laziness is the main cause of obesity essay

Causes and Effects of Obesity Essay

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Introduction

Laziness as the main cause of obesity, social effects of obesity, effects of obesity: health complications.

Bibliography

Maintaining good body weight is highly recommended by medical doctors as a way of promoting a healthy status of the body. This is to say that there is allowed body weight, which a person is supposed to maintain. Extreme deviations from this weight expose a person to several health complications.

While being underweight is not encouraged, cases of people who are overweight and increasing effects of this condition have raised concerns over the need of addressing the issue of obesity in the society today, where statistics are rising day and night. What is obesity? This refers to a medical condition in which a person’s body has high accumulation of body fat to the level of being fatal or a cause of serious health complications. Additionally, obesity is highly associated with one’s body mass index, abbreviated as BMI.

This denotes the value obtained when a person’s weight in kilograms is divided by the square of their height in meters (Burniat 3). According to medical experts, obesity occurs when the BMI exceeds 30kg/m 2 . While this is the case, people who have a BMI of between 25 and 29 and considered to be overweight. Obesity has a wide-range of negative effects, which may be a threat to the life of a person.

The fist effect of obesity is that it encourages laziness in the society. It is doubtless that obese people find it hard and strenuous to move from one point to the other because of accumulated fats. As a result, most of these people lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is usually characterized by minimal or no movement. In such scenarios, victims prefer being helped doing basic activities, including moving from one point to another.

Moreover, laziness makes one to be inactive and unproductive. For example, a student who is obese may find it hard to attend to his or her homework and class assignments, thus affecting performance. With regard to physical exercises, obese people perceive exercises as punishment, which is not meant for them (Korbonits 265). As a result, they do not accept simple activities like jogging because of their inability to move.

In line with this, obese people cannot participate in games like soccer, athletics, and rugby among others. Based on this sedentary lifestyle, obese people spend a lot of their time watching television, movies, and playing video games, which worsen the situation.

The main effect of obesity is health complications. Research indicates that most of the killer diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, and high blood pressure are largely associated with obesity. In the United States, obesity-related complications cost the nation approximately 150 billion USD and result into 0.3 million premature deaths annually.

When there is increase in body fat, it means that the body requires more nutrients and oxygen to support body tissues (Burniat 223). Since these elements can only be transported by the blood to various parts of the body, the workload of the heart is increased.

This increase in the workload of the heart exerts pressure on blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure. An increase in the heart rate may also be dangerous due to the inability of the body to supply required blood to various parts. Moreover, obesity causes diabetes, especially among adults as the body may become resistant to insulin. This resistance may lead to a high level of blood sugar, which is fatal.

Besides health complications, obesity causes an array of psychological effects, including inferiority complex among victims. Obese people suffer from depression, emanating from negative self-esteem and societal rejection. In some cases, people who become obese lose their friends and may get disapproval from teachers and other personalities (Korbonits 265). This is mainly based on the assumption that people become obese due to lack of self-discipline. In extreme cases, obese people may not be considered for promotion at workplaces, because of the negative perception held against them.

Due to inferiority complex, obese people avoid being in public and prefer being alone. This is because they imagine how the world sees them and may also find it hard being involved in public activities because of their sizes.

This further makes them to consider themselves unattractive based on their deviation from what is considered as the normal body size and shape. Regardless of how obese people are treated, they always believe that they are being undermined because of their body size.

In summary, obesity is a major cause of premature deaths in the United States and around the world. This health condition occurs when there is excess accumulation of body fat, caused by unhealthy lifestyles. Obesity is largely associated with several killer diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and diseases of the heart.

These diseases drain world economies since most of them are fatal and expensive to manage. Additionally, obesity promotes sedentary life where victims minimize movement by adopting an inactive lifestyle. Moreover, obese victims suffer psychologically because of societal rejection. In general, obesity has a wide-range of negative effects, which may be a threat to the life of a person.

Burniat, Walter. Child and Adolescent Obesity: Causes and Consequences, Prevention and Management . United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print.

Korbonits, Márta. Obesity and Metabolism . Switzerland: Karger Publishers, 2008. Print.

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Essay on Obesity

List of essays on obesity, essay on obesity – short essay (essay 1 – 150 words), essay on obesity (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on obesity – written in english (essay 3 – 300 words), essay on obesity – for school students (class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 standard) (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on obesity – for college students (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on obesity – with causes and treatment (essay 6 – 600 words), essay on obesity – for science students (essay 7 – 750 words), essay on obesity – long essay for medical students (essay 8 – 1000 words).

Obesity is a chronic health condition in which the body fat reaches abnormal level. Obesity occurs when we consume much more amount of food than our body really needs on a daily basis. In other words, when the intake of calories is greater than the calories we burn out, it gives rise to obesity.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard), college, science and medical students.

