Causes and Effects of Obesity - Term Paper Example

Causes and Effects of Obesity Obesity, a medical condition that results due to the excess accumulation of body fat (Ryan, 2011), is a major concern in the 21st century, especially due to the progressively shifting global lifestyles and attitudes; obesity has been blamed cited as the leading cause of a number of health issues in the populations, thereby reducing life expectancy of individuals accordingly. Evidently, obesity has been confirmed to be the number one cause of preventable death with ever-increasing incidences in both children and adults all over the world (Noël et al, 2010). In this respect, obesity has emerged to be one of the most severe public health trials of the 21st century; this paper will examine the most notable causes and effects of obesity. Causes of obesity Generally, when a person’s weight is way above their ideal body weight then they are described as being obese (Ryan, 2011); in the US alone, it has been projected that the obesity menace will largely influence average expectancy in the next few years (Caban et al, 2005). The issue of obesity is usually difficult to fathom, but recent establishments have linked the condition to both biological causes and physical factors; genes are the main biological cause of obesity, while lifestyle choices, inactive lifestyles, medical reasons, as well as diet are some of the causes. Genetics have been blamed for obesity, especially in instances where it has been established that a number of genetic conditions such as the Prader-Willi syndrome are more likely to cause obesity; furthermore, studies have suggested that a number of inherited traits such as slow metabolism rate or humongous appetites are more likely to predispose individuals to obesity. Polymorphism in the types of genes that control appetite and metabolism explains the manner in which individuals may be genetically at risk of becoming obese. Closely related to the genetic argument is the inheritance or parental influence, which also plays a major part in encouraging obesity; studies across the world have proven that two obese parents are more likely to sire obese children since children copy the feeding habits of their parents. There are also some medical conditions that are linked to obesity such as Cushing’s syndrome that causes the excess production of steroid hormones, and underactive thyroid gland, which inhibits production of enough thyroid hormone. Furthermore, medicines including certain corticosteroids, as well as antidepressants eventually lead to weight gain in individuals using them. The dietary options of individuals also contribute to obesity since some types of foods, especially those that are high in energy content or calories are more likely to lead to the condition is they form the largest part of one’s diet on a daily basis (Ryan, 2011). The average health man needs nearly 2,500 calories to sustain a healthy body weight, while for the average physically active woman it is about 2000 calories; however, if these calories are consumed in excess they end up being converted into fats and being stored in the body leading to obesity. The danger of consuming excess calories today is so high given the reliance on energy-dense foods, big-portions, and the pervasiveness of the fast foods industry, which mainly serve many high-energy foods, thereby exacerbating the obesity threat. Coupled with poor dietary choices, lifestyle choices are also a major cause of obesity in the 21st century; for instance, many individuals are prone to eating highly processed foods, unbalanced diets, excessive alcohol consumption, eating large portions, among other unhealthy eating habits. Alcohol in particular has high calorie content and a lack of balanced diet that contains fruits and vegetables as well as unrefined carbohydrates such as whole meal bread only puts people at risk of obesity. Additionally, sedentary lifestyles that do not entail physical exercises are also a leading cause of obesity in many societies, particularly because inactive lifestyles lead to accumulation of calories and fats accordingly. Physical activities enable the body to burn out the excess calories that are not required in the body, thereby contributing to maintaining a healthy body weight; unfortunately, many people prefer engaging in less engaging pass time activities. Gradually, more and more people are sitting in front of the TV or computer for long hours on end and playing video games rather than outdoor physical exercising, and this largely contributes to physical inactivity thereby encouraging obesity. Similarly, the increased use of cars rather than walking has only made matters worse since people have increasingly become lazy to even walk to the grocery store around the block, thereby becoming more obese due to lack of physical exercise; physical exercises are essential to burn the unwanted extra calories. Effects of Obesity Obesity has been associated with numerous serious health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart complications, sleeping disorders, cancer, metabolic syndrome, as well as a number of psychosocial effects (Ryan, 2011). Firstly, the