Obesity in the United States - Case Study Example

Weighing in on Obesity: Is the Government Doing Enough? It is common knowledge that obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. A mere visual sweep of places in the U.S. where people gather, such as malls, amusement parks, train stations, will readily prove this statement. In fact, in 2004, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked obesity as the number health threat facing the United States. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show the alarming rise of obesity, from 12.8% in 1976-1980 to 30% in 1999-2000, or roughly 59 million adults. But does obesity really deserve to be labeled as a disease? This paper will attempt to delve on the issue of whether obesity should be considered a disease of epidemic proportions, thereby forcing the government to deal with this issue more seriously. To answer this question, a discussion must be made first of the basics of obesity. Obesity is defined as having an excess of body fat which is above one’s normal weight. Laymen would just call obese people fat. How fat is fat is defined by a chart that supposedly takes into account a person’s height, age, sex and build, and not just the numbers on the scale which makes you shriek in frustration. Science of course, needs more than the volume of your shrieks to define obesity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above. BMI is the standard (and most professionals say, more accurate) measurement of body fat based on a weight-to-height ratio. Another way of measuring body fat is through the waist circumference. Men with waistline over 40 and women with waistline over 35 are defined as obese. The more pressing question on obesity is its cause. Research indicates that obesity is multifactorial, based on both genetic and behavioral factors. Although weight gain and obesity are caused by consuming more calories than what the body needs, eating more does not automatically make one obese. Obesity is not always simply a behavioral issue, as factors such as genetic, hormonal, behavioral, environmental and even cultural, have different effects on people. The most simplistic attribution of obesity is overeating and physical inactivity. Debates are still raging whether this simplistic explanation is indeed the root of obesity. Science has identified though, other factors associated with obesity such as race, childhood weight, and hormones. Obesity can be treated several ways. The most common answer to obesity is reduction of food consumption, or simply called dieting. Some amount of weight loss may be achieved, but in most instances, this is regained later. Some people turn to excessive physical activity, i.e. exercise, to lose weight. Others turn to medication, such as Xenical, to “dissolve” fat. The more desperate ones look to surgery (e.g. Vertical-banded Gastroplasty, Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) as a cure, even though there are risks associated with it. Because of its controversial nature, surgery remains to be the last option in treating obesity. The treatment of obesity is not only for cosmetic reasons. Everyone wants to look good, and society has long dictated that obesity is not appealing to most. Even children have been known to taunt fat children. Nevertheless, there are actual health risks as obesity increased the risk of developing chronic diseases like insulin resistance, type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, congestive heart failure, gallstones, gout and gouty arthritis, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, cancer, and Pickwickian syndrome. It cannot be denied however, that the most common reason for losing weight is mostly cosmetic. Who does not want to slip into that slinky dress or for men, the pants that you wore when you were in your twenties? Studies have shown that obese people suffer from confidence problem, are less likely to be sociable, and have lower chances of being employed. We all want to look good, and society has dictated that for the last century or so, it is beautiful to be thin. Thus, the question arises, should obesity be considered a disease, or is it mere vanity? A relevant question should be answered first before debating this issue. Why should a label matter when clearly obesity is already pressing issue in the United States? The main reason is both political and economic. If obesity is to be declared a disease, especially one of epidemic proportions, then the government would be required to allocate major resources immediately so that the disease will be wiped out. Politicians will also be forced to come up with policies that will have immediate and long-term results. It is true, though, that the government has been implementing programs to address obesity. However, the programs being implemented have a more long-term effect than short term. Take for example the campaigns urging healthy choices that the government continually undertakes. The effects of this program will not be seen immediately. However, if obesity were to be declared a disease, then the government will be forced to conduct programs which will have immediate impact, such as distribution of weight loss medicines. Thus, it is therefore necessary to debate whether obesity should be considered a disease and force the government to take drastic measures. The discussion here however will not be empirical or scientific, but more of realistic. If it were a scientific question, then all that is required is a working definition of obesity and see whether it fits the requirements. “Is obesity a disease” is not the question that will be answered, rather the question should be “SHOULD it be considered a disease?” On one hand, it is rather difficult to consider obesity as a disease because when it comes down to it, there is only one treatment to obesity, and that is, to lose weight. It would be ill-advised for a nation already reeling from the subprime mortgage mess, the runaway gas prices, and the dismal state of the economy, to allocate resources to obesity when all that an obese person needs to do is to lose weight. It is a personal problem that needs a personal solution. Certainly, the government cannot force its population to eat less and exercise more. It is your god-given right to be fat. And as previously discussed, the long and short of weight loss is to reduce food intake and increase physical activity. In other words, an obese person should diet and exercise. In fact, if the more than 55 million Americans reduced their food intake, this would probably benefit the economy as a whole because food is major component of every American’s budget. Bluntly put, obesity is a product of laziness. Americans have become too lazy to make a thoughtful decision. They blame the fast life that they live for their rapid horizontal expansion. Every American is faced with making food choices everyday, and they usually take the easy way out. A blueberry muffin will have between 350-700 calories per piece while an omelet about 43 calories. But since it is easier to reach for a muffin than for an omelet, muffins will be chosen. A Starbucks cappuccino, which the Americans are so fond of drinking everyday, has 120 calories a day. If one were to avoid the cappuccino for a year, and without substituting it for another food item, one could easily lose 12 pound in a year. Avoiding that slice of cake, with 500 calories on it would certainly yield amazing results. Consider also that there are numerous ways of exercising without necessarily spending on a gym membership. Doing the household chores manually instead of using all these gadgets would burn serious calories. Walking to the bus stop, the grocery, church or wherever you need to go instead of taking the car, taking the stairs instead of the elevator are major calorie busters as well. However, Americans have become too self-indulgent, choosing instead instant gratification. Weight reduction is matter of choice. By choosing