Introduction:

Obesity means being excessively fat. A person would be said to be obese if his or her body mass index is beyond 30. Such a person has a body fat rate that is disproportionate to his body mass.

Obesity and the Body Mass Index:

The body mass index is calculated considering the weight and height of a person. Thus, it is a scientific way of determining the appropriate weight of any person. When the body mass index of a person indicates that he or she is obese, it exposes the person to make health risk.

Stopping Obesity:

There are two major ways to get the body mass index of a person to a moderate rate. The first is to maintain a strict diet. The second is to engage in regular physical exercise. These two approaches are aimed at reducing the amount of fat in the body.

Conclusion:

Obesity can lead to sudden death, heart attack, diabetes and may unwanted illnesses. Stop it by making healthy choices.

Obesity has become a big concern for the youth of today’s generation. Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which an individual gains excessive body fat. When the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person is over 30, he/ she is termed as obese.

Obesity can be a genetic problem or a disorder that is caused due to unhealthy lifestyle habits of a person. Physical inactivity and the environment in which an individual lives, are also the factors that leads to obesity. It is also seen that when some individuals are in stress or depression, they start cultivating unhealthy eating habits which eventually leads to obesity. Medications like steroids is yet another reason for obesity.

Obesity has several serious health issues associated with it. Some of the impacts of obesity are diabetes, increase of cholesterol level, high blood pressure, etc. Social impacts of obesity includes loss of confidence in an individual, lowering of self-esteem, etc.

The risks of obesity needs to be prevented. This can be done by adopting healthy eating habits, doing some physical exercise regularly, avoiding stress, etc. Individuals should work on weight reduction in order to avoid obesity.

Obesity is indeed a health concern and needs to be prioritized. The management of obesity revolves around healthy eating habits and physical activity. Obesity, if not controlled in its initial stage can cause many severe health issues. So it is wiser to exercise daily and maintain a healthy lifestyle rather than being the victim of obesity.

Obesity can be defined as the clinical condition where accumulation of excessive fat takes place in the adipose tissue leading to worsening of health condition. Usually, the fat is deposited around the trunk and also the waist of the body or even around the periphery.

Obesity is actually a disease that has been spreading far and wide. It is preventable and certain measures are to be taken to curb it to a greater extend. Both in the developing and developed countries, obesity has been growing far and wide affecting the young and the old equally.

The alarming increase in obesity has resulted in stimulated death rate and health issues among the people. There are several methods adopted to lose weight and they include different diet types, physical activity and certain changes in the current lifestyle. Many of the companies are into minting money with the concept of inviting people to fight obesity.

In patients associated with increased risk factor related to obesity, there are certain drug therapies and other procedures adopted to lose weight. There are certain cost effective ways introduced by several companies to enable clinic-based weight loss programs.

Obesity can lead to premature death and even cause Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Cardiovascular diseases have also become the part and parcel of obese people. It includes stroke, hypertension, gall bladder disease, coronary heart disease and even cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer and colon cancer. Other less severe arising due to obesity includes osteoarthritis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and even infertility.

Hence, serious measures are to be taken to fight against this dreadful phenomenon that is spreading its wings far and wide. Giving proper education on benefits of staying fit and mindful eating is as important as curbing this issue. Utmost importance must be given to healthy eating habits right from the small age so that they follow the same until the end of their life.

Obesity is majorly a lifestyle disease attributed to the extra accumulation of fat in the body leading to negative health effects on a person. Ironically, although prevalent at a large scale in many countries, including India, it is one of the most neglect health problems. It is more often ignored even if told by the doctor that the person is obese. Only when people start acquiring other health issues such as heart disease, blood pressure or diabetes, they start taking the problem of obesity seriously.

Obesity Statistics in India:

As per a report, India happens to figure as the third country in the world with the most obese people. This should be a troubling fact for India. However, we are yet to see concrete measures being adopted by the people to remain fit.

Causes of Obesity:

Sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, junk food, medications and some diseases such as hypothyroidism are considered as the factors which lead to obesity. Even children seem to be glued to televisions, laptops and video games which have taken away the urge for physical activities from them. Adding to this, the consumption of junk food has further aggravated the growing problem of obesity in children.

In the case of adults, most of the professions of today make use of computers which again makes people sit for long hours in one place. Also, the hectic lifestyle of today makes it difficult for people to spare time for physical activities and people usually remain stressed most of the times. All this has contributed significantly to the rise of obesity in India.

Obesity and BMI:

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measure which allows a person to calculate how to fit he or she is. In other words, the BMI tells you if you are obese or not. BMI is calculated by dividing the weight of a person in kg with the square of his / her height in metres. The number thus obtained is called the BMI. A BMI of less than 25 is considered optimal. However, if a person has a BMI over 30 he/she is termed as obese.

