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Contributory factors for obesity
Obesity modifiable health risk
Contributory factors for obesity
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Obesity is a known disease that is found around us. Everywhere we go we see obese people. But what is obesity? Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat which applies to people who are overweight. There are many health risks that coincide with obesity, which makes it a dangerous disease. Furthermore, obesity is becoming an enormous problem since it is increasing drastically. About 38% of the world population is obese and that percentage is steadily rising. So what causes these percentages to rise? What causes obesity? How can it be treated or prevented?
II. Causes
There are many factors that cause obesity, and genetics is perceived to be one of them. Some people claim that they are obese because it runs in the family, but they only partially answered the role of genes that are within them. Genetics influences other parts of the body that indirectly causes these people to be obese, for example, it may affect the metabolism rate of that person by making it slower or it may affect the duration during which the body burns calories which ultimately causes obesity. Another factor that gradually causes obesity is the lifestyle choices a person makes such as eating processed or fast foods high in fats, not eating fruits; vegetables; and unrefined carbohydrates, drinking too much alcohol; which contains a lot of calories, and eating excessive amounts of sweets and desserts. Unhealthy eating habits tend to run through families, as bad eating habits prevail within the adults; younger children perceive them to be an “ok” sign to do the same. Another major cause is the lack of physical activity. Many people don’t have the time to exercise because they either have to take care of their children or work; others just lay aro...
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...sn’t comforting. Many people tend to follow their desires rather than what’s good for them that’s why this percentage is increasing. The good news is that even moderate exercising and a little diet control can help prevent obesity. Thankfully doctors these days also have good ways to diagnose and treat victims of obesity but that does not mean anyone should try to become obese, because though a person can be treated by it many other diseases can follow. Awareness of this disease should be spread among people so that the more information they have the less they might fall into it, saving themselves and their children from a possibility that can be a reality.
Works Cited
HTTP://WWW.MAYOCLINIC.COM/HEALTH/OBESITY/DS00314/DSECTION=COMPLICATIONS
HTTP://WWW.NHS.UK/CONDITIONS/OBESITY/PAGES/OBESITYSYMPTOMS.ASPX
HTTP://MEDICAL-DICTIONARY.THEFREEDICTIONARY.COM/OBESITY
The third and final reason obesity is not a genetic disorder is that obesity is often just the result of eating too many calories without enough exercise. With obesity the problem is the person afflicted by it is not exercising or being active enough to burn off the calories they have consumed. When this happens the body stores the extra energy in fat deposits between organs. This essentially turns the human body into a refrigerator, as mentioned in the documentary by Cross. By adopting a healthy lifestyle where one is both active and eating a healthy diet, anyone can avoid the growing plague of
It is natural for a society to be concerned for the future generations. With the rate of obesity growing in adults and children, many begin to see it as an issue that needs to be addressed. New reports show “ childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (cdc.gov). Overweight and obese are not actually the same. Overweight is defined as “having excess body weight for a particular height from fat,” and obesity is defined as “having excess body fat” (cdc.gov). With obesity comes the chance for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Both can be
Since the 1960?s obesity in America has more than tripled regardless of sex or race. Today 30.5 percent, or 69 million, American Adults are considered obese (?AOA Fact Sheets? np). In addition, 13 percent of children aged 6-11 years old are considered overweight, and well on their way to becoming obese. Obesity causes over 300,000 deaths a year and costs the country $117 billion dollars, prompting health care providers and the government to label it an epidemic (?Overweight and Obesity?? np).
It is said that an obesity epidemic is sweeping the country and that the numbers are astronomical. Approximately 31% of all adults and 15% of children, ages 6-19 are obese. Obesity is also severe in a variety of ethnic groups. For example, 50% of non-Hispanic black women are obese. Many researchers believe that the trend in obesity as a lot to do with cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Simply stated I think it can be attributed to genetics, portion size as well as food available and cost, and laziness.
Genetics plays a major role in obesity; inherited genes sometimes contribute to the accumulation of fat in the body. Over 200 genes have effect on the weight having repercussions from physical activity, food choices and metabolism. Therefore, genes may increase the vulnerability of a person to become obese. Family eating patterns and social tendencies can also trigger obesity. Moreover, environmental circumstances such as availability of food high in calories and fat and the increase of the portions and combination selections in meals contribute to the development of fat accumulated for years in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 277).
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about “17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese” (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157). “Surveys administered in 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 show that the prevalence of obesity has changed from 6.5% to 19.6% among children 6-11 years old age and from 5.0% to 18.1% for those aged 12-19 years (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157).
Although inherited conditions have been linked to childhood obesity, they are rare. However it has been noted that children with obese or overweight parents are more than likely to be obese themselves, the reason for this as described by Heaton-Harris (2007) is because of the length of time it takes to break a bad habit. Unless the parents are correctly informed of healthy diets themselves the problem will continue from an ill-informed childhood into adult hood. Other probable causes are numerous ones. Fast food and processed foods becoming more read...
