Faiths Essays

Within our constantly evolving and ever-changing western world, what is seemed as being deviant has shifted and adopted to suit the norms and values of the society. The Issue of obesity has become increasingly prominent within the western society. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than the health range. Adults with a body mass index greater than 25kg/m2 but less than 30kg/m2 are considered overweight (Insel, 2009). The western culture has infiltrated daily lives in the world due to this fact, obesity has become widely spread in countries like Japan, China and Australia. Researches show that approximately 56 percent of the people in the world are obese. Nearly two third of adults in the United states are overweight and 30.5 percent are obese while within the UK, obesity in adults have increased by three to four fold since the 1980s (Canoy and Buchan, 2007). The problem is becoming so large that The WHO itself describes a global epidemic of overweight and obesity “globesity” that is taking over many parts of the world. In their view, “If immediate action is not taken, millions will suffer from an array of serious health disorders.”(House of Commons health committee, pg 8). Obese people have become so used to certain lifestyle of eating unhealthy food without exercising which probably began from childhood. Obesity has become such a major health concern because it leads to several fatal diseases. Most of the concepts which are currently the basis for research in the field of obesity had their origin in the 19th century and often earlier. The concept that obesity is a risk to health was clearly identified in the works of Hippocrates and frequently over the ensuing countries (Rouge b,1990,11). There are three main types of obesity namely simple, secondary and child obesity (Banting w, 1896). The simple obesity (alimentary obesity) makes up about 95 percent of obesity cases and results when a person consumes more calories than the amount of calories the body can burn. The secondary obesity results from underlying conditions such as Cushing’s syndromes, polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin tumors. The childhood obesity occurs when children are above the normal body weight for their size and height. Obese children are at risk for long term problems such as hypertension, thyroid, diabetes and high cholesterol. Obesity causes problems for a child’s healthy growth and development. The leading cause of obesity is excess calories. An average physically active man needs 2,500 calories to maintain a healthy weight while the physically active woman needs 2,000 calories. For example, eating a large take away hamburger, fries and a milkshake can add about 1,500 calories to your intake. Many people are not physically active, so lots of the calories they consume end up being “wasted” and converted into fat cells leading to obesity. The reasons for the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption vary by individual. Your age, gender, genes, psychological makeup, and environmental factors all may contribute. Another major cause of obesity is an individual’s eating habit and lifestyle choices. Obesity develops gradually from poor diets such as taking too much alcohol which contains lots of calories which is why most heavy drinkers are often overweight. Eating habits also has a huge role to play in obesity. The three main points involved in eating habits are quantity, quality and the frequency. The quantity refers to the content of the food. We should develop the habit of eating healthy food with lots of vegetables rather than eating food that contain lots of fat and carbohydrates for example fast foods like mcdonald, burger king etc. The quantity of food refers to the amount of food an individual eats. Some people take a lot of food at one time which is too much for their body system therefore leading to obesity. The frequency of eating refers to the pace at which an individual eats. you may have a starter or dessert in a restaurant, and the food can be higher in fat and sugar. Unhealthy eating habits tend to run in families, as you learn bad eating habits from your parents. Childhood obesity can be a strong indicator of weight-related health problems in later life, showing that learned unhealthy lifestyle choices continue into adulthood. Another cause of obesity can be hereditary cases. Some people claim there is no point in losing weight because ‘it runs in my family’ or ‘it is in my genes’. While there are some rare genetic conditions that can cause obesity, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, there is no reason why most people cannot lose weight. It may be true that certain genetic traits inherited from your parents, such as taking longer to burn up calories (having a slow metabolism) or having a large appetite, can make losing weight more difficult. But it certainly does not make it impossible. Many cases where obesity runs in families may be due to environmental factors such as poor eating habits learned during childhood. Some genetic disorders, carried by generations lead to overweight. In these cases people are helpless as they are biologically destined to have super weight. The consequences of obesity are well known. Obesity is associated with chronic diseases such as type ii diabetes , coronary heart diseases, cancer of the breast, endometrium and colon , orthopedic disorder and osteoarthritis( Kopleman, 2007). Another consequence is the social consequence such as discrimination and bias (Paul and Bronwell, 2001). The main strategy for combating the issue of obesity in the UK is identifying the main causes. The first objective is to review the evidence on what is known about the prevalence rates of obesity in the devolved regions, and to distinguish whether there are significant differences in the adult population, as well as in children. The second objective of the research is to review and comparatively analyze the policy responses to obesity in the UK devolved regions in order to identify and explore the lessons and insights that can be learnt (Primerose M, 2008). These strategies are effective and has helped a lot of people suffering from obesity in the UK. In summary, obesity is more in the western countries especially in the United States. Obesity leads to various harmful diseases and stigmatization in some cases, therefore it is necessary to avoid it by watching our heating habits and regular exercise. References

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