Obesity: Not a Sin of Gluttony - Essay Example

Obesity: Not a Sin of Gluttony 13 March Introduction The irony of modern times is that as the industry for diet pills and other weight-loss tools and procedures continue to flourish, obesity rises with it. Many countries, both developing and developed, grapple with obesity issues. According to the 2013 fact sheet of the World Health Organization (WHO), developing countries face a double burden, where poor families are under-nourished, but considered as obese. Furthermore, obesity increased since the 1980s: “Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.” What is more alarming is that even children are more obese now than in the 1990s: “More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011” (WHO, 2013). Being obese is an international concern because it is a risk factor for various diseases, including cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and several types of cancer (i.e. breast and colon cancers) (WHO, 2013). Childhood obesity is related with adult obesity and early death and disability as adults (WHO, 2013). Aside from health risks, obese children are vulnerable to breathing problems, fractures, hypertension, insulin resistance, and psychological impacts (WHO, 2013). The United Kingdom experiences an obesity crisis as well. The Department of Health (2011) reports that more than 50% of the population in England are considered obese, and a significant number of them are children: “The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data shows that in 2009, 61.3% of adults (aged 16 or over), and 28.3% of children (aged 2-10) in England were overweight or obese, of these, 23.0% of adults and 14.4% of children were obese.” Because of the prevalence of obesity, it is common to hear or read about it as a national epidemic (Nordqvist, 2013). As an epidemic, numerous studies have tried to understand the causes of obesity. Some people think that obesity is a sin of gluttony. Having no self-control and giving in to greedy behaviours compose gluttony. For the supporters of this thinking, obese people indulge too much in their eating and sedentary lifestyle whims. Not all scholars would agree, however, given the range of studies showing that obesity is a complex condition. This paper explores the numerous causes and dimensions of obesity to prove that it is not a sin of gluttony per se, although it can be so for other obese people. Obesity is not a simple sin of gluttony because it can have lifestyle, biological, psychological, socio-economic, and gender components. When Obesity Is a Sin of Gluttony When people use food and drink in a way that it injures their health and affects their mental state, their obesity becomes a sin of gluttony. Collins (2000) explores the obesity-gluttony thesis. He believes that obesity becomes a sin of gluttony when people consciously do something bad for their lives: “When we use food or drink in a way that injures our health or impairs our mind, we are guilty of the sin of gluttony.” He explains that people’s food choices turn their eating into a way of sinning. Moreover, Collins (2000) does not say that eating per se is wrong, but eating too much of the wrong food is. He notes that unhealthy eating is gluttony: “Poor eating habits, such as binge eating, constant eating for satiation and junk food inhalation, slowly destroy the human body” (Collins, 2000). He asserts that living unhealthy is gluttony, and if this leads to obesity, then obesity is a sin. Another article agrees with Collins’ view that unhealthy eating habits have enhanced the extent of obesity in the nation. Prentice and Jebb (1995) argue that gluttony or sloth, or sometimes even both, cause obesity in their article “Obesity in Britain: Gluttony or Sloth?” They oppose the genetic causality of obesity. Through their review of literature, they indicate that behavioural problems of gluttony or sloth and environmental factors result to obesity in the UK. In particular, they show that the obese consume more fat, not carbohydrates, which contribute to their weight gain. Moreover, Prentice and Jebb (1995) suggest that people’s love for sedentary living contributed to high obesity levels. They stress that the increasing use of cars and high incidence of television viewing coincided with elevated obesity rates. Modern lifestyle, they assert, is as significant as diet in the aetiology of obesity. When obese people choose to eat more than necessary and eat the wrong food and to have decreased physical activity, they are being seen as guilty of gluttony, which results to their obesity. Lifestyle Causes of Obesity For some scholars, gluttony is too value-laden to properly explain the multi-faceted causes of obesity. This paper believes that obesity is not a sin of gluttony for many obese people, but caused by their sedentary lifestyles and other factors. Obesity is not about greedily wanting an unhealthy lifestyle, which gluttony indicates, but more of participating in a modern life that contributes to obesity. The modern lifestyle, after all, is designed after comfort, sometimes luxury, and convenience, which altogether decrease the need for and practice of physical activities, such as preparing food at home, walking instead of driving, and doing physical work or sports instead of watching television or playing Internet/video games. Personality responsibility for one’s health is important, but society has to address the underlying complex and interrelated causes of obesity. This section deals with the lifestyle changes that contribute to obesity. Decrease of physical activity due to urbanisation One of the medical explanations of obesity is that the absence of energy balance causes people to gain too much weight. