Teenage Obesity in the United Kingdom - Coursework Example

Teenage Obesity in the United Kingdom Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 3 Conclusion 7 References 9 Introduction Obesity has become one of the major problems among teenagers in the world. According to various analyses it has been observed that most of the people in UK have high obesity. Obesity or extra fat in body can lead to serious health problems including Heart Attacks and Diabetes. According to reports 18.9% of teenage population in the United Kingdom is suffering from high obesity and about 14.4% of them have overweight. The rate of obesity has increased in United Kingdom in a last few decades and after 2002 teenagers are suffering from high obesity. There are several reasons for high obesity in United Kingdom. The most important factor is huge consumption of fast food and canned food compared to fresh food. It has also been observed that teenagers in U.K. sit idle most of the times watching television or playing games which is also an important factor. This essay will discuss about the significance and effects of obesity in teenagers of United Kingdom. Discussion The World Health Organization has identified teenage obesity is one of the most serious public health challenge of the world in the 21st century. According to a number of studies and report obesity is one of the highest factor in the young population of the world. Countries like America, United Kingdom, and Australia etc. are tremendously suffering from this problem. The term Obesity means gaining extra fat in body by over consumption of food. Obesity increases in human body when the amount of calories consumed is more the amount of calories required to burn by the body to produce energy (NHLBI, 2013, p.1). The extra calorie continuously deposits in human body and forms as fat in stomach and other part of body. The formation of extra fat in the body slows down the flow of fluids in the body and it finally becomes the reason for severe diseases. According to latest survey in the year 2012-13, it has been observed that there are mainly three reasons for increase of Obesity in teenagers. Consumption of fast food at a large scale, lack of proper sleep and spending more time in front of television by sitting idle. The most important factors for large scale Obesity is consumption of fast food. In the modern world it has become a trend towards fast food rather than consumption of proper fresh food. Children from a very small age prefer having fast food by skipping meals that is required for proper function of body. Most of the shopping malls have fat food restaurants rather than restaurants that provide a complete meal. People even prefer to go for fast food at night before sleeping. The presence of large number of fast food centres like KFC and McDonald in United Kingdom is evidence that shows the interest of people. Teenagers have a tendency to spend maximum time in the fast food centres and skip the important meal required for a day (LA, 2003, p.45). Students in school also have a habit of consuming canned food which is not fresh because it reduces the time of having food and are tasty. Undoubtedly these foods are not good for health because they do not burn completely after going inside the stomach and result in digestion problems. Most of the foods form an extra layer in the stomach resulting in fat. This formation of fat results in many hazardous diseases as teenagers lack proper nutrition. Another important factor that leads to obesity is lack of proper sleep in night. Teenagers have been observed to sleep late at night after watching television or playing games or chatting over phone. Most of the students in United Kingdom ranging from 15-25 do not sleep in appropriate time. Teenagers apart from sleeping late also have a tendency to wake up late and it results in fatigue. In appropriate sleeping has two major impacts on teenagers, first of all the food they consume do not get digested properly which results in formation of fat in body, second impact is waking up late results in laziness which does not allow teenagers to remain physically fit. For proper digestion of food appropriate amount of sleep is required because proper sleep can enhance the working of digestive system by secreting the hormones. This phenomenon does not allow formation of fat in body and the tendency of gaining weight or Obesity ultimately becomes less. Due to lack of proper sleep teenagers tend to skip their breakfast which is the most important meal for the entire day. Stomach remains empty for long time after having dinner hence proper breakfast is required to stay healthy and fit. Teenagers in United Kingdom in the recent years have been spotted sitting idle in front of television and computers. Most of the time teenagers spend their time by sitting in front of television and munching chocolates or other junk foods which results in Obesity. The amount of food teenagers consume is more compared to other age group but if they do not let the food burn properly it can form fat inside the body which is bad for health. Sitting idle is not exactly harmful for body but if someone spends more