Social Model vs Biomedical Model

According to Baggott (2004) the biomedical model of health looks at individual physical functioning and describes bad health as the presence of disease and illness symptoms as a result of physical cause such as injury or infections and attempts to ignore social and psychological factors. Baggott (2004) states that the features of biomedical model rest mainly on biomedical changes, which can be defined, measured and isolated. In effect this is directed

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

The biomedical model of health fails to comprise factors such social or environment that relate or associate with illness and also it views very little about the individual`s wellbeing history such as medical history or feelings. Holistically, a person`s well-being doesn’t not depend on physically states only and the biomedical model of health believe that a person is ill or has broken (leg or arm), they can be fixed which would lead to health restoration along with that, this model doesn’t consider that the person have or will be in pain and that pain can lead to many. Through this model, there are high chances of diagnosing wrong illnesses. For example: an individual might repine about back pain and then with biomedical model method (tests), the back might appear ok, but the history of something such insomnia, depression or others would not be viewed.

Summary: This article goes on to tell us what a problem obesity is becoming. It’s becoming such a problem that nowadays Overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for many non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and some types of cancers. Statistics show, in both developed and developing countries, that the prevalence of overweight and obesity is growing. It used to be in just developed countries that obesity and overweight was a problem. But now, it’s a problem in both developed and developing

Nearly a third of adult Americans are obese (NCHS 2003). The occurrence of obesity in the United States’ adult population has more than doubled in the last 25 years, from about 15 percent in 1976 to more than 30 percent in 2000. Since obesity in the US has reached epidemic levels, it is important to understand as many aspects of the social determinants of this disease as possible. Obesity is not a standalone disorder; rather it has caused increases in increasing risks of disability, related diseases, and death as well as important and burdensome increases in the cost of health care (Allison, Zannolli, and Narayan 1999; Wang et al. 2003). Further, obesity is estimated as contributing to almost 15 percept of deaths in the US each year (Allison and Fontaine et al. 1999; McGinnis and Forge 1993; Rogers, Hummer, and Krueger 2003; Sturm 2002).

In 2006, Dr. Schwartz, director of the Rudd center of food policy and obesity examined the influence of obesity on a non-selective study cases health and social life. Schwartz proposed an online free survey to obtain statistics about obesity and its major effects. “The present study examined the strength and limits of anti-fat bias among a large community-based online sample that represented a wide range of body weights.” Out of 4283 participants from different ages, sex and races, only 1500 weren’t obese. The study also showed that obese people are more likely to be unemployed, they are also more likely to have heart problems and diabetes. Another research, sponsored by The New England Journal of Medicine,

Obesity: one of the nation’s most critical health problems. “Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat” (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”). When energy input and output get out of balance, obesity arises. Many factors can cause someone to become obese such as genetics, metabolism, level of physical activity, and more. “Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors” (“CDC Features - Obesity & Genetics”). “When a person eats and drinks more calories than he or she burns, the energy balance tips toward weight gain, overweight, and obesity” (“Understanding Adult Overweight and Obesity”). Obesity is increasing throughout the United States due to lack of healthy behaviors, big health risk, genetics and increasing in children and adults.

Obesity is the terminology used when an individual has too much body fat. Obesity occurs over time when people eat more calories than they use. The balance between calories in and calories out differs from person to person. Other factors that might affect a person’s weight include their genetic susceptibility, overeating, eating high fat foods, and lack of physical active. Being obese increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. Although, the attention of the health profession, the media, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has doubled over the past three decades. In the United States obesity

Much has been written to explain the medical aspect of obesity but little attention has been paid to understanding the sociological aspect of the epidemic. This research attempts to understand the sociological aspect of obesity by examining the socio-cultural, gender, and psycho-social effects and includes the different perceptions of the epidemic as well as what is deemed acceptable in the society we live in.

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

Americans are growing wider in size and their education on health and nutrition seems to be diminishing with their waistline. Outward appearance dominates in the media for vanity reasons; however society is impacted with the obesity rates due to the rising health and financial concerns associated. Obesity causes a higher demand for healthcare since it is linked with high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, gout, physical injuries, sleep problems, skin conditions, and cosmetic surgery. Factors such as ethnicity, income and physical location make up a person’s socio-economic status. Socio-economic statuses contribute to large parts of health factors and high rates of illnesses. Children born in certain

According to The Sociology of Obesity it is believed that the “obesity epidemic is largely driven by environmental factors” which are coupled with the lack of nutritional foods and the “excessive use of motor vehicles” and leading a sedentary life (Rosengren & Lissner 2008). With the increase of energy dense food which is relatively cheaper than high quality food and mor accessible especially to the lower socioeconomic classes. With each country, there are different stages of development, but in the western world (America), the socioeconomic slopes with “respect to obesity are both heterogeneous and in transition” (Rosengren et al., & Korbonits (2008). The impact upon the obese has resulted in the stigmatization and has caused great concern

Obesity, the condition of being severely overweight, is a serious issue in the United States that is gradually beginning to affect more and more citizens. In recent years, the number of Americans suffering from this chronic disease has significantly increased. Researchers have found that nearly one third of the U.S. population is considered overweight and, on average, three hundred thousand individuals die yearly as a result of obesity (Hollands et al. 2). When one participates in little to no physical activity and their diet consists mostly of high fat foods, chances are they will gain weight. If someone becomes obese, they may develop serious health related issues that, in some cases,

Being obese is a tremendous issue in the United States . According to the book the “Obesity: Cultural and BioCultural Perspectives”by Alexandra A.Brewis, there is an assessment mentioned in the book that was made by the “World Health Organization”. The assessment mentions that “ one third of the people are now overweight or obese . Within two decades , if the current trend continue, the number will be more than two-thirds”.(Brewis 1)

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.