Obesity is Unhealthy - Essay Example

Obesity Obesity is unhealthy. Merriam-Webster dictionary defined obesity as a condition demonstratingexcessive accumulation and storage of body fat. Recent research bared that obesity is evident in all advanced industrialized and in emerging nations as well. Reports of the World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned that it has reached an epidemic proportion with one billion adults worldwide considered to be overweight with around 300 million clinically considered as obese (Fabricatore & Wadden, 2003). Such circumstance refers to the people who are leading their lives on unhealthy eating habit on food with excessive calorie intake that impaired their fitness and the level of intensity that they can exert at work (James, 2008). Health experts opined that this unhealthy eating habit is influenced by environmental factors that encouraged an unhealthy lifestyle, such as consumers’ dependency on fast foods, lack of exercises, consumerism on junk foods, lack of access to nutritious food, and lack of education on health (James, 2008). In United States, obese persons are those who belong to the 64% of people in United States with an overweight body mass index body mass index [BMI] = 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) (Fabricatore et.al., 2003). These figures represent sharp increase of value of 55% in 1994 and reflected a scaling 30% increase of obese populace in 1980 (Fabricatore et.al., 2003). With the alarming number of obese people it’s not surprising that the national government has allocated an estimated amount of $99 billion annual budget intended for the medical response for those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer— illnesses that are associated as consequence of diabetes (Fabricatore et.al., 2003). Obesity raises the risk of disability and is also contributory to the trend of increasing mortality rate of world’s populace. Obese persons are also diagnosed of diabetes and the prevalence of exposing them to internal diseases. A British Whitehall study pointed that those with high body mass index (BMI), 18,000 males as subject of study within 35 years, who died or suffered ischaemic heart disease is correlated to obesity (RAND, 2002). Another study with integrated analysis of 33 cohorts, within the span of seven years in Asia-Pacific region that covered million adults, confront fatal nonfatal cardiovascular disease leading to ischaemic stroke (RAND, 2002). Both children and adults ‘ obesity risks themselves to secondary diseases such as diabetes, asthma, cardiovascuilar disease, orthopaedic problems, sleep apnea, breast, colon, and endometrial cancers, stroke, osteoarthritis, and gynaecological problems (RAND, 2002). With massive weight, they are likewise hindered to take full participation in leisurely activities (RAND, 2002). This epidemic has further detrimental effect to the economy of a family. Research showed that obese people spend much on healthcare, at the age of 30-50, compared with those who with normal-weight individuals in a study with respondents composed of persons of similar age, sex, and social demographics. In similar study, figures showed that obese spend 77% more on medication than those habitual smokers and heavy drinkers (RAND, 2002). Obese people also spend 36% more on health services than the others. Aside from these, it also contributed to early aging. Obese persons, being reliant on unhealthy food, have effects to physiological aspects of a person since the functions of human organs rely on necessary nutrients derived from vegetables (RAND, 2002). Health experts further discussed that obesity was already considered an epidemic since 1980s because this is evident in all countries and is rapidly increasing in number. They pointed that the optimum body mass index (BMI) is about 21 and this is valid in Asia and Latin America where most populace are vulnerable to abdominal obesity with anent diabetes and hypertension (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). Hence, study suggested that the impact of poor healthcare and unhealthy diet as well as physical inactivity of can be logically resolved only by prompting them to undertake some physical activities aside from leisure (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). There is also a need for health agency to pursue health education en masse on good nutrition and ask legislators to make policies that will mandate the food industry to produce and market only the healthy and nutritious products (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). This way, human bodies will be de-intoxicated from substances induced from junkie or unhealthy food. Obesity is not an unpreventable illness. Adults, youths and children, should be encouraged to make decisions about their own health and to adopt healthy eating habit. They should be motivated to take physical fitness activities, enjoy yoga, swim, and develop goals for better living (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). Vegetarianism and fishes should be vigorously promoted and their lifestyles should be transformed, too (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). They may engage in sports, biking, or any pound losing activities. Experts also suggest that continued research should be undertaken to completely understand and address the problem on