Analysis of the Problem of Obesity - Essay Example

OBESITY 2006 INTRODUCTION The mainly vital part of human life is to keep the body shape and healthy. Do you weigh more than you should? Containing lots of fat in the body get a person looks dry and lazy. It is considered damaging for the body. People frequently believe it as an indication of prosperity and contentment. But, in certainty this causes numerous diseases. It can get a person heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Just picture the hazardous effects of obesity. Obesity has an effect on body and its productivity. This paper explained what Obesity is and its causes. This research tackles probable effects of obesity and means to conquer such defects. The obesity takes place due to build up of body fat. It may be due to inappropriate eating habit, no permanent time for the meals and various such reasons. Usually, it occurs due to malnutrition. A person should have balanced diet. The diet must be free from sticky or can be said oily items. GENERAL DISCUSSION Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat. Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and mammals, is increased to a point where it is a risk factor for certain health conditions or increased mortality (Wikipedia. 2006). Obesity develops from the interaction of individual biology and the environment. Excessive body weight has been shown to correlate with various diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis (Wikipedia. 2006). Obesity is both an individual clinical condition and is increasingly viewed as a serious public health problem (Wikipedia. 2006). Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health (WHO. 2006). But being overweight is different from being obese. Overweight refers to excess body weight compared to typical standards. The excess weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Obesity refers particularly to having an abnormally high percentage of body fat. Healthcare practitioners use various methods to establish if an individual is overweight or obese. BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults (WHO. 2006). However, it should be considered as a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals (WHO. 2006). Body mass index, or BMI, is the measurement used to evaluate whether a person is overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by means of a mathematical formula that takes into account both a persons height and weight. A person is measured overweight if they have a BMI of between 25 and 29.9. A BMI of more than 30 is commonly considered a sign of moderate to severe obesity. Weight is basically determined by how a person balances his/her intake of calories from food with the energy used in everyday activities. If calories are consumed more than used, a person gains weight. The body stores calories that are not needed for energy as fat. Fat is significant for storing energy and insulating the body, among other functions. The human body can handle carrying a number of extra fats, but beyond a certain point, body fat can start to interfere with the health. Eating lots of calories and not getting adequate physical activity are the major causes of obesity, particularly in combination. Obesity is connected with a lot of serious preventable diseases consisting of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, and respiratory disorders. The risk of developing these diseases is even higher when weight is concentrated near the waist. Determining the causes of obesity is central to tackling it. The precise extent of the relative responsibility of diet and activity remains uncertain and it is critical that both sides of the energy equation are addressed. At its simplest level, obesity is caused when a person overeat in relation to the energy needs. At the same instance as energy expenditure has dropped greatly, environmental factors have combined to make it increasingly simple for people to use more calories than they need. Energy-dense foods, which are extremely calorific without being correspondingly filling, are becoming increasingly available. In the absence of practical cookery lessons, children and young people are growing up lacking the skills to arrange healthy meals, compounding reliance on convenience foods, which are frequently high in energy density; healthy-eating messages are drowned out by the large proportion of advertising given over to highly energy-dense foods; other types of food promotion, as well as pricing also make purchasing unhealthy food more attractive and economical than healthy alternatives; and food labeling, a key tool to assist consumers choose healthy foods, is commonly either confusing or absent. Turning to the position of physical inactivity, only just over a third of men and around a quarter of women attain. Television viewing has doubled since the 1960s, while physical activity is being squeezed out of daily life by the relentless march of automation. WHO’s latest projections indicate that globally in 2005: approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight; at least 400 million adults were obese (2006). WHO further projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight globally in 2005 (WHO. 2006). Once considered a problem only in high-income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings (WHO. 2006). The quantity of weight gain that leads to obesity doesnt happen in a few weeks or months. For the reason that being obese is more than just being little pounds overweight, people who are obese have typically been getting more calories than they require for years. Genes, small component of the DNA that people inherit from their parents