time in doing the same then it results to Obesity. According to BHF and Oxford University, around 30% of young people and children have the tendency of sitting idle in front of television or computers and in the year 2009 it has been seen that United Kingdom teenagers are more prone to Obesity in the entire Western Europe (BBC, 2005, p.1). Teenagers also have a tendency towards aerated drinks which they prefer while an outing or in their home or in colleges. Aerated drinks are harmful because they contain a composition of carbon and caffeine which leads to slow down the digestive procedure in stomach. As a result of this teenagers might feel hungry while they have un-burnt food present in their stomach. This leads to Obesity. Obesity is calculated by measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI). Medical practitioners generally calculate the weight of a person according to the height of the person and analyze weather the person has obesity. According to Louise Marryat in the year 2009, around 29.7% of teenagers had a Body Mass index out with the healthy range. 31% boys and 28.3% girls were suffering from obesity (NHS, 2013, p.6). This problem persisted in teenagers and rather increased distinctly. Out of the three reasons mentioned above consumption of fat food has the greatest impact on teenagers. There is wide range of franchises on fast food centres and teenagers grab junk food which does not provide sufficient nutrients moreover increases the tendency of obesity. (Scotland, 2010, p.1b) The above gives a detail analysis of obesity and overweight in the year 2009. It has been seen that almost all age group of children were suffering from this problem. About 30% of the children ranging from age group 12-16 were suffering from Obesity and Overweight (Scotland, 2010, p.1b). Hence it’s a serious concern. According to medical practitioners Morbid Obesity and overweight results in formation of fat in the body which leads to many type of sickness. The main concern according to doctors is the impact of Obesity on heart problems. Teenagers carrying Obesity are prone to heart diseases in future. Due to Obesity the coronary development in heart gets affected and it can result in heart attacks. Due to lack of physical activity among teenagers other internal organs along with development of brain is also affected. Hence it is advised by doctors that consumption of food should not be too much at a time. Teenagers should eat fresh food after a few intervals and should not consume a lot of food at the same time. Apart from heart diseases teenagers have a high probability to suffer from diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. Diabetes and high blood pressure are incurable diseases and they can lead to major health problems. Metabolic syndrome has been identified as a complex risk factor for cardiovascular diseases by National Cholesterol Education. This syndrome is again affects the functioning of heart and can have tremendous effects. Teenagers are not aware about the effects of junk food and lack of proper sleep hence they should be conveyed the message by their parents and teachers. Government can impose high taxes on junk food so that people can tend towards fresh food items (McMillan, 2012, p.17). In United Kingdom apart from teenagers other age group people also consume canned food at a high level. People working in office consume canned food to save their time and it ultimately affects their health and working ability. Obesity has a far-ranging negative effect in the world and there have been many premature deaths recorded in United Kingdom because of it. Conclusion From the above discussion it is clear that Obesity is one of the major problems that are affecting teenager health in the modern world. As discussed there are many reasons for high Obesity in United Kingdom and medical practitioners are concerned about children’s and young people deteriorating health. The effects of Obesity should be clearly communicated with teenagers and they should be motivated to do physical activities in order to prevent the problems that can arise from Obesity. Obesity has terrible effects in teenagers in United Kingdom and proper steps should be taken by parents towards safety of their children from deadly diseases. References BBC., 2005. Child TV Hours Obesity Risk Link. [Online]. Available at: < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4238386.stm>. [Accessed on June 30, 2013]. LA., 2203. Classical LA. Loss Angeles magazine, 48(11), p.45. McMillan, T., 2012. The American way of Eating. New York: Simon and Schuster. NHLBI., 2013. Balance Food and Activity. [Online]. Available at: < http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/balance.htm>. [Accessed on June 30, 2013]. NHS., 2013. Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, 2013. [PDF]. Available at: http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/userfiles/Documents/obes-phys-acti-diet-eng-2013-rep.pdf. [Accessed on June 30, 2013]. Scotland., 2010. Child Obesity. [Online]. Available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/09/23154223/87. 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