obesity, especially those special children suffering the same physiological problem (Stanton & Zoltan, 2005). Policy on health should be enforced likewise in school that will reduce the availability of junk foods in snack centers and in the neighbourhoods’. The same approach should be advocated for the industries engaged in food production. Sassi, Devaux, Church, Cecchini, & Borgonovi (2009) suggested that policies should be targeted at responding and counteracting the negative effects of obesity through education and the policies targeted at nurturing a better environ or healthier lifestyle for children. Specific for special children, some sports’ enthusiasts have developed a health promotion program that seeks to improve the quality of life and health. They are likewise being motivated to pursue positive health behaviours, improve self-efficacy and increase advocacy on health promotion. Responds to obesity should be focused on improving access to health information on the impacts of obesity; clarify perception on the risk relating to the choices and peoples’ lifestyles; improving self-control and consistency of preferences (Sassi et al., 2009). Psychological-based explication pointed that individual with higher education and reflection about the ill-effect s of obesity has the lower chance of becoming an obese. Thus, institution that should be working to educate communities on preventing and reducing risks from obesity must explore the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and health management as well as the standard healthcare and lifestyle to the circumstance and conditions of persons. That must also include concerns other confounding factors. It is therefore appreciated if obesity prevention or reduction must be undertaken using health educative process that thoroughly explore the correlation betwixt the intensity of the relationship between education and obesity to ascertain if it has increasing or decreasing strength, or if maintained at the status quo. Those who’d seek medication on obesity, on the other hand, can seek the advice of expert medical practitioners and dietician as a start (Fabricatore & Wadden, 2003). Experts explained that dietary interventions for obese persons are developed to make a negative energy balance, e.g. calories ingested < calories expended, by regulating the daily energy intake below the usual requirement (Fabricatore et al., 2003). This depends on the energy requirements by sex, weight, and height or the bio mass index (BMI) required for robust males or females (Fabricatore et al., 2003). Those more active and very involved in physical works, require higher energy notwithstanding the fact that those who wanted to reduce body fats have greater energy needs and greater energy deficits as a consequence of losing weight (Fabricatore et al., 2003). Experts suggested two levels of diet reduction (Fabricatore et al., 2003): a. Low-calorie diets (LCDs) designed to produce an energy deficit of 500–1,000 kcal/day and induce a weight loss of 0.5–1 kg/week. The NHLBI/ NAASO guide recommended this LCDs of 1,000–1,200 kcal/day for most overweight women and 1,200–1,600 kcal/day for overweight men (and for women who exercise regularly or weigh ≥75 kg) (Fabricatore et al., 2003). Careful calorie intake monitoring is necessary for successful LCDs. Obese individuals underestimate their intake by ∼30–50%. Meals in this process are structured with varying levels of structure and some processes for behavioural therapy (Fabricatore et al., 2003). b. Anent to reducing weight is the behavioural therapy designed to define selected diet of conventional foods or prescribed breakfast that are not costly (Fabricatore et al., 2003). Dietician indicates that detailed menus are aimed at structuring patient’s dietary adherence. Their food intake may include may include liquid meal replacement but must have only 1,200– 1,500 kcal/day (Fabricatore et al., 2003). While obesity is indeed a health problem, but there are also means to prevent or reduce it. Only those who are conscious on better living and are wilful to change bad diet habit can a person set and achieve his goal of attaining good fitness. . Reference Abiliutypath.org (2013a), Impact: Consequences for Children’s Live, US: Community Gatepath, p. 1 Abiliutypath.org, (2013b). Solutions: The Five Spheres of Influence, US: Community Gatepath, pp. 1-3, http://www.abilitypath.org/health-daily-care/health/growth-and-nutrition/articles/obesity/obesity-special-needs-solutions.html Fabricatore, A.N. & Wadden, T.A. , Treatment of Obesity: An Overview, Clinical Diabete,  April 2003, vol. 21 no. 2, pp. 67-72. James, W. P. T., The epidemiology of obesity: the size of the problem, Journal of Internal Medicine, 2008, pp. 336-350. Merriam-Webster. Obesity defined, 2013, p. 1 Retrieved: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity RAND, The Health Risks of Obesity: Worse Than Smoking, Drinking, or Poverty, US:Rand Corporation, 2002, p. 1. Sassi, F; Devaux, M.; Church, J.; Cecchini, M.; & Borgonovi, F. Education and Obesity in Four OECD Countries, OECD Education Working Papers 39, France: OECD Publishing, 2009, pp. 1-32. Stanton, K.R. & Zoltan J. A. (2005). The Infrastructure of Obesity and the Obesity Epidemic: Implications for Public Policy, Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer Healthcare | Adis, 2005, vol. 4(3), pages 139-146. Read More