Have you ever heard the
joke “Yo Mama so fat when she got on the scale it said one person at a time
please”? Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of
a balanced diet and exercise. In the beginning, bodily fat served purpose by
supplying the species with a built-in mechanism for storing its own food
reserves. During primitive times, in which plague and famine disrupted the
lives of people, natural selection rewarded the frugal genotypes of those who
could store the utmost amount of fat from the slightest amount of the
erratically available foods and to release it cautiously over the long run
(NCBI). One of the many skills of our ancestors was the ability to forage.
Chronic malnutrition has been the custom for most developing societies. Only
after the technological improvements of the eighteenth century did a steady
increase in food supply became obtainable. Obesity, a chronic disease with
distinct pathologic magnitudes, is less than a century old (Endocrinology).
Since 2001, America has been number one obese country in the world (Karnik).
The insufficiency of food
throughout most of history led to implications that being fat was beneficial
and that corpulence and increased “flesh” were desirable. (NCBI) Having more
meat on your body back in the day symbolized the wealth you possessed. It
represented the standard of living in your family pertaining to the money you
had to buy food with because so many people were in poverty that made them skin
and bones due to lack of nutrition. Only in the latter half of the nineteenth
century did being fat begin to be defamed for pictorial reasons, and in the
twentieth century, its link with increased mortality was documented
(Endocrinology). Those who could store fat easily had an advantage in the harsh
environment of early hunters and gatherers. Hunters and gatherers made up most
of the population in the beginning of time, but now with the technological
innovations our materialistic world has become to be, there are vast amounts of
easily accessible means of life. You’re hungry with very little money in your
pocket, what’s the first thing you usually do? McDonalds, of course. You
indulge in that greasy burger without a second thought of what you’re putting
into your body. That day becomes a few days and then those few days become
weeks, then weeks to months and so on. Obesity is characterized as a wide
spread epidemic across America landing itself with a 36% rate of adults and
children being obese, not including everyone who is overweight (Harvard).
With the expense of
groceries sky rocketing and the price of fast food chains depressing, most
people eat out more than three days a week; this includes not only fast food
but restaurants as well. These days’ whole foods such as organic vegetables,
nuts, and healthy living materials that aid the body in maintaining a needed
fit lifestyle seem to be out of the average Joe’s price range. Whereas the
amount of fast food chains has increased tremendously world-wide, and this
constantly consumes the currency of those in poverty. It is easier to head to the cabinets and grab
a quick sugary snack rather than cooking a time-consuming meal filled with
nutrition. This laziness is one that controls most Americans and plays a key
factor in packing on the unnecessary pounds.
Being extremely obese
means you are especially likely to have health problems related to the immense
amount of weight (Mayoclinic). There are several possible causes that can lead
to the epidemic obesity. If a person eats more calories than they are burning
then the excess energy not being used will be stored as body fat and continues
to build up due to inactivity. Therefore the most common causes of obesity,
besides genetic irregularities such as diseases or conditions, are over eating
and poor exercise habits such as none at all. Other contributions to obesity
are
Genetics
Environment
Behavior
Culture
Genetics’ role in obesity
is an acceptable cause because it may be hard to alter it. Some genetics we
inherit from our parents contain abnormalities or can get switched up in utero
and you are born with a congenital disease. Some of these diseases, like
hyperthyroidism or Cushing’s, cause one to gain an atrocious amount of weight
some at random times but for prolonged time spans. Within a genetic defect it
can cause the metabolism to not function as complex as it is needed and this
can lead to a slower process of breaking down food. Arthritis, being another
practicality amongst the norm, is a disease that causes restriction on the use
of certain tendons and bones and inhibits one from using those specific limbs
and can decrease the physical activity in a person’s life. Obesity is not just
a cosmetic concern and can increases your risk of diseases and health problems,
such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure (Mayo clinic).
The type of environment
you are in can cause obesity as well. Being sleep deprived can cause you to
become fatigue and the changes in your hormones can result in an increase in
appetite. The increase in appetite is usually seen by the craving of
non-nutritious foods containing a high concentration of carbohydrates and
sugars. Another example that also incorporates culture would be the type of
people you surround yourself with. This includes parents and friends. The more
you see them indulging in food with a sedentary lifestyle it becomes accustomed
to you to do the same. Now the obesity rate has doubled because instead of
hitting the gym you hit that dollar store to stock up on cheap, unhealthy junk
to catch up on last night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
A person’s behavior can
affect the rate at which they gain weight. Becoming pregnant calls for an
excess amount of weight gain but after pregnancy some women find it hard to
lose the extra weight and become discouraged from trying. This discouragement
leads to many cases of obesity. On the other hand, it is absurd that even with
taking medications to prevent pregnancy such a birth control can add to the
ability of gaining weight.
Obesity has its effects
on society through the good, the bad, and the ugly. With the good, obesity
allows plastic surgeons to continue to maintain in the high demand portion of
our culture. Many people are disgusted about their weight and are willing to
pay high dollar expenses in order to have extensive surgeries performed. This
desirable figure is what helps in keeping jobs for many miracle workers.
