The concept of weight is at the forefront of the majority of society’s mind when approached with the abstract idea of what it means to be “healthy”. It is often viewed as an indicator to determine which people are of good health, and which are not. With obesity rates increasing over the past decade, much fascination surrounds the topic due to the fact that it is believed to be one of the few aspects of health that society may control themselves. While people may not be able to completely control whether or not they become diagnosed with an illness, or whether or not they are born with any health abnormalities, there seems to be a notion that weight is something that, with proper lifestyle choices, man has complete control over – or is it? Is a healthy weight solely determined by proper diet and exercise? This critical essay will examine various viewpoints in the health field, and how each attempts to explain the possible causes of the global obesity epidemic. With continuous research being performed in these fields, it appears as though, while diet and exercise play a strong role in one’s weight, there are a variety of other factors that affect it as well, including some uncontrollable external environmental factors. As previously mentioned, there is a prevalent belief in society that weight is something completely in the hands of the person and the lifestyle they choose to take on – and why would it not be? The world is constantly bombarded with media suggesting
"Though I have never heard of the obesity crisis, it is obvious that obesity is an issue". This is the opening statement of the paper I wrote at the beginning of the semester, which is unbelievable now. I have learned so much about the obesity crisis: when it began, what lead to it, how it affects the country, how obesity effects an individual, what contributes to it, what other countries have done and are doing to battle the issue and what we can do in America to combat it, along with the process of reliable research and how important it is to question what might seem obvious. Maybe the popular opinion is the truth, but maybe, such as in the case of the obesity crisis, it is as far off as it can get. In just a few months, I have gone from
Over 60% of the people in the U.S are obese, obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. What you eat is what you are. More and more people are becoming obese which is not healthy. People who suffer from obesity are going to face severe chronic illness or stress. A person who is obese is not necessarily overweight but has too much body fat. Many experts use BMI index for an accurate measurement for a body fat. BMI is calculated by a formula that includes a person’s height and weight. One important cause of insulin is obesity. Insulin is supposed to transport blood sugar into the cells of the muscle and fat. Since the year 1980 the obesity rate in the U.S. has changed. In 2000 the obesity rate was 30% percent but in 2013 it
Social factors play very important role in our society,Through the influence of these factors, Obesity is one of main concern in US. The growing obesity rates in the US and it's affect on consumer culture is debating towards our future. Studies have suggested that the obesity is social distributed , into different social groups, some other factors such as martial status is linked cross-sectionally with obesity ( Sobal J, Raushenbach BS, 1992 ). When applying obesity into racial profiles over 80% of black women over the age of forty are overweight and obese( Wang and beydou ,2007) compare to white and Latino woman’s. However, socio-demographic and one 's racial profile shouldn't consist on growing obesity, Even though SES
Obesity and being overweight are problems in America that are continuing to exacerbate each and everyday. According to Jan Simmonds, being a few pounds above an individual's ideal weight is considered overweight; while obesity is being more than twenty percent above an individual's ideal weight (3). Ideal weight is a number based on one's height and body frame. TeensHealth states, "Obese people are very overweight and at risk for serious health problems" (1). Obesity is life threatening and there are many side effects associated with being obese.
