Obesity Statistics and Prevalence - Research Paper Example

? Obesity Obesity Introduction Obesity refers to excessive and abnormal accumulation of fats in the body that affect a person’s health. A person having a BMI of 30 or more can be considered to be obese. Similarly, a person having a BMI of 25 or more can also be considered as obese. Obesity causes some chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. In the recent past, incidences of obesity have risen dramatically, with persons in both developed and developing nations being affected by this menace. This paper will discuss the issue of obesity and analyze the factors related to this issue. The paper will also address the impact of obesity on individuals, groups, and the entire society. The paper will also focus on the theories and statistics of obesity, as well as examples of this issue. An analysis of the issue of obesity and factors that relate to this issue Obesity Statistics and Prevalence Over the last one decade, obesity has become a global problem that has affected many people all over the world. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that about 1.2 billion adults over the age of fifteen years suffered from overweight conditions while 300 adults were obese. Health professionals contend that if the current trends go on, about 2.3 billion adults will be suffering from overweight conditions by 2015. Approximately 300, 000 annual deaths occur in the United States as a result of obesity. In the United States, 60 million Americans aged 20 years and older tend to be obese while about 9 million teens in the age bracket of 6-19 years suffer from overweight conditions. The prevalence of obesity in developed countries tends to be about 15-20% of the total population (Wilborn et. al., 2005). Causes of Obesity There are several causes obesity. Sedentary lifestyle can be regarded as a main cause of obesity. Many people who are not physically active are at the risk of becoming obese. Physical inactivity tends to be common in people who spend a lot of time watching television while they do not engage in exercise. Physical inactivity also results from few demands at the workplace, especially because modern technologies have made work effective. Physical inactivity may also result from overreliance on cars while going to work rather than taking a walk to work. Physically inactive persons become obese since they do not burn any calories. Physical inactivity may cause diseases such as coronary heart diseases and be a risk factor to other conditions associated with obesity and overweight (Wilborn et. al., 2005). Another cause of obesity includes the diet; the eating habits of a person have a direct influence on the possibility of him or her becoming obese and overweight. People who take foods that have a lot of fat and carbohydrates and little amounts of fibre may become obese. Fast foods also cause obesity since they contain a lot of fats and little amounts of protein. Family history and genes can also be termed as causes of obesity; the condition of obesity may be inherited from parents. There are high chances that a child will become obese or overweight when one of his or her parents suffered from obesity. Since children emulate their parents in terms of behaviour, parents who take foods having a lot of calories may pass on this habit to their children (Marks, 2004). Other causes of obesity include emotional factors and medicines. There are some medicines that may cause weight gain; these medicines include antidepressants and corticosteroids. These medicines cause obesity by slowing the rate of burning calories by the body. These medicines may also increase a person’s appetite, thus making a person consume more than they normally consume. Consequently, this eventually leads to overweight and conditions related to obesity. Some emotional factors may also cause obesity. For instance, some people may take more food when they experience boredom. Such overeating eventually leads to weight gain and may cause obesity (Vaidya & Wise, 2006). Obesity may also be caused by some health conditions; for example, some problems related to hormones may cause obesity. Such hormone problems include polycystic ovarian syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. Underactive thyroid can also be associated with obesity and overweight conditions. This encompasses a condition whereby no adequate thyroid hormone is manufactured by the thyroid gland. Lack of enough thyroid glands causes weight gain as it slows metabolism (Marks, 2004). Impacts of Obesity Obesity has far-reaching consequences on the affected individual, their families, groups, as well as the entire society. One of the effects of obesity is that it is a risk factor for some diseases such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Obesity has psychological impacts on the life of the affected person. There is a reduction in the psychological health of obese and overweight persons. Obesity affects the self worth, self esteem, as well as the interactions of obese persons with other members of the society. More often, obese persons tend to be depressed, and they suffer from anxiety. The lack of body shape and undesirable body image that comes along with obesity may cause embarrassment in the persons suffering from obesity. Depression tends to be more common in obese women than men; this is because women tend to be more concerned about their body weight and shape than men (Vaidya & Wise, 2006). Obesity has some social impacts such as discrimination and prejudices subjected to obese persons by the rest of society. The society perceives obese persons negatively; they can be discriminated at school or in the workplace. There tends to be little prospects for job promotion in persons suffering from obesity. Obesity also affects the society in numerous ways since it has economic and financial impacts on society. Obesity related health conditions cause unemployment, loss in job productivity, as well as loss of working days. This has a negative economic impact on society as it affects economic growth (Marks, 2004). Theories of obesity There are several theories that explain the issue of obesity; one of the theories explaining obesity includes the palatability theory, also known as the food reward theory. This theory states that food reward drives obesity. According to this theory, taking some foods reinforces behaviours that motivate a person to take food. Some aspects of food that bring the urge to take food include the texture, smell, taste, as well as the calorie content of the food. Since food is crucial for human survival, some people view it as a reward to take large amounts of food. The food reward theory states that addiction to sugary food is one of the major causes of obesity (Dehghan et. al., 2005). Another theory that explains the issue of obesity is the carbohydrate theory. Based on this theory, people believe that carbohydrate foods increase the insulin levels. As a result, people tend to take these foods, and this leads to weight gain. When one takes a meal, there is an increase in the glucose level, in the blood; there is also release of the insulin hormone. Insulin makes the cells take up the excess glucose that is then converted to glycogen. Excess glycogen in the body is converted to fat, thus causing obesity. There are a number of methods that can help solve the issue of obesity. The issue of obesity can be solved through regular exercises in order to burn calories. The other strategy that can help solve the issue of obesity includes avoiding junk foods and fatty foods (Dehghan et. al., 2005). In conclusion, obesity can be regarded as one of the most common health conditions in the modern world. The high prevalence of obesity emanates from the increased intake of fatty foods and junk foods. Obesity may also be caused by a sedentary lifestyle and the failure to have physical exercise. References Dehghan, M. et. al. (2005). Childhood obesity, Prevalence and Prevention. Nutrition Journal, 4, 24. Marks, J. B. (2004). Obesity in America: It’s Getting Worse. Clinical Diabetes January, 22 (1), 1-2. Vaidya, V., & Wise, T. N. (2006). Health and Treatment Strategies in Obesity: Vol. 27. Unionville: S. Karger AG. Wilborn, C. et. al. (2005). Obesity: Prevalence, Theories, Medical Consequences, Management, and Research Directions. Journal of Int Soc Sports Nutrition 2 (2), 4–31 Read More