What is a matter of concern is that with growing urbanisation there has been a rapid increase of obese people in India? It is of utmost importance to consider this health issue a serious threat to the future of our country as a healthy body is important for a healthy soul. We should all be mindful of what we eat and what effect it has on our body. It is our utmost duty to educate not just ourselves but others as well about this serious health hazard.

Obesity can be defined as a condition (medical) that is the accumulation of body fat to an extent that the excess fat begins to have a lot of negative effects on the health of the individual. Obesity is determined by examining the body mass index (BMI) of the person. The BMI is gotten by dividing the weight of the person in kilogram by the height of the person squared.

When the BMI of a person is more than 30, the person is classified as being obese, when the BMI falls between 25 and 30, the person is said to be overweight. In a few countries in East Asia, lower values for the BMI are used. Obesity has been proven to influence the likelihood and risk of many conditions and disease, most especially diabetes of type 2, cardiovascular diseases, sleeplessness that is obstructive, depression, osteoarthritis and some cancer types.

In most cases, obesity is caused through a combination of genetic susceptibility, a lack of or inadequate physical activity, excessive intake of food. Some cases of obesity are primarily caused by mental disorder, medications, endocrine disorders or genes. There is no medical data to support the fact that people suffering from obesity eat very little but gain a lot of weight because of slower metabolism. It has been discovered that an obese person usually expends much more energy than other people as a result of the required energy that is needed to maintain a body mass that is increased.

It is very possible to prevent obesity with a combination of personal choices and social changes. The major treatments are exercising and a change in diet. We can improve the quality of our diet by reducing our consumption of foods that are energy-dense like those that are high in sugars or fat and by trying to increase our dietary fibre intake.

We can also accompany the appropriate diet with the use of medications to help in reducing appetite and decreasing the absorption of fat. If medication, exercise and diet are not yielding any positive results, surgery or gastric balloon can also be carried out to decrease the volume of the stomach and also reduce the intestines’ length which leads to the feel of the person get full early or a reduction in the ability to get and absorb different nutrients from a food.

Obesity is the leading cause of ill-health and death all over the world that is preventable. The rate of obesity in children and adults has drastically increased. In 2015, a whopping 12 percent of adults which is about 600 million and about 100 million children all around the world were found to be obese.

It has also been discovered that women are more obese than men. A lot of government and private institutions and bodies have stated that obesity is top of the list of the most difficult and serious problems of public health that we have in the world today. In the world we live today, there is a lot of stigmatisation of obese people.

We all know how troubling the problem of obesity truly is. It is mainly a form of a medical condition wherein the body tends to accumulate excessive fat which in turn has negative repercussions on the health of an individual.

Given the current lifestyle and dietary style, it has become more common than ever. More and more people are being diagnosed with obesity. Such is its prevalence that it has been termed as an epidemic in the USA. Those who suffer from obesity are at a much higher risk of diabetes, heart diseases and even cancer.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of obesity, it is important to learn what the key causes of obesity are. In a layman term, if your calorie consumption exceeds what you burn because of daily activities and exercises, it is likely to lead to obesity. It is caused over a prolonged period of time when your calorie intake keeps exceeding the calories burned.

Here are some of the key causes which are known to be the driving factors for obesity.

If your diet tends to be rich in fat and contains massive calorie intake, you are all set to suffer from obesity.

Sedentary Lifestyle:

With most people sticking to their desk jobs and living a sedentary lifestyle, the body tends to get obese easily.

Of course, the genetic framework has a lot to do with obesity. If your parents are obese, the chance of you being obese is quite high.

The weight which women gain during their pregnancy can be very hard to shed and this is often one of the top causes of obesity.

Sleep Cycle:

If you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep, it can have an impact on the hormones which might trigger hunger signals. Overall, these linked events tend to make you obese.

Hormonal Disorder:

There are several hormonal changes which are known to be direct causes of obesity. The imbalance of the thyroid stimulating hormone, for instance, is one of the key factors when it comes to obesity.

Now that we know the key causes, let us look at the possible ways by which you can handle it.

Treatment for Obesity:

As strange as it may sound, the treatment for obesity is really simple. All you need to do is follow the right diet and back it with an adequate amount of exercise. If you can succeed in doing so, it will give you the perfect head-start into your journey of getting in shape and bidding goodbye to obesity.

There are a lot of different kinds and styles of diet plans for obesity which are available. You can choose the one which you deem fit. We recommend not opting for crash dieting as it is known to have several repercussions and can make your body terribly weak.

The key here is to stick to a balanced diet which can help you retain the essential nutrients, minerals, and, vitamins and shed the unwanted fat and carbs.

Just like the diet, there are several workout plans for obesity which are available. It is upon you to find out which of the workout plan seems to be apt for you. Choose cardio exercises and dance routines like Zumba to shed the unwanted body weight. Yoga is yet another method to get rid of obesity.

