression is a lack of focus, and an inability to concentrate. Consequently, people suffering from depression are often unable to follow through on plans, and this can make it very difficult for depressed people to follow a diet or to increase their level of exercise . Physical consequences of depression Perhaps the most important reason that obesity has been a popular topic in the news and in research is that it is has significant consequences on physical health . Strong links have been shown between obesity and chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes . Obesity has been linked to an increase in the prevalence of a wide range of conditions, some of which encourage weight gain. For example, a common side effect of obesity is sleep apnea, where the individual stops breathing for short periods while they sleep, which wakes them up. Obesity also has a significant effect on human reproduction. For females, obesity can decrease the chance of conception and increase the likelihood of miscarriage . One effect that obesity has is that it alters the function of adipose tissue in the body and results in a higher level of hormone, proinflammatory molecules and fatty acids being released. These changes have been strongly linked to the physical complications that occurs because of obesity. Positive correlations have been shown between the amount of adiposity that is occurring and physical disorders related to obesity, such as glucose intolerance, dyslipidema or hypertension . Other disorders have also been linked to obesity, such as the metabolic disorders of atherosclerosis and insulin resistance . These factors show that obesity has the ability to significantly alter the way that the human body functions, to increase its susceptibility to problems and overall to increase the chance of death. Overall, people who suffer from obesity have a significantly higher chance of obtaining one of a large number of physical problems, many of which have effects on the obesity itself. The result of this is that people with a higher BMI tend to have lower life expectancies and an increased chance of dying from factors such as congestive heart failure. For people who are severely obese, their average life expectancy is ten years shorter than for people of normal weight . However, the chance of complications and obtaining physical effects from obesity is present regardless of the severity of the obesity. Consequently, it is important that people who are overweight seek to reduce this through diet and exercise as soon as possible. There are many ways for obese people to lose weight, such as changing portion sizes, dieting, and becoming more active. This can be difficult for individuals to do on their own, as it generally involves a significant change in behaviour and lifestyle . However, diet and exercise alone is not always the answer for people who are obese, and in some cases this is not possible. For example, people who suffer from obesity linked to depression can have an exceptionally hard time to lose weight. It can be exceptionally difficult for people who are obese, particularly severely obese to seek help. Many obese people feel that they are treated with disrespect by their physician and that the physician acted like they were weak-willed, lacked self-control or were lazy . This can mean that obese people do not get the help that they need. Social Factors Western society has a strong focus on thinness as being attractive and consequently excessive weight is considered to be a bad thing. While there are many physical factors that make obesity a significant health problem, the focus of society is on appearance itself. This can be seen in the fact that models are extremely thin, and few movie stars or famous people have any excess weight. Consequently, for all of their lives people are bombarded with images of the ideal body type and size. It is widely recognised that the prevalence of idealised, and often airbrushed, images of ‘perfect’ body types can cause significant distress for people, and result in many attempts to reach this unobtainable goal. This effect is particularly strong for obese people, as they feel that at their current weight society will not accept them. In many ways, this perception is entirely correct. People who are obese face a strong social stigma, which has significant emotional and psychological effects. Obesity is viewed as the result of the person being weak morally, or having low self-control. The result of this is that a person who is even slightly overweight often suffers from lectures, remarks and disapproval from family and friends. Additionally, even complete strangers react strongly when they see a person who is overweight often sneering or calling them names . Unflattering and insulting portrayals of obese people are prevalent throughout popular culture and media, and this prejudice even extends to medical professionals . This level of public rejection is strongly detrimental to obese people, and can be amplified by the fact that people who are severely obese often have trouble fitting in seats such as at movie theatres or on the subway. Because many people judge those who are over, they will often not help to provide seating that is comfortable. Consequently, people who are severely obese feel ostracized and unwelcome in society. This results in them feeling that they are physically unattractive, feel discrimination and do not like being seen in public . The rejection of obese people in society is so prominent that even those who do not actively tease or ridicule people who are obese cannot interact with them well, and tend to avoid conversations as a consequence. Therefore, it is very hard for people who are obese to make and maintain friends, and many do not bother. Economic Consequences Severe obesity has a significant effect on the health of the person and can lead to dramatically increased chance of death or disease. For such people, the traditional approaches of diet and exercise are not sufficient. One technique that has been successfully used in helping people who are severely obese is bariatric surgery. However, the cost of this surgery and related care is substantial, and this can place high costs on the medical industry and the government, as well as the people wanting to take the surgery . Consequently, many people may save a significant amount of money to attempt to have the surgery, which significantly impedes them economically. Additionally, obesity can be emotionally crippling for people, preventing them from participating in society or from seeking opportunities. This is especially true of severely obese people, but can occur with any level of obesity. Social factors mean that obese people tend to avoid the society of others and stay at home more often. The result of this is that people who are obese sometimes stop working in order to avoid the criticism of their peers, which can result in a significant economic detriment. Likewise, because people who are obese go out less often and interact with people less frequently, they do not make the connections that are needed to increase opportunities in their career. Furthermore, many people who are obese feel that they are discriminated against when trying to obtain a job, as well as observing discrimination within the workplace. Research has shown that on average obese people have lower levels of earning, less education and diminished status in their occupation than people who have a normal weight . Thus, being obese has a significant effect on a person’s economic status and their ability to care for themselves and their family. When examining obesity and considering how this occurs in current society, it is important to consider the limitations of current research. One limitation that is present in many studies of obesity and its effects is that although obesity is defined as being excess body weight caused by fat, most studies and medical techniques measure obesity in terms of BMI. While BMI is a good way of determining whether a person’s weight is higher than it should be, the measure is limited as it does not consider the causes of weight. Consequently, measures such as the proportion of people in Britain that are obese count not only those who have a significant amount of fat but also those who are muscular (muscle weighs more than fat), people with water retention, and people with heavy bone structures. For example, it is possible for a healthy adolescent girl to be considered obese because she has a dense bone structure and is physically active so she has some muscle development. There are two implications of this, firstly, telling an adolescent girl that she is obese can have significant psychological impacts, potentially leading to an eating disorder, as she feels that her body shape is not good enough to be considered normal let alone thin. Secondly, this suggests that the current method of measuring obesity overestimates its prevalence. Conclusion Throughout the world obesity is being recognised as a significant problem that is affecting a significant proportion of the population. The combination of a sedentary lifestyle and energy dense foods is thought to be a significant contributing factor, although as discussed above, there are many other aspects that can influence a person’s weight and whether they are normal or obese. People can suffer from significant detriments physically, mentally and socially as a result of obesity, and find it difficult to seek help. Research Read More