Causes and Effects of Adult Obesity

Introduction

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes too weak to maintain an adequate cardiac output to meet the body’s oxygen demands (Wilmore, et al., 2008). Hypertension is a sustained condition when the blood pressure exceeds 140/90 mm Hg. It is estimated that about thirty percent of people ages fifty and over have hypertension. Type II diabetes is considered a milder form of diabetes and is characterized by impaired insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or excessive glucose output from the liver (Wilmore, et al., 2008). The consequences of uncontrolled and untreated Type II diabetes, however, are the just as serious as those for Type I. This form is also called noninsulin-dependent diabetes, a term that is somewhat misleading. Many people with Type II diabetes can control the condition with diet and oral medications, however, insulin injections are sometimes necessary if treatment with diet and oral medication is not working. Gallbladder diseases from obesity mainly consist of Cholecystitis which is inflammation of the gallbladder. Osteoarthritis is a progressive disorder of the joints caused by gr...

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...mption of food and physical activity. To make their children more active, parents should stop buying videogames and set a time limit to decrease the amount of time their children spend in front of a computer screen. Another way to increase physical activity is to encourage children to join an extra-curricular activity. Although it is easiest to prevent obesity at a young age, many people in the United States grow up obese or become obese. To help and to encourage adults who are suffering from obesity, they need to learn the life-threatening effects that accompany the “heavy” burden.

In reading this research, people should become more physically active and attempt to make healthier choices because their life depends on these crucial decisions. Choosing to eat a plate of french fries could bury someone six feet under if he/she continues to make these choices.