So, follow a blend of these and you will be able to deal with the trouble of obesity in no time. We believe that following these tips will help you get rid of obesity and stay in shape.

Obesity and overweight is a top health concern in the world due to the impact it has on the lives of individuals. Obesity is defined as a condition in which an individual has excessive body fat and is measured using the body mass index (BMI) such that, when an individual’s BMI is above 30, he or she is termed obese. The BMI is calculated using body weight and height and it is different for all individuals.

Obesity has been determined as a risk factor for many diseases. It results from dietary habits, genetics, and lifestyle habits including physical inactivity. Obesity can be prevented so that individuals do not end up having serious complications and health problems. Chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart diseases and relate to obesity in terms of causes and complications.

Factors Influencing Obesity:

Obesity is not only as a result of lifestyle habits as most people put it. There are other important factors that influence obesity. Genetics is one of those factors. A person could be born with genes that predispose them to obesity and they will also have difficulty in losing weight because it is an inborn factor.

The environment also influences obesity because the diet is similar in certain environs. In certain environments, like school, the food available is fast foods and the chances of getting healthy foods is very low, leading to obesity. Also, physical inactivity is an environmental factor for obesity because some places have no fields or tracks where people can jog or maybe the place is very unsafe and people rarely go out to exercise.

Mental health affects the eating habits of individuals. There is a habit of stress eating when a person is depressed and it could result in overweight or obesity if the person remains unhealthy for long period of time.

The overall health of individuals also matter. If a person is unwell and is prescribed with steroids, they may end up being obese. Steroidal medications enable weight gain as a side effect.

Complications of Obesity:

Obesity is a health concern because its complications are severe. Significant social and health problems are experienced by obese people. Socially, they will be bullied and their self-esteem will be low as they will perceive themselves as unworthy.

Chronic illnesses like diabetes results from obesity. Diabetes type 2 has been directly linked to obesity. This condition involves the increased blood sugars in the body and body cells are not responding to insulin as they should. The insulin in the body could also be inadequate due to decreased production. High blood sugar concentrations result in symptoms like frequent hunger, thirst and urination. The symptoms of complicated stages of diabetes type 2 include loss of vision, renal failure and heart failure and eventually death. The importance of having a normal BMI is the ability of the body to control blood sugars.

Another complication is the heightened blood pressures. Obesity has been defined as excessive body fat. The body fat accumulates in blood vessels making them narrow. Narrow blood vessels cause the blood pressures to rise. Increased blood pressure causes the heart to start failing in its physiological functions. Heart failure is the end result in this condition of increased blood pressures.

There is a significant increase in cholesterol in blood of people who are obese. High blood cholesterol levels causes the deposition of fats in various parts of the body and organs. Deposition of fats in the heart and blood vessels result in heart diseases. There are other conditions that result from hypercholesterolemia.

Other chronic illnesses like cancer can also arise from obesity because inflammation of body cells and tissues occurs in order to store fats in obese people. This could result in abnormal growths and alteration of cell morphology. The abnormal growths could be cancerous.

Management of Obesity:

For the people at risk of developing obesity, prevention methods can be implemented. Prevention included a healthy diet and physical activity. The diet and physical activity patterns should be regular and realizable to avoid strains that could result in complications.

Some risk factors for obesity are non-modifiable for example genetics. When a person in genetically predisposed, the lifestyle modifications may be have help.

For the individuals who are already obese, they can work on weight reduction through healthy diets and physical exercises.

In conclusion, obesity is indeed a major health concern because the health complications are very serious. Factors influencing obesity are both modifiable and non-modifiable. The management of obesity revolves around diet and physical activity and so it is important to remain fit.

In olden days, obesity used to affect only adults. However, in the present time, obesity has become a worldwide problem that hits the kids as well. Let’s find out the most prevalent causes of obesity.

Factors Causing Obesity:

Obesity can be due to genetic factors. If a person’s family has a history of obesity, chances are high that he/ she would also be affected by obesity, sooner or later in life.

The second reason is having a poor lifestyle. Now, there are a variety of factors that fall under the category of poor lifestyle. An excessive diet, i.e., eating more than you need is a definite way to attain the stage of obesity. Needless to say, the extra calories are changed into fat and cause obesity.

Junk foods, fried foods, refined foods with high fats and sugar are also responsible for causing obesity in both adults and kids. Lack of physical activity prevents the burning of extra calories, again, leading us all to the path of obesity.

But sometimes, there may also be some indirect causes of obesity. The secondary reasons could be related to our mental and psychological health. Depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional troubles are well-known factors of obesity.

Physical ailments such as hypothyroidism, ovarian cysts, and diabetes often complicate the physical condition and play a massive role in abnormal weight gain.