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012) reports that when energy consumed is not equal to energy expended, this causes obesity: “A lack of energy balance most often causes overweight and obesity. Energy balance means that your energy IN equals your energy OUT.” Poor energy balance is also cited in the WHO factsheet on obesity: “The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended” (WHO, 2013). What explains decreased energy release? One of the main causes of decrease in released energy is a sedentary lifestyle, which is based on changes in transportation and workplace, among others. Dependence on automobiles. Increased dependence on automobiles has contributed to obesity. Lopez-Zetina, Lee and Friis (2006) examined the connection between Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) at the county level and obesity and physical inactivity in California. They used statistics from “California Health Interview Survey 2001 (CHIS 2001), the US 2000 Census, and the California Department of Transportation” to investigate the correlations among their variables (Lopez-Zetina et al., 2006, Abstract). Findings showed that high VMT is correlated with high BMI, while they did not find any significant connection between VMT and obesity. This study suggests that frequently using automobiles can result to higher BMI because it reduces chances for walking. Sedentary nature of modern work. This paper explains first the sedentary nature of modern household work. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012) underscores that because of modern appliances, people’s convenience have resulted to lower physical activities at home. Laundry used to be physically exhausting, but washing machines made it a one-press chore. Instead of sweeping and manually cleaning the yard, diverse cleaning appliances are available. Mothers and fathers who used to physically do household work can gain weight when their physical activities at home are reduced. Furthermore, modern work is more convenient for many people. Services can be offered mechanically, while products can be manufactured through equipments too. Office work includes long hours of sitting and typing in front of the computer. Work is physically easier. Though work seems to be more convenient in modern times, it has become more demanding and stressful. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012) notes that some people complain that their stressful work is the main reason for not working out. Their companies or businesses are too time and energy-demanding that they cannot provide time for regular exercise. Due to these reasons, people’s energy out becomes less than energy in, so obesity becomes a problem. High demand for inexpensive, but high-calorie, sweet, fatty food and drinks Eating fast food and unhealthy snacking habits can result to obesity. Garcia, Sunil and Hinojosa (2012) examined the connection between fast food consumption and obesity. Their sampling included 270 preoperative bariatric surgery patients in Texas. After utilising ordered logistic regression to understand obesity behaviours and attitudes, findings showed that fast food consumption is the most significant predictor for obesity, even after controlling some social and demographic factors. This study provides evidence that fast food tend to have high calories and fats, which can increase BMI. Another article indicates the connection between fast food and childhood obesity. Fraser et al. (2012) studied the the relationship between fast-food consumption and youth obesity, including the link between access to fast-food restaurants and consumption for a group of British teenagers. Findings showed that increased fast food consumption was related to higher BMI, while access to fast food restaurants had different effects on teens. Fraser et al. (2012) observed that in rural areas, greater access to fast food resulted to higher fast food consumption, but the reverse trend is present in urban neighbourhoods. Thus, where fast food and other high energy dense snacks are present and consumed, high BMI becomes more prevalent. Lack of sleep Too many activities that deprive people of sleep have been related to obesity. Shlisky et al. (2012) reviewed the impact of partial sleep deprivation on energy balance and weight management. They learned that obesity and sleep duration are inversely related, according to cross-sectional and prospective studies. Shlisky et al. (2012) mentioned studies which prove that partial sleep deprivation, which means sleeping less than 6 hours per day, impact people’s energy balance. They explained that not having enough sleep upsets appetite hormones, specifically boosting ghrelin and decreasing leptin, which can affect energy intake. Tissues without fat may be lost in the process, instead of losing fat mass only. Shlisky et al. (2012) recommended sufficient sleep for people who want to lose or manage their weight. Sedentary activities can increase BMI too. Swinburn and Shelly (2008) studied the effects of sedentary practices, such as watching TV and playing video games on lower physical activity and energy intake. They noted that according to observational studies, TV viewing has little effect on BMI, but intervention studies indicate the opposite, where watching TV can reduce physical activity and metabolic rate, while increasing energy intake because of tending to eat while watching TV. They stressed that playing video games can increase weight, but is less associated with higher energy intake. These activities can be related to less time for sleeping, which can result to weight management issues. Biological Causes of Obesity Genetics. Genetics can have a role to play on obesity, as well as family history. Martínez-Calleja et al. (2012) examined the relationship between four polymorphisms in the CRP gene with C-reactive protein (CRP), type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and risk score of coronary heart disease. Sampling included 402 individuals from Guerrero, Southwestern Mexico who were divided into the groups of healthy, obese, T2D obese, and T2D without obesity. They noted that obese people have more CRP than the non-obese. Findings showed that TT genotype of SNP rs1130864 is correlated with obesity and the haplotype 7 with BMI. They concluded that this can explain obesity and genetic predisposition that enhances the risks for developing T2D for people in Southwestern Mexico. Musani, Erickson and Allison (2008) supported the findings of Wardle et al. (2008), which confirmed other findings on twin studies that obesity can be inherited. Genetics can have a significant role in obesity, especially when obese people find it hard to lose weight or to maintain weight loss. Health conditions. Underlying health problems can be biological causes of obesity. