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Research Paper On Why Obesity Is Considered A Disease

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Obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975. A 2016 study shows that more than 1.9 billion adults, over the age of 18, were overweight and over 650 million of them were obese (“Obesity and Overweight”). And 41 million children, age 5 and under, were overweight/obese in 2016. Obesity does in fact meet the definition of a disease, but many people may argue that it’s only a “side effect.” In this essay I will argue why obesity is considered a disease. Obesity meets the requirements of being a disease. There are three criteria that define a disease. The impairment of a vital function involving any structure, system, or part of an organism is one of the criteria. Another is the characteristics of signs or symptoms. Lastly, harm or…show more content…
Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity when adequate food energy is present. Studies that have focused on inheritance patterns rather than on specific genes have found that the children of two obese parents were more than likely to become obese, compared to the children of two parents who are of normal weight. Different people exposed to the same environment have diverse risks of obesity due to their underlying genetics. The environment we live in has certainly played major permissive roles in the increasing amount of fat mass people receive. Like some disorders, obesity can be treated, managed, and controlled. Obesity is said to not have a cure because it is a life-long treatment. Almost 10% of morbidly obese people have defects in genes that regulate weight, food intake, and metabolism. Obesity is like depression, anxiety, and even alcoholism in the way that they are all diseases. There are medical patterns to all of them. Hormone imbalances, neurotransmitter deficiencies and nutritional exhaustion. Many who are obese have underlying medical issues that should be addressed. I agree with the fact that there are behavior patterns that may contribute to obesity, but the same behavior patterns are entrenched in other biological factors. Stress and the standard America diet can create serious biological imbalances that some people can’t
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