Moreover, certain medications, such as steroids, antidepressants, and contraceptive pills, have been seen interfering with the metabolic activities of the body. As a result, the long-term use of such drugs can cause obesity. Adding to that, regular consumption of alcohol and smoking are also connected to the condition of obesity.

Harmful Effects of Obesity:

On the surface, obesity may look like a single problem. But, in reality, it is the mother of several major health issues. Obesity simply means excessive fat depositing into our body including the arteries. The drastic consequence of such high cholesterol levels shows up in the form of heart attacks and other life-threatening cardiac troubles.

The fat deposition also hampers the elasticity of the arteries. That means obesity can cause havoc in our body by altering the blood pressure to an abnormal range. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Obesity is known to create an endless list of problems.

In extreme cases, this disorder gives birth to acute diseases like diabetes and cancer. The weight gain due to obesity puts a lot of pressure on the bones of the body, especially of the legs. This, in turn, makes our bones weak and disturbs their smooth movement. A person suffering from obesity also has higher chances of developing infertility issues and sleep troubles.

Many obese people are seen to be struggling with breathing problems too. In the chronic form, the condition can grow into asthma. The psychological effects of obesity are another serious topic. You can say that obesity and depression form a loop. The more a person is obese, the worse is his/ her depression stage.

How to Control and Treat Obesity:

The simplest and most effective way, to begin with, is changing our diet. There are two factors to consider in the diet plan. First is what and what not to eat. Second is how much to eat.

If you really want to get rid of obesity, include more and more green vegetables in your diet. Spinach, beans, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc., have enough vitamins and minerals and quite low calories. Other healthier options are mushrooms, pumpkin, beetroots, and sweet potatoes, etc.

Opt for fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits, and berries. Oranges, grapes, pomegranate, pineapple, cherries, strawberries, lime, and cranberries are good for the body. They have low sugar content and are also helpful in strengthening our immune system. Eating the whole fruits is a more preferable way in comparison to gulping the fruit juices. Fruits, when eaten whole, have more fibers and less sugar.

Consuming a big bowl of salad is also great for dealing with the obesity problem. A salad that includes fibrous foods such as carrots, radish, lettuce, tomatoes, works better at satiating the hunger pangs without the risk of weight gain.

A high protein diet of eggs, fish, lean meats, etc., is an excellent choice to get rid of obesity. Take enough of omega fatty acids. Remember to drink plenty of water. Keeping yourself hydrated is a smart way to avoid overeating. Water also helps in removing the toxins and excess fat from the body.

As much as possible, avoid fats, sugars, refined flours, and oily foods to keep the weight in control. Control your portion size. Replace the three heavy meals with small and frequent meals during the day. Snacking on sugarless smoothies, dry fruits, etc., is much recommended.

Regular exercise plays an indispensable role in tackling the obesity problem. Whenever possible, walk to the market, take stairs instead of a lift. Physical activity can be in any other form. It could be a favorite hobby like swimming, cycling, lawn tennis, or light jogging.

Meditation and yoga are quite powerful practices to drive away the stress, depression and thus, obesity. But in more serious cases, meeting a physician is the most appropriate strategy. Sometimes, the right medicines and surgical procedures are necessary to control the health condition.

Obesity is spreading like an epidemic, haunting both the adults and the kids. Although genetic factors and other physical ailments play a role, the problem is mostly caused by a reckless lifestyle.

By changing our way of living, we can surely take control of our health. In other words, it would be possible to eliminate the condition of obesity from our lives completely by leading a healthy lifestyle.

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Obesity: Lack of Will, Poor Lifestyle Choice, or Disease?

Related content:

What is a disease?

That, of course, is the million-dollar question, and as you have come to learn, it is complicated. We are biological creatures, and to our best understanding, we are in an equilibrium internally and externally. That equipoise, let’s for the minute call it, ease of being, is a dynamic process; we tend to focus on the internal ease of being, but the increasing concern over the socioeconomic determinants of health expresses the ease of being with the external environment. 

In 2013, over the objection of their council of experts, the AMA’s House of Delegates defined obesity as a disease. 

“That our AMA: (1) recognize obesity and overweight as a chronic medical condition (de facto disease state) and urgent public health problem;  (2) recommend that providers receive appropriate financial support and payment from third-party payers, thus ensuring that providers have an incentive to manage the complex diseases associated with obesity; (3) work with third-party payers and governmental agencies to recognize obesity intervention as an essential medical service ;  and (4) establish a comprehensive ICD code for medical services to manage and treat obese and overweight patients.”  [emphasis added]

I added the emphasis because all three of these points address payment for treatment, whether WW (the old Weight Watchers), medications or our current most favored, bariatric surgery. For the cynical amongst us, this might be considered self-serving on the part of physicians.

