The Factors of Obesity and Its Economic Effects - Essay Example

This essay "The Factors of Obesity and Its Economic Effects" outlines the impact of the changed lifestyle and culture on the level of obesity and also its impact on the country's economy. The biggest fear that obesity brings is the higher health risk that it pose on people. Eating too much food while having little to no exercise is a sure fire way to lead someone to obesity. Different people have different eating habits and different physical activities. The current lifestyle of most people which is fundamentally centered on instant gratification is one of the persistent reasons cited for this problem.

There are so many things that person must do, and often they have to multi-task, that it becomes harder to make healthier choices when it comes to their diet. What often happens is that it is easier to grab a sugar or salt infused snack than to allot time to prepare a salad. This, coupled with limited physical motion impedes the metabolic process of food digestion and caloric exhaustion. Even children get little body exercise, spending their time instead, on video games or computer or other technological gadgets and of course television.

What is even more alarming is that parents do not seem to notice the weight status of their children. In two studies where parents were made to identify whether their child is underweight, normal or overweight, only a third correctly identified their child in one survey while 60% got it wrong in the other (Kalb, 2010). These lifestyle trends and indifferent attitudes contribute to the increase in obesity. The most accepted trend today and also regarded as among the reason for obesity is that crusade for embracing obesity as a disease.

With this perception, a different outlook is geared more toward its treatment. It cannot be denied that it carries with it a certain social stigma and the media is not helping refrain from this misconception. It has been estimated that obesity has a cost for it affects the economy and it is estimated to be within $70 billion spent on health care, disability, lost potential wage earned and other