Health Implications of Obesity on Individuals - Essay Example

? A public Health Crisis- Obesity A public Health Crisis- Obesity Obesity can be defined as the medical condition in which one’s body has an excess accumulation of body fat to such an extent that the individual’s health is adversely affected thus reducing his/her life expectancy and predisposing them to other health problems (Sturm, 2007). Closely related to obesity is the concept to Body Mass Index (BMI). This refers to a statistical measurement derived by comparing ones weight and their height (Kushner, 2007). BMI is a useful method of estimating health body weight. Individuals are considered to be obese when their BMI is over 30kg/m2 (Sturm, 2007). This represents an excess of 20% and over from the expected average weight of individuals. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered to be overweight and could easily lead to obesity is not well managed. Normal average BIM is considered to be within the range of 18.5 and 24.9, while a BMI below 18.5 is considered to be an underweight problem. Obesity predisposes one to various diseases including certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease and type 2 diabetes (Sturm, 2007). Obesity has a wide range of health implications on individuals. It is a leading cause of death across the world despite being preventable. It is considered one of the most serious problems in public health in the 1st century. Statistics show a prevalence of the health condition among both adults and children in the developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the US. About one out of three children in the UK is either obese or overweight (Pickett, 2009). In the Middle Ages, obesity and overweight were considered to be signs of wealth and was mainly affected the rich and noble people in the community. On the contrary, in the modern world, obese individuals and those who are overweight have largely been stigmatized in their communities and it is now seen as a health problem. According to the American Medical Association, obesity is classified as a disease (Pickett, 2009). The various causes of obesity include excessive food intake, genetic susceptibility, in some cases it occurs due to endocrine disorders, genes, psychiatric illness or medications and lack of physical activity (Christakis, and Fowler, 2007). The most common cause of obesity however is bad eating habits where individuals consume a lot of food, and in most cases unhealthy foods and drinks rich in fats and sugar. A sedentary lifestyle also contributes a lot to obesity. This is a life with limited physical activity (Sturm, 2007). This is a common lifestyle in the developed work where people have moved to jobs that are less demanding physically. With overreliance on technology and automobiles, individuals rarely engage in physical activities even as simple as taking a walk over some distance. Obesity can also occur as a genetically inherited condition. There are also other illnesses that predispose an individual to obesity. These growth hormone deficiency, Cushing ’s syndrome, hypothyroidism and other eating disorders such as night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder (Sturm, 2007). In the United Kingdom, obesity is a major concern in public health. It raises concern when more of the children and teenagers are getting affected with obesity because the future of the nation is at risk (Munger, Chitnis, and Ascherio, 2009). Obese individuals have largely been stigmatized in the United Kingdom through the negativity associated with being overweight in the media and discrimination in employment. The media in the UK presents skinny women and well built men as the best sizes of human beings (Berrington, 2010). This is portrayed throughout the advertisements in the media and in fashion shows. Overweight and obese individuals are often left distressed with their sizes and develop certain fears of what the public thinks about them. This mostly affects young girls and teenagers who are overweight and obese (Wells, 2011). Obesity also denies individuals job opportunities in both the public and private sectors. This is because, despite being qualified, obese individuals cannot do a lot of work that requires physical movements from one place to another as this would be strenuous to them. Obesity is also a expense to most businesses and the government. A lot of money goes in to treating obese conditions while most companies lose man hours in case individuals in theory workforce become obese and contract other diseases that may keep them away from work for some time. There is therefore need to put in place measures and strategies to control obesity in the UK. This requires contribution from the government, not for profit organizations, businesses and the entire community at large. There is need to change existing policies and create a good environment where people can live a healthy lifestyle and keep off obesity (Nestle and Jacobson, 2000). Various strategies have already been put in place in the UK to cub the problem of obesity. The four main strategies in use in the UK in fighting obesity include carrying out health programs to advise people on good eating habits, limiting advertising for unhealthy food products such as carbonated soft drinks, encouraging physical activity and reducing the cost involved in treating obesity (Wells, 2011). The first strategy entails encouraging individuals to adopt good eating habits for both children and adults. There are public health campaigns to sensitize individuals on consuming unhealthy foods such as carbonated soft drinks, sugary foods and beverages and fatty foods. These foods contribute to accumulation of fats in the body thereby leading to obesity. Parents should encourage their children to avoid these type of foods and beverages in order to be healthy and avoid being overweight and obese. Individuals are also advised to each enough food and not eating excessively as this would have negative implications on their health (Sturm, 2007). The second strategy involves taking legal measures to prevent people from accessing unhealthy products. Large businesses and companies that deal in production of soft drinks and other sugary fast foods are carefully regulated in the UK (Haslam, and James, 2005). This include limiting advertising and promotions aimed at attracting children to buy such products since children do not have the necessary skills to make informed decisions on what to have as healthy food. The companies are also require by law to label the ingredients for their foods on the containers so as for the public to read and know the contents of whatever they are eating (Wells, 2011). The third strategy in combating obesity is encouraging physical activity. This is done through community organizations and NGOs that encourage individuals to engage in sports activities. Sports is becoming a lucrative career path and more youths are joining sports teams where they can train and work together with their peers (Grundy, 2004). The government has also incorporated physical education in the school curriculum in order to hive children an opportunity to participate in physical activities. The final strategy is supporting medical treatment of current obesity conditions. The government in conjunction with the private sector and NGOs supports prevention measures taken to encourage individuals to prevent obesity throughout the country. The government has subsidized the costs involved in treatment of obesity in order to make healthcare available to the affected individuals. These strategies have been effective in reducing the number of case of obesity in the country. There is a certain level of awareness among the citizens that obesity is a health problem and it can have adverse effects on one’s health in the long term. This has enabled people to shun from contracting obesity and with more awareness being created; the future is likely to have reduced cases of obesity across the UK. Bibliography Berrington de Gonzalez A (2010). "Body-Mass Index and Mortality among 1.46 Million White Adults". N. Engl. J. Med. 363 (23): 2211–9. Christakis N. A, Fowler J. H (2007). "The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years". New England Journal of Medicine 357 (4): 370–379. Grundy S. M. (2004). "Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 89 (6): 2595–600. Haslam D. 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