Report Of The Council On Science And Public Health

A re-reading of the report of those AMA experts demonstrates how little has changed now that obesity is a treatable condition. While we might argue that we can identify obesity when we see it, that is insufficient for those footing the bills – they want quantifiable, objective criteria. The most ubiquitous is the BMI or body mass index. It is a cheap, easily applied (involving only weight and height) screening tool, but as the report notes, 

“Associations between BMI and adiposity (as well as disease risk, described below) vary by age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, stature, and athletic training. These variations generally reflect population-specific differences in body composition, fat distribution, causes of overweight, and genetic susceptibility. As a screening tool for obesity, BMI demonstrates low sensitivity, particularly at BMIs below 30.”

The gist – BMI is much better at identifying the non-obese. Of course, those standardized cutoff values are subject to revision, just as we continue to lower the criteria for being hypertensive. 

The Council found designating obesity as a disease would bring “greater investments by government and the private sector to develop and reimburse obesity treatments.” That includes medications, surgery, and obesity prevention programs. It might also mean that discrimination based on body weight might be illegal. But more importantly, obesity as a disease would shift societal perceptions. 

“Lack of self-control, laziness, and other detrimental character attributes might be less likely to be associated with obese individuals, and in turn reduce stigmatization.”

On the other hand, obesity as a disease would “medicalize” obesity making the pill or knife the more relied upon alternatives

Public perceptions may shift due to more extensive recognition of obesity as a disease, with a greater appreciation of, and emphasis on, the complex etiology of obesity and the health benefits of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Moreover, as BMI became a vital sign, as did pain (which ushered in the era of opioid diversion), the environment might shift away from “healthy eating and physical activity.” Finally, obesity as a disease would result in higher insurance costs. 

Does Obesity Lie Within Our Control?

This is really the concern underlying obesity as a disease. 

"Obesity is a disorder which, like venereal disease, is blamed upon the patient. The finding that treatment doesn't work is ascribed to lack of fortitude."  Edwin Astwood, MD “The suggestion that obesity is not a disease but rather a consequence of a chosen lifestyle exemplified by overeating and/or inactivity is equivalent to suggesting that lung cancer is not a disease because it was brought about by individual choice to smoke cigarettes.”  AMA Resolution

It is tough to think of a way to more dramatically stigmatize an individual than to call them a smoker! Fat and body shaming are culture memes and are stand-ins for lack of control or willpower. The obese remain victims, but now it is less a societal, cultural victimization; they, after all, have a disease. And we don’t shame those with illnesses, do we? To the advocates of obesity as a disease, fat-shaming and employer bias all contribute to increased stress that in turn promotes stress-eating and hesitancy of pursuing exercise in public venues, like gyms. 

We do gain weight as we age, roughly 2 pounds annually, in our middle years. And “during or after weight loss there is a disproportionate increase in the drive to eat and decrease in energy expenditure creating "the perfect storm" for weight regain” – there is biology at work here.  

Obesity, as with many problems, lies within and outside of our control simultaneously. It might be better to think of obesity due to our underlying genetics, our metabolic condition,  and  our lifestyle choices. The relative contribution of each will vary with the individual. I have made some poor lifestyle choices at times, and they have been reflected in my weight. I am trying to make better choices, but that is tough but far easier than another pill, let alone an operation. For the morbidly obese, their metabolic and biological changes are almost insurmountable; a knife or medication can restore a balance between their choices and underlying physiology. 

The Council report to the AMA ends on this note.  

“Thus, rather than trying to determine if obesity meets arguably arbitrary disease criteria, the more relevant question is “would health outcomes be improved if obesity is considered a chronic, medical disease state?”

To the extent that payment for treatment might improve outcomes, the answer is yes. If the goal is now to reduce stigma, then shifting victimization from cultural norms to the “fault of our cells” is not a solution. 

Sources:  " Obesity Is a Disease, Recognize It as Such " Medpage

A.M.A. Recognizes Obesity as a Disease  NY Times

AMA’s Report of the Council on Science and Public Health,  Is Obesity a Disease

• Fat-shaming
• Body-shaming

View the discussion thread.

Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Director of Medicine

Dr. Charles Dinerstein, M.D., MBA, FACS is Director of Medicine at the American Council on Science and Health. He has over 25 years of experience as a vascular surgeon.

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Education department wants to police online education more control over remote learning is coming, how to make a cover page for an essay, bachelor’s degrees to hold most good jobs by 2031, georgetown report shows, the summer i turned pretty summary, how to shorten an essay, negative effects of laziness essay sample, example.

A definition provided by Oxford Dictionaries describes laziness as the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy; and while unwillingness to work seems to affect only one sphere of an individual’s life—his or her career—having no intention to spend one’s energy seems to have a negative impact in multiple areas.