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012) explains that hormonal problems can produce obesity, including underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), Cushings syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). An underactive thyroid means that the person lacks the needed thyroid to facilitate metabolism, and this can result to high BMI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2012). Cushings syndrome is an illness where the bodys adrenal glands produce excessive hormone cortisol, which can increase weight and upper-body obesity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2012). PCOS is an ailment that impacts around five to ten percent of childbearing-age women (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2012). Women who have PCOS tend to be obese because of extreme levels of androgens (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2012). These health conditions become risk factors for obesity. Psychological Causes of Obesity Psychological problems, including emotional conditions, can produce obesity. Depression and anxiety can increase food intake, which increases BMI. Stewart-Knox et al. (2012) examined the psycho-social conditions of obesity for British and Portuguese cohorts. They learned that for the British group, high BMI is predicted through lower education level, illness of a close friend or kin, pervasive alcohol drinking, and sedentary lifestyle, while for the Portuguese participants, high BMI is predicted by lower resilience. Emotional events can lead to obesity among the British. Gaysina et al. (2011) studied the effect of depression and anxiety on BMI across the life cycle of British participants, from 15 to 53 years old. They learned that women who showed depressive symptoms during adolescent had low BMI at 15 years old, but their BMI increased throughout adulthood than those without these symptoms. Men who were depressed did not have higher BMI across their lives. Gaysina et al. (2011) concluded that adolescent-stage psychological problems can induce problematic lifestyle patterns for women that increase BMI in the long run. These studies suggest that psychological problems can result to weight issues. Socio-economic Causes of Obesity Social, economic, and cultural factors can contribute to high BMI. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012) notes that food advertising of unhealthy food can result to harmful eating choices. Poverty and socio-economic status can affect BMI too. Pan et al. (2012) studied the relationship between perceptions of food insecurity and poverty, as well as demographics and obesity. Their sampling included 66,553 adults from 12 American states. Findings showed that obesity is more prevalent for food insecure groups, especially those with low income jobs. Poverty can have a large impact on obesity because many inexpensive food tend to be energy-dense and non-nutritious. The impact of political conditions on obesity should not be overlooked. The WHO (2013) asserts that policies, which do not promote healthy habits contribute to obesity: Changes in dietary and physical activity patterns are often the result of environmental and societal changes associated with development and lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing and education. For the WHO, governments have a large role to play in ensuring the health of the nation. If it wants to curb and resolve obesity, it must start with policies that present a comprehensive solution to it. Furthermore, the medicalisation of obesity can present socio-political problems. Evans (2006) criticises the use of language that views and explains obesity as immoral through extreme medicalisation of it as a disease based on body size. Obesity should not be about BMI alone, but an active discourse on the total experience of the obese. This paper understands this concern because some fat people may actually eat healthier than thin counterparts. Being thin is not always a measure of good health habits. Thus, lack of active intervention on the part of the government, where a holistic view of obesity is not explored, can enhance obesity rates. Gender Component of Obesity Obesity has a gender component too, where women, though they may have statistically the same number of obese members as men, may experience unique risks for obesity. Pregnancy is one of the conditions that tend to increase BMI for women, to the point that not all of them lose the excess weight after childbirth. Furthermore, being a woman per se, with undue pressures to be thin and burdened with traditional roles, can be a factor for obesity. Wells, Marphatia, Cole, and McCoy (2012) investigated between-nation connections between obesity incidence and three social indices: “per capita gross domestic product (GDP), the Gini index of national wealth inequality, and the gender inequality index (GII)” (482). With a sample of 68 countries, they learned that three obese women were present for every