Eating and Hunger

The media and the government have lately been working in cohorts to portray the dissatisfaction of those with obese or overweight bodies. They have released figures, but none strikes the eye as much as the fact that obesity costs Americans over $75 billion annually (“Study: Social, Cultural Factors Contribute to Obesity,” 2006). In addition, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has released information regarding the percentages of obese people in the United States in 1985 as compared to 2007. In 1985, twenty one states were considered to have a less than a 10% of the population as obese (“U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2007,” 2008). All other states were considered to have too nominal a number of obese people to actually count. However, in 2007, a drastic change in trends occurred-- only Colorado had less than 15% of obese people, and three states had over 30% of the population as obese (“U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2007,” 2008). To end this steady increase of obesity, researchers have been focusing on determining the factors that may cause obesity and overeating in individuals. Though their work is incomplete, a general consensus among these researches declares that the factors contributing to obesity and overeating include psychological, biological, and cultural factors. Primarily, psychology evidently has a role in overeating and obesity. Many disorders are associated with overeating. To begin, the Binge Eating Disorder is the most commonly found overeating disease, affecting about 3% of American adults (“Binge Eating Disorder,” 2008). This disorder is attributed to being caused by depression, unhealthy dieting, emotional problems, and substance abuse (“Binge Eating Disorder,” 2008). Psychologically, this affects one’s emotions, causing this disorder to spur, and eventually causing overeating and obesity. Another disorder psychologically associated with overeating and obesity includes the Compulsive Eating Disorder. This disorder is associated with people who have an addiction to food. The victims of Compulsive Eating Disorder use food as a way to hide their emotions and cope with stress in their lives (“Compulsive Overeating,” 2007). Both of these psychological disorders are attributed to the obese. These people overeat because of their low self-esteem and low self-confidence. Other reasons include being sexually abused at a younger age. Sexual abuse causes victims to hide their body in pounds of fat, in order to oneself unattractive and unappealing in an effort to keep predators away from them (“Compulsive Overeating,” 2007). Those the Binge Eating Disorder and the Compulsive Eating Disorder are the most common forms of obesity and overeating-causing disorders, there are many others that are also affected by psychology. Secondarily, biology (genetics, particularly) play a role in overeating and obesity. A UK study shows that a certain gene called FTO affects how one feels after eating, how much one eats, and their ability to stop eating (Yong, 2009). This study proves that those with this gene eat more than those without this gene, and were more likely to become obese (Yong, 2009). In addition, there are several other diseases of obesity that are caused by genetics. One of the issues that causes obesity is leptin deficiency. Leptin is a protein that “tells” the brain that it is not hungry (Cameron, 2005). When there is a deficiency of leptin, hunger is not satiated and one cannot stop eating (Cameron, 2005). Another hormone that may affect obesity is adiponectin. Adiponectin is a hormone that helps the body burn off fat and sugar (Cameron, 2005). A lack of adiponectin causes obesity since the body cannot burn fat, causing an excess of adipose (fat) tissue (Cameron, 2005). Therefore, biological factors also contribute to obesity. In addition, cultural factors contribute to obesity and overeating. We often find that food preferences vary drastically across countries, regions, or even states. For example, consuming beef, a commonplace food for a majority of countries, is a violation of religious beliefs and is considered to be disgusting to the Hindus of India. Likewise, delicacies of Asia and Africa, such as camel, dog, rat, and horse meat, are shunned in North America and Europe (Myers, 2007, page 35-4). We find that American culture endorses and prefers more of the unhealthy food such as chips, soda, hamburgers, etc., and is forgetting to make sure that consumers receive the adequate amount of the foods recommended by the USFDA’s Food Pyramid. This endorsed food is unhealthier, and leads to many diseases and illnesses, including obesity. In addition, American culture is now implying that the quantity of food or the cost of the food is more important than the quality of food, a topic highly criticized by the French (and Europeans, in general). People are forgetting to look for higher quality and healthier food, and instead are searching for more food for their dollar or the quicker way out. In a self-conducted survey, results showed that the average household eats fast food dinners for three to four nights a week. When asked why, the general answer was because the adults did not have time to cook, or because the family found it was cheaper to buy McDonalds than to cook a healthy meal. Our culture is proving to be more prone to obesity. In conclusion, obesity and overeating is caused by a combination of three factors: psychological, biological, and cultural. These three factors are all scientifically proven by researchers from around the world. However, there still is not adequate information about obesity in the world. Many are unaware of the harmful effects of obesity, and it is important to spread the news of this disease so that ignorance is not the cause of it. Obesity leads to detrimental effects, and often takes away people’s lives. The world needs to understand this- especially now that we are facing a new generation filled with obese or overweight individuals. More importantly, everyone should be aware of obesity because it can be fixed. No, it is true that one cannot change their genes or their genetics, but they can change their behavior in an effort to severely limit their risks of becoming obese. The time is now to change, and never has there been a better time to not succumb into becoming another statistic or an example of obesity.

Works Cited
“Binge Eating Disorder.” (2008). In NIDKK/NIH. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm#whatcauses
Cameron, David. “Fat Chance: The Biology of Obesity.” (2005). In Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.wi.mit.edu/news/ archives/2005/cpa_0622.html “Compulsive Overeating.” (2007). In Website on Eating Disorders. Retrieved March 3, 2009 from http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/coe.php
“Defining Overweight and Obesity.” (2008). In Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm
“Food and Culture.” (2008). In Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=171
“Reading American Fat in France: Obesity and Food Culture.” (2007). Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://ejas.revues.org/document1363.html
“Study: Social, Cultural Factors Contribute to Obesity.” (2006). Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=18310
“U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2007.” (2008). In Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/ maps/index.htm Yong, Ed. “The Genetics of Over-Eating.” (2009). Retrieved March 3, 2009 from http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2009/01/12/the-genetics-of-overeating/

Cited: “Binge Eating Disorder.” (2008). In NIDKK/NIH. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm#whatcauses Cameron, David archives/2005/cpa_0622.html “Compulsive Overeating.” (2007) “Defining Overweight and Obesity.” (2008). In Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm “Food and Culture.” (2008) “Reading American Fat in France: Obesity and Food Culture.” (2007). Retrieved March 5, 2009 from http://ejas.revues.org/document1363.html “Study: Social, Cultural Factors Contribute to Obesity.” (2006) “U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2007.” (2008). In Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/ maps/index.htm Yong, Ed. “The Genetics of Over-Eating.” (2009). Retrieved March 3, 2009 from http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2009/01/12/the-genetics-of-overeating/