According to an article in Oxford Journals, “There is substantial evidence for the hereditability of obesity, and research in both rare and common forms of obesity has identified genes with significant roles in its etiology” (Genetics…).
"Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat" (Zeratsky). Obesity is not just about being overweight or eating unhealthy food. Obesity itself is much more complicated than that and has become a worldwide problem. People are considered obese if our body fat percentage is high enough and also if you are thirty-five pounds overweight (Hellmich). Body Mass Index is something a lot of doctors talk about in the health world and it is abbreviated BMI. BMI is how we measure if we are at a healthy weight or not. Determining if we are healthy or not based off of our BMI is not the best or most accurate way to go. Measuring by our BMI could tell us that we are healthy, but really our body's fat percentage could still be too high. Obesity is not just about being unhealthy and weighing a lot more than one should, they could weigh a normal amount and still be considered obese. Normal body weight is also obese as it was just pointed out. This is so, because while our weight is healthy, our body fat is high enough to be considered obese. No one is immune to obesity and it can occur at any age. With this being said, everyone should watch what they eat and get enough exercise throughout their lives.
Society should consider the physical and emotional problems of obesity in our nation. “Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat (Mayo Clinic).” American society has become increasingly obese, “characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthy foods, and physical inactivity (cdcinfo@cdc.gov).” Our nation increasingly has become consumers of a fast food diet. It is so simple to just pick up food on the go and not deal with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up afterwards. What are nation needs to acknowledge is the health risks they will obtain if they do not acquire a healthy life style.
Body composition is one of the five health related fitness components and it is the percent body fat, bone, water and muscle found in your body. Although fat is associated with negative connotations, it has important functions in our body such as the cushioning of organs, shock absorption and temperature regulations. This ‘positive’ fat is known as essential fat, and the ‘negative’ fat is known as nonessential fat. The percent body fat is used to determine the total fat found in your body and it is based on gender and size of each individual. In the textbook “Concepts of Physical Fitness: Active Lifestyle for Wellness” by Corbin, he states that fat location influences health risk; based on where the fat is located you could be considered an apple or a pear. A person considered an apple has fat in the upper body. This is often found in men and in menopausal women. A pear shape, which is most common in women than men, has more fat located in the hips and upper legs. Corbin defines visceral fat as fat located at the core of the body (abdominal cavity), and subcutaneous fat as fat located under the skin.
According to Mosbey's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary, Body Composition is defined as the relative proportions of protein, fat, water, and mineral components in the body. It varies as a result of differences in body density and degree of obesity. Basically body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in a persons body. The percentages of body fat a person has determines their overall health and fitness when compared to factors like age, weight, and sex. Body composition also contributes to a persons overall appearance. A healthy male should have about12 to 18 percent of fat. Females should have around 14 to 20 percent. Any thing over or under these percentages would be considered unhealthy.The term's weight and fat are usually used in the same context when discussing physical fitness. Under certain circumstances, being overweight doesn't mean that a person is unhealthy. A person could be in good physical shape but considered overweight because they have excess muscle. People with a lot of muscle mass usually have body weight, which is disproportional to their height. Having a high percentage of fat is unhealthy because it can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.It is important to know your body fat percentage because it can help you put together a realistic exercise program with goals that are attainable. A good exercise program incorporates both aerobic exercises, which burn fat and anaerobic exercises, which build muscle. It is healthier to turn fat into muscle instead of just trying to loose weight without thinking about gaining strength. The best way for a person to change his or her body composition is to improve their fitness levels. Fitness has different meanings to different people. Some people define fitness as having a small waistline. Other people may feel that fitness is the ability to bench-press their body weight ten times.
There are many causes of obesity. Of course some obese teens cannot help the fact that they are overweight. Genetics and s...
Many folks who become obese are people who abuse the calories their body needs on a daily diet. As stated in “Overweight and Obesity Statistics”, everyone body needs a certain amount of energy from foods to have a proper balance. If the calories you have eaten sum up to the amount of calories you have used or have not burnt, you will start to have a problem if this eating habit continues. You will now be in the stage of overweight, if you do not burn the extra calories you consumer. In March 2004 the CDC publishes a study showing that poor eating habits and lack of exercise were the second leading death in the Untied States (“Chronology”). For example, one major reason why people become obese in America is because the environment is full of fast food restaurants. If you look to your left you will see McDonald’s, you look to your right, and you see Jack in The Box, you look behind you and there is Carl’s Jr, and if you look in front of you and you see a Burger King. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, “17% of children and adolescents (aged 2-19) are obese. The prevalence of obesity in America has risen dramatically over the past two decades and continues to increase” (qtd. “Weight Control and Diet”). You see these places all over the place and not to mention food advertising is a big cause for obesity. According to What Causes Overweight
Obesity, also referred to as being overly overweight, is a condition caused when one eats excessive amounts of food leading to storing more calories than one burns. These calories are stored as fats1. Obesity can develop from several causes and is usually influenced by genetics.