Laziness negatively affects an individual’s relationships with their boss and/or colleagues, due to certain behavioral standards that lazy people usually develop at work. In particular, lazy people tend to handover their work to someone else, often because of knowing that other people are more responsible workers and will accomplish additional tasks anyways; lazy people often procrastinate, justifying themselves by various reasons, or getting distracted by less important and more enjoyable tasks; besides, lethargic individuals develop a habit of complaining about their circumstances, or to put themselves in a favorable light and show that they work harder than their colleagues, but are undervalued (LifePaths 360). These, as well as other behavioral patterns usually result into the loss of a job, with the followup of anxiety, depression, and other psychic disturbances. In this case, the situation is twice as worse for such a person, as they may, due to their indifference, hesitate to look for a new job, preferring to justify themselves and feel miserable, thus only aggravating their psychological problems.

Another negative aspect of being lazy is connected to physical health. It is not a secret that lethargic people are physically less active than those who prefer to throw themselves into the span of life; logically, idle people spend more time without movement. According to a recent study by Tel Aviv University, being inactive causes one’s fat cells (those which already exist in the body) to become larger; in other words, an inactive lifestyle not only contributes into an individual gaining extra weight, but also makes the situation with their already existing fat cells worse (Fitday). Moreover, the bad news is that the negative effects of leisure time spent in a nonconstructive way cannot be negated by physical exercises—in other words, the damage dealt to one’s body by hours spent in laziness is irreversible. In its turn, extra fat can result into obesity with all its intrinsic health issues.

Laziness can affect the entire life of an individual. Because they are unwilling to make an active effort in regard to the important spheres of life, lethargic people miss numerous opportunities that life offers them every day. Though a person may think they are too tired to step out of their comfort zone, they comfort themselves by promising to do it later, or justifying themselves in any other way—in fact, all these thoughts and obstacles are an illusion. During the thousands of years of evolution human bodies and minds have become pinpointed for active performance; human beings need new experiences, physical activity, emotional charges, and discharging to function properly and to feel well. By being lethargic, a person denies themselves of this, and excludes themselves from the course of life, which leads to mental stagnation and intellectual degradation.

Laziness can be called one of the scourges of the modern world. Though often seen simply as a forgivable weakness, it can have a number of negative effects on a person. In terms of these consequences, it should be mentioned that laziness often leads to the worsening of one’s relationships at work and decreased work performance, which can result into job loss, excessive stress, and psychic disturbance. Also, laziness and the stated inactive lifestyle leads to irreversible health damage. Ultimately, laziness results in mental stagnation and intellectual degradation.

“Being a Couch Potato is More Harmful than You Think.” Fitday. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/being-a-couch-potato-is-more-harmful-than-you-think.html>.

Smartt, Ernest. “Traits that Define Lazy People.” LifePaths 360. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.lifepaths360.com/index.php/traits-that-define-lazy-people-7-13512/>.

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Obesity Causes

Learn about the varied and complex factors that make a person vulnerable to this condition as we get to the roots of the matter.

What triggers obesity in the first place? Is there anything we can do to prevent it? Here, we delve into the many factors that can predispose a person to this condition—from genetic codes to zip codes. You might be surprised to see what causes this incredibly common health challenge...and what decidedly does not. (Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with a lack of willpower.)

What Exactly Is Obesity?

Contrary to popular belief and comedy routines, obesity isn’t a sign of laziness or lack of willpower. Just like type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis , obesity is a diagnosable disease, and shouldn’t be stigmatized or joked about. This medical condition occurs when your body accumulates and stores excessive amounts of fat.

Obesity is determined by calculating Body Mass Index (BMI) , a rough estimate of whether a person’s weight is healthy based on their height. While BMI isn’t a perfect measure—it doesn’t distinguish how much muscle versus fat a person is carrying, therefore, a fit person and a sedentary person could have the same BMI—but it is a good gauge of whether one’s body fat is in the healthy range.

How to measure BMI? Plug your numbers into this BMI calculator , or use this simple mathematical equation:

Divide your weight (in pounds) by your height (in centimeters) squared Multiply that number by 703 = your BMI

A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight by most doctors A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese

Those who hit the number 30 and above are in plenty of company: 40% of the U.S. population is living with obesity and that number is slated to soar to nearly half of the American population by 2030, according to research in the New England Journal of Medicine . If that sounds alarming, it is: Obesity contributes to eight of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States.

What Causes Obesity?

There is no single, isolated factor that determines whether a person will develop obesity. Rather, it’s a result of a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental triggers.

Despite the prevalence, society tends to depict people with obesity as being lazy or out-of-control eaters. Not only is that inaccurate, it does nothing to help those living with the condition, who are at risk for a host of other chronic diseases, including heart disease , cancer, and Type 2 diabetes . In fact, research shows how "fat-shaming" and the stigma of living in a bigger body can actually lead to additional weight gain.

When it comes to what causes obesity, poor nutrition and lack of exercise are important factors, but researchers are constantly discovering evidence behind other key contributing factors including:

• Chronic stress

• Poor sleep

• Socioeconomic status

• Various medications

Let’s take a look at some of these variables and how they may be fueling the obesity epidemic.