The pressure to lose weight in today’s society inhibits the personality and health of overweight people while essentially increasing the weight of the people who experience these pressures (Worley 163-167). So reasons Mary Ray Worley in her article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.” Worley uses her personal experience as well as a small number of facts to dispute why overweight people struggle as they attempt to contribute to society (163-167). In the beginning of her article she references an association of which she is a member, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, to convey the possibilities to advance society when judgement based on size is abandoned (163-164). The association holds a conference every year, and Worley continually refers to the atmosphere at the convention as “another planet,” suggesting that the scarcity of judgment during the convention differed significantly from her everyday experiences (163-164, 167). Applying her encounters to all people of her weight category, she declares that even doctors blame the majority of sicknesses on weight (165). She also proclaims that people should not diet and exercise in order to lose weight, as this triggers loss of motivation without results, but to improve their attitude and mood (166). Referencing Dr. Diane Budd from the convention, she states that attempts to lose weight cause “lasting harmful effects on one’s appetite, metabolism, and self-esteem” (164). While Worley’s unjustifiable
The sociological aspect of obesity shown through the impact of families, the government and the economy. The rapidly growing, fast-paced, technological society creates an epidemic of sorts. Families pursue the use of technology, restaurants and fast-paced eating as well as single parenting and parental denial. The government sets a significant health care cost to obesity, which prevents a solution and increases risks. A non-stable economy brings about a society filled with unemployment or multiple jobs as well as both parents working to stay above absolute or relative poverty leading to distractions from a healthy lifestyle. Obesity is a concern, not just for an individual but also for
The obesity epidemic is at an all-time high as evidenced by the fact that there are more overweight and obese people than those of healthy weight in the U.S. today. Many political, medical and surgical interventions have proven to be largely unsuccessful. There has only been marginal success with government led nutritional initiatives such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. The key to ending this obesity epidemic lies within health promotion. Nurses possess the essential skills and training developed from nursing practice to use health promotion and preventative health care to target at risk clients and communities before obesity develops. Through teaching, especially children what foods they should eat and the right portion size we can save the next generation from an obesity epidemic.
I claim that in American culture, a thin body is held as the "original", normal body; whereas obesity is viewed as a `temporary disruption' to the balance of the body. According to our cultural understanding, an obese body is viewed as being in the process of constant transformation. The idea of a permanently fat person is unacceptable and an obese body must be standardized and normalized. The goal is to transform and
Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in
Obesity rates are soaring throughout North America (What Is Obesity?, 2013). With obesity reaching almost epidemic proportions in the United States, and the threat of a global epidemic, we must watch this alarming increase carefully ( Health Risks of Obesity, 2013). Obesity is defined as: "…an excess of adipose tissue…" (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014). The two most common measures of obesity are Body Mass Index (BMI is a ratio of weight to height) and relative weight index, such as percent desirable weight (Body Mass Index , 2013). BMI is the most frequently used measure of obesity as it has a strong correlation with more direct measures of adiposity, such as underwater weighing (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2013). Some
Obesity has rapidly emerged as a serious health issue in America. The cause of obesity results from America’s social injustices. Today, food advertisements are in all places promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Considering the great expense of healthy foods, low income families can barely afford fruits and vegetables. These two factors contribute to the increasing obesity rate in the United States. Unfortunately, it has taken an excessive amount of Americans to become obese for America to become aware of the issue and take action. Although obesity is still an increasing problem, America is fighting to reduce the number of obese citizens. As a result of low income and the media advertising unhealthy lifestyles, America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
This essay discusses how social constructions have an effect on obesity and what combination of causes and contributing factors it includes can lead to obesity. `Obesity is the term used to describe someone who is overweight and unhealthy. Obesity shortens life by an average of 10 years. It is very common in the UK and results from a study back in 2014 showed that a whopping 65.3% of men and 58.1% of women are obese here. (UniversityOfBirmingham,2016) Being over weight is generally associated with being lazy and unpleasant. There are a lot of media groups that have influenced our society’s perception on obesity and many factors that lead to the disease. Obesity can be life threatening and can be the start of lethal conditions such as diabetes,
Fast food is responsible for the increase of obesity rates in Western nations. In order to curb obesity rates, government regulation from the local level is necessary. The fast food corporations are responsible for the obesity epidemic because they make false health claims about their food and market heavily to children. But critics of regulation state that individuals, along with their food choices are responsible for the obesity epidemic. But regulation proponents believe that fast food needs regulation because of high obesity rates in poor inner city neighborhoods. In order to curb current obesity rates, local governments must intervene by implementing fast food regulations.
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.
As obesity has shown to reach epidemic proportions not only in developed regions but even in developing countries, this study has been conducted to understand the relationships between energy, activity levels and carbohydrate intake (WHO, 2000). Personal data collected reflected that in comparison, the subject’s EE was consistently greater that the EI over the two experimental days, therefore the output was greater than that of the consumed categorising the subject as active and as their body mass index (BMI) was calculated to be at 20g/m2 , the subject was categorised as healthy (Lyons et al., 2012). With the percentage energy intake from protein being 17%, fats 33% and carbohydrates 47%, the subject was within the range of the