risk of heart diseases often increases with the increase in body weight or body mass index since a large body mass increases the strain on the heart to supply blood and oxygen to the increased tissues. Furthermore, obesity leads to narrowing of blood vessels, whereby a waxy substance builds up in the arteries that supply oxygen rich blood to the body tissues thereby, and this could be fatal leading to angina or heart attack, which is a chest pain or discomfort. Obesity also leads to high-blood pressure since the increased body weight demand that the heart has to pump much harder against the narrowed artery walls to get blood and oxygen to the furthest tissues and if the increased pressure remains so over time, there is a high risk of damaging or rupturing vessels. Additionally, stroke predisposes individuals to stroke because of the buildup of plaque in the arteries leading to narrowing, and potentially blocking of blood vessels; the risk increases even further if the clot that arises out of the accumulation of plaque occurs near the brain, blocking flow of blood and oxygen to the brain tissues accordingly. Type 2 diabetes, the condition that is characterized with high blood sugar or glucose levels is also a common condition that obese individuals are more likely to develop due to being overweight. In a healthy body, the hormone known as insulin reconverts glucose into energy for utilization but the type 2 diabetes condition occurs when the body cells fail to use insulin properly in controlling the sugar level, and this accounts for a majority of the global premature deaths. Other obese-related conditions such as sleep apnea and respiratory problems increase with the increase in the body mass index; sleep apnea is a situation where people cease to breath for brief intervals, interrupting sleep at night and causing drowsiness during the day. Psychosocial effects of obesity are also evident, especially in societies where a lot of emphasis is put on physical attractiveness of individuals, and negative attitudes towards overweight or obese individuals prevail (Stanford hospital, 2014); in that respect, obese individuals are more likely to feel stigmatized, and are at high risk of suffering low self-esteem and low self-worth. Furthermore, disapproval of overweight individuals has its crucial disadvantages in such cultures, including but not limited to, discrimination in allocation of opportunities, especially in industries that place a lot of emphasis on the physical attributes of individuals such as media. Negative attitudes towards obese individuals abound because society blames them for their conditions; in many cultures, obese people are perceived to be generally lazy and careless, as not to be able to check their own weight gain. Because of the resultant negative attitudes and discrimination of obese individuals, they are more likely to be marginalized in key areas of the social experience such as incomes, and social relations as well as social integration in the wider society. The psychosocial effects of obesity to overweight individuals are as harmful as their condition or even worse, considering that they are more likely to suffer emotional or psychological trauma due to the resultant feelings of low self-esteem, low self-worth, and seclusion. Conclusion Overall, it is clear that with the ever-growing threat of obesity as a public health problem of the 21st century, a most urgent way forward in addressing the issue is inevitably a global advocacy for a swift and thorough lifestyle change. It is unfortunate that obesity, a preventable health issue, has gradually degenerated into a major health issue with its tentacles stretching to every corner of the global society threatening expectancy of populations. In the spirit of promoting healthy societies, it is imperative that individuals alter their lifestyle choices to control, reduce, and potentially eliminate the obesity issue; healthy living should be at the core of any public health approach towards addressing obesity. Individuals should be encouraged to abandon their sedentary lifestyles of less engaging pastime activities and lack of exercises for more active lifestyles that entail engaging in physical activities to burn extra calories to prevent weight gain. Similarly, individuals should eat healthy foods and balanced diets in the right proportions every day, while avoiding highly processed foods and foods that are high in energy contents, alongside other lifestyles such as high alcohol consumption to avoid obesity. References Noël, P. H., et al. (2010). Obesity diagnosis and care practices in the veterans’ health administration. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25(6), 510-6. Caban, A. J., et al. (2005). Obesity in US workers: The national health interview survey, 1986 to 2002. American Journal of Public Health, 95(9), 1614-22. “Health Effects of Obesity.” (2014). Stanfordhospital.org. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://stanfordhospital.org/clinicsmedServices/COE/surgicalServices/generalSurgery/bariatricsurgery/obesity/effects.html Ryan, M. (2011). Causes and consequences of obesity. Irish Medical Times, 45(47), 42.  Read More