Obesity Essays
Obesity is a condition where there is excessive fat accumulation that is contributing to your weight. This fat accumulation is causing your weight to be greater than what is considered to be a healthy weight for a given height (CDC 2016). It develops when the energy intake exceeds the energy outlay. This excess energy is then stored as adipose tissue. “According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, it showed that the adult obesity rates now exceed 35% in seven states, 30% in 29 states and 25% in 48 states” (The State of Obesity 2018). It is a national epidemic that is affecting the lives of many individuals globally. The key factors that are linked to obesity are lifestyle factors, genetic factors and metabolic disorders. In the long run, it causes various complications known as metabolic syndrome. A metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions such as: increased blood pressure, excess body weight, increased levels of cholesterol or triglyceride levels that occur at the same time that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (Barbour 2011).
Obesity affects the functionality of most if not all of an individual’s body systems. Researchers in Germany decided to conduct a study on Göttingen minipigs to see the correlations of obesity and diseases. The article Metabolic syndrome and extensive adipose tissue inflammation in morbidly obese Göttingen minipigs had researchers study twenty-six female Göttingen minipigs (GM) over the course of seventy weeks. They were split into two experimental groups: lean and obese. The ration for the lean group was set up to meet the energy and nutrition requirement of normal adult pigs. The ration for the obese group increased consistently every week until the body weight for the GM was 80 to 100 kg. Ultimately, after seventy weeks of being on a high-fat/high- energy (HFHE) diet the obese group showed that there was a correlation between obesity and metabolic syndrome that included hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension (Renner S. et al 2018). The study showed hyperinsulinemia and reduced glucose tolerance in the obese group (Renner S. et al 2018). Insulin has many roles which includes telling the cells to absorb and break down amino acids, glucose, fatty acids. The fatty acids are eventually turned into either fat cells, muscle cells, and liver cells. Fat is stored energy. Having fat is not bad but having a lot of fat is bad. Storing excessive fat will result in insulin resistance (Barbour 2011). When insulin resistance is developed, there is an increase in lipolysis that affects fatty acids and further decreases effects of insulin. This can lead to type 2 diabetes, liver, or gallbladder disease and different types of cancer. Researchers found that being on a HFHE diet contributes to obesity. Before the HFHE diet, the lean and obese mini pigs were not as different in body weight. However, after being on a HFHE diet, the obese group consistently increased in body weight, in adipose cells, and Sabah Fatima N17698316 09/30/18 increased in plasma total of cholesterol and bilirubin concentrations (Renner S. et al 2018).
Adipose cells are fat cells whose main role is to act as a fuel tank for storing lipids and triglycerides. Fat cells are found underneath your skin and are found on top of the kidneys, stored in liver and in small amounts in muscle. Elevated plasma levels are correlated with an increased amount of adipose cells (Barbour 2011). Adipose cells cause severe inflammation and necrosis in the visceral tissue which were observed in the obese group. They also noticed a decrease in iron and alkaline phosphatase within the obese group. Lastly, the study observed an increase resting heart rate in the obese group known as hypertension. Being insulin resistant causes a domino effect linking hypertension to diabetes, and obesity. High blood pressure flows through the arteries and if it keeps being persistent, it will lead to various vascular diseases (Barbour 2011). The study showed the resting heart rate for the obese group was elevated compared to the lean group with peak levels of 175 bpm (Renner S. et al 2018). To me, obesity is the result of environment, lifestyle, culture, and socioeconomic status. Behavior and environment cause people to be overweight and gradually gain weight. For example, take someone who is a regular couch potato and decides to binge watch Netflix all day without getting any physical activity in will contribute to weight gain. People are becoming overweight and obese because healthy food is more expensive than fast food. Fast food is more convenient and cheap for many individuals. There are also limited resources when it comes to healthy food options. People in low socioeconomic households tend to buy the cheapest food that is filled with junk and are more than likely to be fat as a result of this. As individuals we are not completely in control of our weight. There are other factors that contribute to your weight such as genetics. The public health goal should not be to end obesity but instead, take into account resources and affordability that can better help our communities. If there were more healthy food options and they were affordable, people would be choosing that route. Being educated on what obesity is and its consequences will help people become aware of how to incorporate health management in their lifestyle and improve this epidemic.
Introduction Obesity is a complex condition whereby the excess fat in the body puts a person in health risk. In the United States, the national data indicates that obesity is increasing in both children and kids. Therefore, there is a need to reverse the trend and eliminate the barriers that make people choose poor lifestyle […]
Introduction The advertisement has in the past focused on adults whereby it was a common belief that they are the major decision-makers in what their families consume including teenagers and children in the household. Today, however, the tables have turned with children reported to influence over $ 50 billion of sales in the United States. […]
Healthcare providers consider Individuals with weight more than 20% above the normal weight to be obese. The National Institute of Health defines Obesity as a healthcare condition where individual have a Body Mass Index exceeding 30. When calculating the Body Mass Index, an individual’s sex, weight, age, heights are taken into account. Clinicians use the […]
Introduction Obesity is a progressive and life-threatening condition characterized by the buildup of surplus fat. It has a genetic association and involves significant costs. In severe cases, obesity becomes long-term and poses challenges in managing through diet and exercise alone. The increasing number of overweight or obese individuals in Santa Ana, California is a cause […]
The objective conditions of the problem Obesity is a health risk that occurs when weight reaches a dangerous level. It is not a lifestyle disorder but rather a risk factor for other diseases, and it can affect individuals regardless of age or gender. Evaluating body mass weight is how obesity is determined in adults. According […]
Introduction Obesity is defined as having too much fat in your body than expected medically. The human body is made up water, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and fats and therefore excess accumulation of these fats, especially around the waist, welcomes health complications. Obesity is associated with overconsumption of fatty foods. However, it is different from overweight […]
According to the 2015 report from the CDC, obesity is excessive accumulation of body fat. In the United States, rates of childhood obesity have more than doubled in the past thirty years. In 2012, almost 18% of children aged 6 to 11 were obese, compared to only 7% in previous years. The main causes of […]
Introduction The United States has witnessed a significant increase in the number of lifestyle related illnesses. This significant increase has been associated with poor eating habits and consumption of low-quality foods, lack of adequate physical exercise, and increased mental stress. Poverty has further increased people’s vulnerability to lifestyle related morbidities. Due to poverty, people are […]
Obesity is an atypical excessive accumulation of fat to the extent that it becomes a risk to a person’s health. Being obese is not the same as overweight which is weighing too much. Both obesity and overweight involve an increase in weight beyond that which is considered health. However for overweight, it might be as […]
Child obesity has been observed to be a common problem not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. It is caused by lack of enough exercise, eating unhealthy foods and eating too much. Unhealthy foods include those high in sugar content and fats. Child obesity exposes children to diabetes, […]
Introduction According to The World Health Organization statistics, child obesity is one of the major public health challenges in the 21st century. The problem mainly affects low and middle-income earners who are mainly located in the urban areas. As of 2016, more than forty million children across the globe are affected by obesity especially those […]