Through the bad on the other hand is the lack of will power in people. Humans
make the most irrational actions and act on what they want right in that
instant. When going out to dinner you’re not contemplating on what will benefit
you in the long run but rather what will satisfy that awkward, growling screech
of an echo in your stomach immediately. Automatically we choose the apple pie,
but why not just an apple? As you’ve heard, an apple a day does keep the doctor
away. Instead we convince our self the word apple in front of the word pie is
significant enough to being called a “healthy” choice. And as for the ugly, the
aftermath of the obesity train has settled in, parked itself right at your
front door, and brought friends. In child obesity especially the pesters of bullying
transpire. The constant torments of being called names can scare a child for
life by lowering their self-esteem which can end in affecting their school
performance. In result of being grossly plump in size, children may lose their
motivation and self-assurance. Children who are obese are already in danger of
feeling neglected by mothers as they are too busy working to monitor their
lives-especially eating habits. This lack of energy and sense of neglection
from the world can cease or depress their emotions and feelings that will draw
them towards suicidal thoughts.
A way of determining if
you are obese is by the Body Mass Index test.
BMI provides a convenient population-level measure of obesity (Rethink
Obesity). Obesity is diagnosed when your BMI is 30 or higher. Your body mass
index is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in
meters squared. Using BMI as a diagnosis device for obesity has limitations
though. Your BMI is only an approximation of your body fat. For example, athletes
may have a high weight because of their higher muscle mass. Thus leaving them
to fall into the obese or morbidly obese BMI range, but they actually have a
small amount of body fat and their bodies are just overly absorbed with muscle.
Some solutions to the
obesity factor could include changing the lifestyle you are living in. This
solution is one that would need the assistance of nationwide effort to reverse
the epidemic of the world. Obesity is a complex disorder involving an excessive
amount of body fat. In some cases this genetic susceptibility is associated
with negative social stigma therefore constructing an undesirable want to
change (Solutions). By elimination this pessimism will allow people to
eradicate their diminishing thought processes to move them further from
escaping obesity. A re-visitation on food policies is also needed in order to
stop obesity. If every fast food chain would educate the consumer properly by
listing all exact ingredients placed into food along with how the product was
made-it is guaranteed many people would think twice about consuming it. Also, by building healthier environments that
encourage hale and hearty behaviors it would increase physical activity across
the nation. By constructing campaigns and seminars that teach about this
epidemic would allow open conversation to incorporate the population as a whole
to help each other eliminate their problems and feel safe to add their honest
input because everyone is present for the same reason. However, there
are some myths
about losing weight. Fasting and purging are both preceded to be helpful habits
to take on when attempting to lose weight, but they are never the answer. By
starving yourself you are allowing your body to break down muscle mass instead
of bodily fat which is still continuing to be stored up. Another myth is that
by adding more meals to your daily eating routine instead of eating three
regular meals is said to help you lose weight. In some cases this is true, but
what some people fail to realize is "more meals" does not mean full
course appetizer, entree, and dessert. These "more meals" should
contain a variety of fruits and vegetables with a high number of fluid ounces
in water and other hydrating materials. These meals should also be smaller
portions than normal so your body can get in the rhythym of taking in less and
feeling full. According to the Washington times, “For systemic change, we must
address the obesity issue where people live, work, and play by making
comprehensive, sustainable policy and environmental changes.”
Albert Camus ideals are
based on that life is pointless but human life is precious. Camus would let
people who want to overindulge in food simply overindulge because of the
happiness it brings them. Once what made them happy (food) killed them by
becoming morbidly obese, Camus would become saddened but as long as they died
happy. According to Camus, there is no essential meaning to life and the
absurdity that one goes on throughout life trying to find a meaning just to end
up dying is simply absurd. With this being said, an obese person can change
their lifestyle around and become skinny by canceling out the delicious, mouth-watering
sensations they so desperately desire. For what thought? Just to die after
going years of eating greens instead of cupcakes?
Obesity in fact has over
taken the world and has made its way to being a pandemic. Many people do not
realize the damaging and long lasting effects of being exceedingly overweight
may cause them. Taking actions to help prevent probable causes such as death is
necessary in order to help stop the expansion of this pandemic furthermore.
Works Cited
Harvard.
"Adult Obesity." Obesity Prevention Source. N.p., 20 Oct. 2012. Web.
25 Feb. 2016.
Karnik,
Sameera, and Amar Kanekar. "Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health
Crisis." International Journal of Preventive Medicine. Medknow
Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
"Obesity
Overview." Obesity Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/obesity/hic_Obesity_Overvie
w
"Obesity."
Risk Factors. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/obesity/basics/risk-factors/con-20014834>.
"On the
Evolutionary Origins of Obesity: A New Hypothesis." : Endocrinology: Vol
155, No 5. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. <http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/en.2013-2103>.b
"Rethink
Obesity | The Global Pandemic of Obesity." Rethink Obesity | The Global
Pandemic of Obesity. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2016. <http://www.rethinkobesity.com/the-science-of-
obesity/chronic-disease/global-pandemic.html>.
"SOLUTIONS:
Dealing with America’s Obesity Problem." Washington Times. The
Washington Times, n.d. Web. 2 May 2016. <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/16/solutions-dealing-americas-
obesity-problem/?page=all>.
"SOLUTIONS:
Eradicating America’s Obesity Epidemic." Washington Times. The
Washington Times, n.d. Web. 2 May 2016. <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/16/solutions-eradicating-americas-
obesity-epidemic/?page=all>.
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