Analysis Of The Association Of Obesity And Overweight With Frequent Mental Distress Essay

Obesity and being overweight are very common worldwide issues around the world, especially in the U.S. There are more than 3 million cases per year. By changing your lifestyle such as diet and exercise, losing weight can seem effortless. Desirable junk/fast food or even irresistible fast food commercials can tempt you to do the unthinkable. We are all victims of this advertising war. Quick-service restaurants (QSR) generate these advertisements in hope to attract more consumers or to increase their popularity rates around town. These commercials bombard our state of mind only to convince us to buy unhealthy food for worthless money. The increase in fast food commercials in the U.S. has led to an increase in both QSR revenues and the obesity rates. Regulating commercial frequencies will lead to a decline in the obesity rate. Our country has more than enough issues that frequently affect our population. Despite these alarming cautions, the food industries with their advertiser use every available media outlet to promote and sell their products. Pushing food and drinks high in sugar is unethical and unjust. We learn to

Obesity has been a life long struggle. While myself and fifty percent of adults in the United States are battling obesity, the psychological effects have become larger than the obesity itself. Not only are we forced to deal with the physical effects of being overweight, I, like others have had to overcome the psychological effects as well. Low self esteem has been a challenge and has ultimately fueled my bout with depression. Although obesity, low self esteem, and depression are three separate issues, they are all linked and are all relevant to not only me, but to millions of Americans.

In order to identify a condition as a disease, it should fit certain criteria. One of the reasons that obesity is classified as a disease is because of its large comorbidity. Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers (Rossner, 2002). According to Rossner (2002), the death rate from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases increases among moderate and severe overweight men and women in all age groups. Therefore, obesity is

Obesity presents numerous health risks, both physical and mental. Obesity has been linked to or is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease (including stroke and heart) type two diabetes, many cancers (including breast, colorectal….), musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, depression and mental health disorders. Obesity along with all of the alarming health implications have the ability to

One of the most important lifestyle factors influencing health outcomes is obesity. Specifically, obesity is widely recognized as a primary cause of poor health outcomes across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups in the US. The CDC reports that “people who are obese, compared to those with a healthy or normal weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including… all-causes of death (mortality), high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, and mental illness.” Thus, exploring

For many years, Doctor and Psychologist have noticed a link between mental and physical health. However, it has never caused any major concerns until now, when the question of how an individuals mental health such as depression could later affect their physical health such as heart problems. In an article “Depression May Be As Bad For The Heart As Obesity” by Carolyn Gregoire digs a little deeper into how a persons’ state of mind can affect their physical health. Gregoire’s article is largely effective by presenting critical information in an organized way, important topics, and language that can be understood by any audience, but does have a weakness with the change in tone.

Factors that influence overweight and obesity are multiple and varied, but are partly due to

1494 women ages 20-94 between the years of 1994 to 1997 were randomly selected to be in an epidemiological study (3). This study examined how mental health (dependent variable) was affected by having a Western Diet (independent variable). The subjects were evaluated by dietary and psychiatric assessment. The covariates of the study were socioeconomic standing, drinking, smoking, Body Mass Index and physical activity levels. The subjects were asked to return in 10 years for a follow up appointment. 881 of the original participants returned for the appointment from 2004 to 2008. Participant’s diets were assessed through questionnaires. Psychiatric assessments were given with a 12 item version of the general health questionnaire. Regressions were ran with the data and the results showed that foods such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and whole grains were associated associated with lower odds for major depression and anxiety. The Western Diet which consisted of mainly fried foods, sugar, and grains had a negative effect psychologically. It was also found that the worse the diet is (more fried food and refined grains) the worse psychologically it is for the body. Researchers concluded that there was a significant association between having a Western Diet and a deterioration in mental health.

Obesity catastrophe has escalated to epidemic levels especially in developed nations such as the United States and most of European nations. In US for instance, 25 percent of its young population are overweight while 11 percent are obese. According to medical studies, both obese and overweight are said to have devastating impacts on both psychological and physical health. Although the mechanisms surrounding the development of obesity are still vaguely understood, numerous studies synonymously assert that the disorder has multiple causes. Generally, obesity and overweight are understood to be a consequence of increased calories in the body and excessive fat intake. Cultural environment, lifestyle preferences and environmental

Likewise to disease, depression can also result in obesity. “Studies have found that 66 percent of those seeking bariatric, (weight loss) surgery have had a

Specific Aim 1 is to perform a longitudinal study on the population to compare the obese, depressed, and healthy population. This aim will test the hypothesis that Obesity and Depression have a correlational relationship. We will be accomplished by observing the entire population of Birmingham and grouping each individual with regards to age, sex, ethnicity, history of Single Major Depressive Disorder (MDD-S)(determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview test (CIDI), Repetitive Major Depressive Disorder (MDD-R)(determined by the CIDI test), Body Mass Index(BMI), Body Fat Percentage(BFP), and dietary habits. We will perform a continuous study with the developments of subject’s

Obesity is a Complex problem with multiple factors involved. The issue is that various forms of solutions are required to deal with this problem. There is a policy gap which is a minimum number of early child health promotion programs in Atlantic Canada specifically Nova Scotia (Figure 2). Diseases traditionally not seen until adulthood are now prevalent in children as well, such as type 2 diabetes. Some people are not aware that childhood obesity can have serious implications later in life. Children who are at risk of obesity, or are already overweight or obese, need support to change their eating habits and physical activity to achieve a healthy weight. Improving awareness, knowledge and skills of healthy eating and physical activity are key to addressing this issue effectively. There is a widespread agreement that early child development is a fundamental building block for health and human development (Baker, Kusi-Achampong, Walker & Davison, 2011, p.1). There is a need for high quality child care programs that support early childhood development and health promotion for every Canadian child, regardless of their family’s background (Baker et al., 2011). Investing in childhood obesity prevention programs will be less expensive compared to the costs related with treating obese individuals (Cawley, 2010, p.367).

Many people today eat when their emotionally such as because the person is bored, sad, anger or even happy. Obesity can be caused by things like stress or depression and can cause a number of different health implications. For example a person that is obese is more likely to have diabetes later in life and also suffer heart problems. Over 30% of today’s population seek treatment for weight problems and this is all caused through binge eating. Binge eating is when someone eats large amount of food while feeling they can’t control how much they are eating, people who seriously binge and a very obese develop a disorder call binge eating disorder. The people with this kind of eating disorder find it difficult to lose weight and also find it difficult to control how much they are eating. Many people may need serious help for example counselling or medication or even operation to

There are more than one billion overweigh adults in the world with at least three hundred of these adults being obese. In North America, obesity has increasingly become one of the most important public health problems (Flegal, Graubard, Williamson, & Gail 2005). With cases of obesity increasing, there has also been more exportation of research being done into the topic. Moreover, social, psychological and biological factors are being investigated to determine aspects that may influence the onset of obesity. This paper will focus on two specific domains of the biopsychosocial model of health with a focus on psychological and social factors that affect obesity.

Obesity has become an epidemic in our over indulgent North American society. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. Society often views obesity to be a disease when it is actually a sign of a disorder, genetic or environmental. The percentage of our population that is growing overweight is increasing every year, and can become a very serious issue if it is not dealt with urgently. Problems relating to self-confidence, self-consciousness, and isolation can occur as a result.