AIR Pollution - Outline Example

Obesity refers to an increase in body weight to a level where it poses a heath risk to individuals (Bacallao, J et al, 2000). The increase in obese cases in the United Kingdom and the United States among other industrialized countries is a worrying global trend that portrays deteriorating health standards and quality of life in such countries. Obesity is a serious health risk since it makes the body susceptible to many other health complications such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes among many others (Tanumihardjo, S et al, 2007). The trend in such industrialized countries is therefore proof of the low socio-economic factors prevalent in the countries despite their strong economies as the discussion below portrays.

While obesity refers to the increase in body weight, research continues to prove that poor people are more susceptible to obesity than their wealthy counterparts are. Such is a worrying correlation since it proves that large sections of the populations of developed countries are increasingly becoming poor (Correl,2010). Obesity is a lifestyle complication and therefore arises when people cannot afford appropriate lifestyles. The increase of fast food cafes in such developed economies as the United States and the United Kingdom is an economic factor that not only points to the rising poverty levels but also makes citizens more vulnerable to obesity. Fast food cafes dispense foods high in fat some of which are never cooked in appropriate conditions. However, the foods are cheap and convenient to most of the people in the countries who spend most of their active hours at work. Such people lack adequate time to exercise and thus burn the excess calories they obtain from such foods a feature that heightens their risks of obesity. The rising cost of living in the industrialized economies compels the poor to work hard thus lacking time to exercise and burn the excess calories (Drewnowski, 2013). Despite such, the group continues to rely on fast foods thus increasing their risks of becoming obese. Furthermore, obesity sustains the cycle of poverty in such families since it increases the chances of people suffering many other diseases, which require adequate funds to manage.

Despite such close relationships between poverty and obesity, other researchers continue to prove that obesity arises from social factors and is not therefore proof of the rising poverty levels in such countries. Proper nutrition for example is a cultural problem in the United States a feature that validates the rising cases of obesity in the country (Dalrymole, 2013). Culturally, Americans are hearty eaters with most of them preferring such fatty foods as burgers and chicken among others. Additionally, most of the population work in offices, drive to work and therefore do not have adequate time to exercise. The two are important factors that portray the countries as food secure with higher gross domestic products thus not poor as would be speculated.

In retrospect, numerous factors relate obesity to poverty. The government must therefore look into such factors with the view to improving the quality of life in the country. Obesity is a social vice that requires appropriate and timely solutions. Food and beverage manufacturers in the countries must contribute to the fight against obesity by ensuring that they balance the nutritious content of their products (Madslien, 2013). The people must also revise their cultures in order to uphold appropriate social features that will enhance quality lives.