and that establish traits like hair or eye color, can play a significant role in this weight gain. Some of the genes tell the body how to metabolize food and how to utilize extra calories or stored fat. A number of people burn calories faster or slower than others do for the reason that of their genes. Obesity can run in families, but just how much is due to genes is tough to determine. Lots of families eat similar foods, have similar habits such as snacking in front of the TV, and tend to think alike when it comes to weight issues such as urging children to eat a lot at dinner so they can grow big and strong. All of these instances can contribute to weight gain, so it can be complicated to figure out if a person is born with a tendency to be obese or overweight or learns eating and work out habits that lead to weight gain. In many cases, weight problems occur from a combination of habits and genetic factors. Certain illnesses, like thyroid gland problems or unusual genetic disorders, are rare causes for people gaining weight. At times emotions can fuel obesity as well. Some tend to eat more when they are upset, problematic, anxious, sad, stressed out, or even bored. Then after they eat too much, they may feel bad regarding it and eat more to deal with those bad feelings, creating a hard cycle to break. One of the most significant factors in weight gain is a sedentary lifestyle. People are much less active nowadays than they used to be, with televisions, computers, and video games filling the spare time. Cars control our lives, and fewer people walk or ride bikes to get someplace. As lives turn out to be busier, there is less time to cook healthy meals, so more and more people eat at restaurants, grab takeout food, or buy quick foods at the grocery store or food market to heat up at home. All of these can contain lots more fat and calories than meals prepared from fresh foods at home. The mainstay of treatment for obesity is an energy-limited diet and increased exercise (Wikipedia. 2006). Diet and exercise programs have consistently produced an average weight loss of approximately 8% of total body mass on average (Wikipedia. 2006). While not all dieters will be satisfied with this outcome, studies have shown that a loss of as little as 5% of body mass can create enormous health benefits (Wikipedia. 2006). A more intractable therapeutic problem appears to be weight loss maintenance (Wikipedia. 2006). Of dieters who manage to lose 10% or more of their body mass in studies, 80-95% will regain that weight within two to five years. It appears that the homeostatic mechanisms regulating body weight are very robust, and vigorously defend against weight loss (Wikipedia. 2006). Much important research is now being devoted to determining what factors can improve the currently dismal weight loss maintenance rates (Wikipedia. 2006). Obesity is a medical condition that requires comprehensive treatment for effective management. Increasing physical activity may aid a person lose weight, mainly in the first 6 months, as well as preserve a desirable weight in the long-term. Exercise not only contributes to weight loss, it also reduces abdominal fat and increases cardio respiratory fitness, which can lessen complications linked with overweight and obesity such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. With the easy availability of high fat, highly palatable foods, it is not surprising that our energy intake has been increasing over the years. Furthermore, with the numerous labor-saving devices, such as computers, moving walkways, television remotes, and cars, the average person’s lifestyle activities have lessened, therefore lessening the need for calories. It is vital for people who are not used to exercising to start with a gentle regimen that increases in intensity over time. The long-term goal is to partake in a moderately intense work out routine for at least 30 minutes, 5 to 7 days a week. Preferably, an exercise program should unite aerobic activity such as walking, running, or swimming with a program of strength training, such as lifting light weights. CONCLUSION One of the most agonizing aspects of obesity may be the emotional suffering it can cause. A lot of people and cultures connect beauty and success with slimness, and unfairly label obese people as lazy or gluttonous. Feelings of humiliation and depression are ordinary among obese people. But obesity should be viewed as a constant condition not a moral failing or personal choice. It may be helpful to speak to others who also are stressed with the weight. Ask the doctor for information on weight-loss support groups in the area near to you. There are also Web sites intended to help people lose weight and feel better about them. Ask the family and friends for support. If weight has you feeling depressed, talk to the doctor in relation to treatments for depression. If overweight or obese, an optimistic attitude should be cultivated before a person can get rid of those unnecessary pounds. With knowledge, the correct attitude and a good plan, people can and will lose weight. Solutions to the dilemma of obesity require being multifaceted, recognizing the true complication of the issue, must address environmental as well as individual factors, and should be intended to bring about long-term, sustainable change, rather than hopeful overnight results. Obesity is also a matter which demands actually joined-up policy-making. REFERENCE WHO (World Health Organization). Obesity and overweight, What are overweight and obesity?. (2006). Wikipedia. Obesity. Your continued donations keep Wikipedia running! Obesity. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ...(2006). Read More