two obese men, and that the Gini index and GII were related with excess female obesity. Higher gender inequality and lower GDP were correlated with high BMI among women. Body image problems can also result to BMI problems. The more that women feel pressured to be thin, the more that they may be prone to unhealthy eating habits. Bulimics, for instance, can be obese. Distinctive gender norms and notions can affect women adversely more than men, thereby producing excess women obesity levels. Conclusion Obesity is not a sin of gluttony because it has complex underlying factors and issues. Social, economic, cultural, political, psychological, biological, and gender conditions can result to high BMI. Furthermore, BMI should not be the sole measure of obesity because it cannot evaluate lifestyles and eating patterns. Some obese people may have healthier eating habits than thin ones. BMI should include other measures, where a qualitative assessment of lifestyles is included, so that obesity becomes more related to unhealthy eating habits and other practices than body size alone. Finally, people should be responsible of maintaining a healthy weight, but they should not easily categorise the obese as gluttons. Obese people might be experiencing difficulties losing or maintaining a healthy weight because of genetics or other factors. The medical community, the government, and society in general should widen their analysis of obesity, so that different interventions can be offered to the obese, including surgical and psychological treatments. Obesity is not the sin of gluttony. It is caused by complex conditions and forces. It requires further analysis and evaluation, and not a simplistic explanation that undermines it as mere gluttony or sloth. Reference List Collins, M., (2000) ‘Gluttony: sin of lust and greed,’ Forerunner, available from: http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/artb/k/123/Gluttony-Sin-Lust-Greed.htm Department of Health, (2011) ‘Obesity general information,’ available from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Obesity/DH_078098 Evans, B., (2006) ‘Gluttony or sloth’: critical geographies of bodies and morality in (anti)obesity policy,’Area, vol. 38, no.3, pp.259-267. Fraser, L.K., Clarke, G.P., Cade, J.E., and Edwards, K.L., (2012) ‘Fast food and obesity: a spatial analysis in a large United Kingdom population of children aged 13-15,’ American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. e77-85. Garcia, G., Sunil, T.S., and Hinojosa, P., (2012) ‘The fast food and obesity link: consumption patterns and severity of obesity,’ Obesity Surgery, vol. 22, no.5, pp. 810-818. Gaysina, D., Hotopf, M., Richards, M., Colman, I., Kuh, D., and Hardy R., (2011) ‘Symptoms of depression and anxiety, and change in body mass index from adolescence to adulthood: results from a British birth cohort,’ Psychological Medicine, vol. 41, no.1, pp.175-184. Lopez-Zetina, J., Lee, H., and Friis R., (2006) ‘The link between obesity and the built environment: evidence from an ecological analysis of obesity and vehicle miles of travel in California,’ Health & Place, vol. 12, no.4, pp. 656-664. Martínez-Calleja, A., Quiróz-Vargas, I., Parra-Rojas, I., Muñoz-Valle, J.F., Leyva-Vázquez, M.A., Fernández-Tilapa, G., Vences-Velázquez, A., Cruz, M., Salazar-Martínez, E., and Flores-Alfaro, E., (2012) ‘Haplotypes in the CRP gene associated with increased BMI and levels of CRP in subjects with type 2 diabetes or obesity from Southwestern Mexico,’ Experimental Diabetes Research, vol. 2012, pp. 1-7. Musani, S.K., Erickson, S., and Allison, D.B., (2008) ‘Obesity--still highly heritable after all these years,’ The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 87, no. 2, pp. 275-6. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, (2012) ‘What causes overweight and obesity?’ available from: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes.html Nordqvist, J., (2013) ‘UK obesity epidemic is out of control,’ Medical News Today, available from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256734.php Pan, L., Sherry, B., Njai, R., and Blanck, H.M., (2012) ‘Food insecurity is associated with obesity among US adults in 12 states,’ Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 112, no. 9, pp. 1403-9. Prentice, A.M. and Jebb, S.A., (1995) ‘Obesity in Britain: gluttony or sloth?’ BMJ: British Medical Journal, vol. 311, no. 7002, pp.437-439. Shlisky, J.D., Hartman, T.J., Kris-Etherton, P.M., Rogers, C.J., Sharkey, N.A., and Nickols-Richardson, S.M., (2012) ‘Partial sleep deprivation and energy balance in adults: an emerging issue for consideration by dietetics practitioners,’ Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 112, no. 11, pp. 1785-97. Stewart-Knox, B., Duffy, M.E., Bunting, B., Parr, H., Vas de Almeida, M.D., and Gibney, M., (2012) ‘Associations between obesity (BMI and waist circumference) and socio-demographic factors, physical activity, dietary habits, life events, resilience, mood, perceived stress and hopelessness in healthy older Europeans,’ BMC Public Health, vol. 12, pp. 1-12. Swinburn, B. and Shelly, A., (2008) ‘Effects of TV time and other sedentary pursuits,’ International Journal of Obesity, vol. 32, pp.S132-S136. Wardle, J., Carnell, S., Haworth, C.M.A., and Plomin, R., (2008) Evidence for a strong genetic influence on childhood adiposity despite the force of the obesogenic environment. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 8, no. 7, pp. 398–404. Wells, J.C.K., Marphatia, A.A., Cole, T.J., and McCoy, D. (2012) ‘Associations of economic and gender inequality with global obesity prevalence: Understanding the female excess,’ Social Science & Medicine, vol.75, no.3, pp.482-490. World Health Organization, (2013) ‘Obesity and overweight,’ available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/ Read More