The Correlation between Obesity and Poverty - Assignment Example

 The Correlation between Obesity and Poverty Introduction Blass (2008) defines obesity as a medical condition that results from an accumulation of excess body fat to the extent of causing adverse effects on a person’s health. The adverse effects on health may lead to reduced life expectance as well as increased health problems in the course of an individual’s life (Blass, 2008). Examples of health problems that result from obesity include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Nowadays health professionals use measurements such as the Body Mass Index (BMI) to show whether an individual is normal, overweight, or obese. The BMI of normal people lies below 25 kg/m2 (Kopelman, Caterson, & Dietz, 2010). According to Smith (2009), the BMI of an overweight individual lie between 25 kg/m2and 30 kg/m2, while the BMI of individuals suffering from obesity exceeds 30 kg/m2. Through studies, it has become apparent that obesity correlates with poverty. The correlation between obesity and poverty According to Smith (2009), poverty can lead to obesity, and at the same time, obesity can lead to poverty. Studies have shown that obesity and poverty can have a direct or indirect influence on each other. It is apparent that overweight and obesity correlate with poverty because most people do not afford healthier diets (Lane, 2006). Based on calories; diets composed of fish, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables enhance normal health, but they are far more expensive than diets consisting added fats, added sugars, and refined grains (Lane, 2006). In some American communities, local convenience stores do not offer vegetables, fruits, or other fresh, whole, and real foods. In an urban setting, an individual should have a car in order to access real foods that rural markets offer. Research shows that an attempt to reduce food expenditure tends to drive individuals toward added fats, added sugars, and refined grains, which have a likelihood of causing obesity. On the other hand, being obese can make an individual poor because obesity and overweight bring about various kinds of sicknesses. Sick individuals spend most of their time in hospitals and other health institutions, thus such individuals are not economically productive (Bolin & Cawley, 2007). Diseases associated with obesity include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and cancer (Blass, 2008). Those people who are suffering from obesity related ailments develop a weak health and cannot be able to contribute toward income generation in a significant manner. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are chronic; hence, the victims and their families must spend a lot of money for alleviating the effects of the diseases (Bolin & Cawley, 2007). Therefore, families can turn poor when they spend large sums of money in the treatment of obesity related diseases. Conclusion It is apparent that there is a correlation between obesity and poverty. Poverty and the associated circumstances such as lack of real foods can lead to obesity among the American population (Blass, 2008). On the other hand, obesity and the associated diseases such as include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and cancer can lead to poverty. The treatment of obesity related diseases, which are usually chronic, requires large sums of money (Bolin & Cawley, 2007). Therefore, families can become poor because they spend a lot of money while treating the obesity related diseases. Annotated Bibliography Blass, E. M. (2008). Obesity: causes, mechanisms, prevention, and treatment. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. Blass examines the causes of obesity, and possible techniques for its prevention to ensure better fitness. The coverage of the book includes influences of metabolism on the hedonic and learning comparisons, hedonic and sensory comparisons, controls of meal size, obesity and media use, the development of eating behaviors, just to mention a few. This book is an important resource because it enables an individual to understand the causes and the prevention measures of obesity. Bolin, K., & Cawley, J. H. (2007). The economics of obesity. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI. This book focuses on the increased rate of obesity in most developed nations because of individual choices, genetics, and environment. According to Bolin and Cawley, Economics enable people to study the individual choices that are associated with obesity, the treatment strategies for obesity, explanations for increased rate of obesity, and the consequences and costs of obesity for both individuals and society as a whole. Kopelman, P. G., Caterson, I. D., & Dietz, W. H. (2010). Clinical obesity in adults and children (3rd ed.). Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. This book identifies obesity as a major problem that faces health professionals in the 21st century. It is evident that different countries and ethnicities may require varied approaches for management and treatment of obesity and the associated diseases. This book shows how cultural and social factors play a very important role in the relationship between poverty and obesity, particularly among women. Therefore, it is evident that there is a correlation between obesity and poverty. Lane, M. V. (2006). Trends in poverty and welfare alleviation issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Lane focuses on how poverty has affected a great deal of people across the world in various ways. This put together the economic research on policies and programs related to poverty and its alleviation or elimination. By reading the book, it is evident that the poor can only afford foods such as French fries and couch potatoes, which raises the probability of becoming obese. This book also shows the relationship between sedentary behaviors and body mass index, dietary behaviors, and physical activity among adolescents. Smith, P. K. (2009). Obesity among poor Americans: is public assistance the problem? Nashville, Tenn.: Vanderbilt University Press. This book discusses how obesity costs the American society large sums of money due to medical expenses and lost productivity. It is evident that obesity burdens the poor more than the rich individuals. This book investigates the debatable assertion by welfare evaluators that public assistant programs such as the National School Lunch and Food Stamps programs contribute to overweight and obesity among the poor individuals. According to the author, obesity causes poverty and vice versa. Read More