to walk to the bus stop every morning, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, avoiding those high-calorie and useless food indulgences, major calories are burned which, even though minor if counted on a daily basis, will have long-term additive effect. However, Americans want instant solutions and will go the extra mile to defend their choice of muffin as breakfast. They will rationalize their spending on cab fare instead of walking. “I don’t want to smell” or “2 kilometers is just too far to walk” are common excuses. Laziness has become a way of life. There is just no legislating laziness. Furthermore, if people were forced to face this problem on their own, their character would be strengthened. By forcing them to face the problem on their own, they would develop the patience to wait for the cumulative effect of their healthy choices. They will consider every choice they make and look at the general picture. They will limit their self-indulgence. Laziness will be eradicated. Americans have now become too dependent on their government, expecting the bureaucracy to solve just about any problem. This creates a culture where people are soft, cannot make good decisions and dependent on other people. It becomes easy for them to blame the government for their woes. They do not take control of their destiny. Any government intervention on the matter will only encourage obese people to wait for the solution, instead of taking an active role in solving the problem. In addition, the problem of obesity is not immediate. Like their weight, obesity creeps into the society. Thus, there is actually no need for immediate intervention from the government. A long-term well-thought out plan of action will be enough. However, to take that view is simply myopic. To ignore obesity and attribute it to simple laziness is too simplistic. The problem has reached epidemic proportions. The problem of obesity has already reached epidemic proportions that it now requires government intervention. The risks associated with obesity are too serious to ignore. For example, one important cause of insulin resistance (a condition whereby the effectiveness of insulin in transporting glucose into cells is diminished) is obesity. Thus, if obesity is treated, then insulin resistance will also be treated. Also, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack will be prevented. This is not to say that obesity is the only cause of these diseases. However, to treat the cause makes more sense than merely treat the symptoms. It would therefore greatly help if obesity were to be considered a disease necessitating government action. Research could be funded and programs could be put in place to reduce obesity and also treat the concomitant diseases. It would be hitting several birds with one stone. More importantly, the government can also create programs to prevent obesity especially in their younger population. This will certainly go a long way for the next generation which can look forward to a healthier population. To consider obesity as a disease would have more positive results than negative. Furthermore, the problem of obesity and its causes are not that simple. Obesity is not always a behavioral issue. Overeating and a sedentary lifestyle are not the only causes of obesity. Genetics plays a role in obesity. A person is likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese. They also affect the hormones involved in fat regulation. Studies have shown that leptin, a hormone produced in fat cells and placenta, controls weight by signaling the brain to eat less when body fat stores are too high. Thus, if the body could not produce enough leptin, or leptin cannot signal the brain to eat less, control is lost and obesity may occur. Thus, there is a need to research this matter and this is where government intervention is sorely needed. To leave the individual to solve this particular problem will only worsen the situation. It is certainly an enormous problem, one that requires authoritative solutions. Metabolism also plays a role in obesity. Women have slower metabolism than men and are therefore more prone to obesity. The government certainly will need to conduct research to address this problem. Medications also contribute to obesity. Medications associated with weight gain include certain antidepressants, anti-convulsants (medications to control seizures), diabetes medications, certain hormones such as oral contraceptives and most corticosteroids, some high blood pressure medications and antihistamines. The government, in this respect, can certainly control and regulate the prescription and distribution of these drugs. Psychological factors have strong correlation with binge eating, and as a result, obesity. For some individuals, eating is their response to boredom, stress, anger and sadness. This is not to say that all overweight people have psychological disorder. It merely highlights the fact that those who seek treatment for serious weight disorders will have problems with binge eating. Although outright government intervention is not an answer to this particular cause, certain programs may be undertaken to address this. There are also diseases which are contributors to obesity, such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. Thus, in these cases, laziness is not so much as an issue as their illness. This underscores the fact that obesity is actually a disease which may cause or be the cause of another disease. As pointed out earlier, addressing obesity as a cause will actually have a large scale effect. It is therefore clear that although obesity may look harmless, in the sense that by itself, it will not have deleterious, immediate impact, this is actually not the entire picture. While it may not be a like a viral disease where a government may have to come down hard on communities, quarantine people and kill the infected ones, it does have deep and lasting effects on the community. Obese people are generally regarded as lazy and as a result, have fewer opportunities than the slimmer populations. They are generally insulted and laughed at behind their backs. They blame themselves for their obesity when oftentimes there are medical reasons for it. There is therefore a pressing need to address this issue. If obesity is not considered a disease, the government will have no reason to take immediate action. The discussion above showed that there is more to the “diet and exercise” explanation than meets the eye. Obesity must be declared a disease so that the government will address the problem. It is not a mere physical condition. Obesity is a medical condition and must be considered life-threatening. Thus, serious research should be conducted on the causes and treatments for obesity. The government should fund these researches as they have multiplier effects. To address obesity will also mean addressing all the other diseases that come with it. The programs in place right now are simply not enough. Obesity should be prevented from its onset. The government should not only treat the cause at its roots, but it should also go to the roots to prevent it. The best place to start is a program for the younger population. Nutrition programs in the school and communities must be put in place. There should be information campaign on the dangers of obesity and its prevention. For obese children, the government should take a more active role in addressing this problem. Youthful obesity is not cute, but is actually life-threatening. The government should not soft-pedal its programs and must wage an all-out campaign against obesity. It is only in this way that we can look to a healthier future. Works Cited: 1. ObesityinAmerica.org website. The Endocrine Society and The Hormone Foundation. 22 October 2008 . 2. HealthAtoZ. OptumHealth. 22 October 2008 < http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/dc/caz/nutr/obes/obes_gen_ovw.jsp>. 3. 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