A Calorie Surplus

If you were explaining obesity to a roomful of schoolkids, you’d likely say that obesity is a result of eating and drinking more calories than you burn off through exercise and daily movement. Consuming more calories than you burn, over time, can lead to weight gain and possibly obesity.

Snacking is one culprit for the surplus as those calories tend to be in addition to meals, meaning we don’t compensate for that bag of chips by eating less at dinner.

Another contributor? Dining out. More than half of our calories come from outside the home. These dishes tend to be higher in fat and sugar than home-cooked food. If that restaurant meal involves a cocktail or glass of wine, it may also usher in more calories.

While alcoholic drinks have been billed as “social lubricants” (i.e. they help you open up and talk more), they’re also potent appetite lubricants, rendering you less mindful of what you’re eating. We also tend to eat more in general—appetizers, shared plates, bread baskets, desserts—when dining with friends.

The number of calories one needs to thrive without putting on pounds varies depending on age, gender, height, activity level, and more, but general guidelines for weight management suggest:

1,600 and 2,400 calories per day is healthy for the average woman

2,000 to 3,000 calories per day is healthy for the average man

The upper estimates typically apply to highly active folks in their 20s and 30s, while sedentary adults in their 60s and 70s should stick with the lower range to avoid gaining weight.

As we mentioned, these calories need to be burned off to avoid being stored in the body. Over the past 50 years, our society has become increasingly sedentary as we’ve moved away from a highly physical lifestyle to one which usually requires us to sit behind a desk all day.

The result: We burn at least 100 calories a day less now than we did in the 1960s. We also walk far less (thanks to cars and public transportation). Without cows to milk and miles to trek to the general store, carving out time to exercise is essential.

Empty Calories

Not all calories are created equal. A specific category of foods called ultra-processed foods may shoulder a large portion of the blame, research suggests. These include things like:

White bread

Ultra-processed foods have been scientifically engineered using fat, salt, and other addictive ingredients to light up the reward centers of the brain, making us want to keep eating more. These foods have been processed so much that they’ve lost any vitamins and nutrients that were present in the initial form (potato chips versus a potato; white bread versus an actual wheat plant), so the body doesn’t recognize it as real food.

When you eat fruits, veggies, protein, and dairy, your brain recognizes the nutrients and signals you to stop eating after a reasonable amount. Ultra-processed foods, in contrast, cause something called hyperphagia , meaning they prompt you to keep eating more and more because there’s no protein or fiber to fill you up.

In a recent small but powerful study by the National Institutes of Health , 20 healthy adults were randomly assigned to eat meals made up of ultra-processed foods (sample breakfast: bagel with cream cheese; turkey bacon) or minimally processed foods (oatmeal with bananas, walnuts, and skim milk) for two weeks. All meals contained the same amounts of calories, fat, sugar, carbs, and fiber, and subjects could eat as much or as little as they wanted. Those in the ultra-processed group ate about 500 calories more per day, resulting in an average gain of two pounds. The other group lost about two pounds each, demonstrating that ultra-processed foods cause people to eat too many calories (even at later sittings) and gain weight.

Bodies also have to work harder to digest foods that are rich in fiber and protein compared to digesting refined carbohydrates. If you were to eat 200 calories of beans, for example, you would burn off a percent of those calories simply through the act of digestion, whereas barely any work is required to digest 200 calories worth of chips.

Genetics can contribute anywhere from 40 to 70 percent of obesity cases, according to the Obesity Medicine Association, and there are more than 200 genes known to be strongly associated with the disease. In most cases, a person is born with multiple genes that increase—but don’t necessarily guarantee—the likelihood of obesity.

Meaning, a person’s weight isn’t completely up to fate; genetics may contribute to them carrying extra pounds. Studies involving identical twins raised in different locations demonstrate this, as one twin may end up obese while the other doesn’t, despite sharing the same DNA.

This leads us to the next cause: Experts believe that the interaction of genes with the environment contributes to a person’s chances of carrying an unhealthy amount of weight.

Obesogenic Environments

We now know that the environment —the social, economic, cultural, and even physical factors that surround us every day—has a surprisingly bold influence on what foods we eat, how much we consume, and how quickly or inefficiently we burn it off. What environments are likely to be obesogenic , or obesity-promoting? Features of an obesogenic environment include:

Ballooning Portion Sizes: A typical fast food beverage in the 1950s was seven ounces. Today? It’s 42 ounces. Hamburgers and fry portions have tripled in size. Research shows that when we’re given a bigger portion of food, we tend to eat more of it.

Targeted Marketing: If you shop online for a certain less-than-healthy snack, targeted ads for similar products will start popping up on your social media feed. In another form of targeted marketing, companies that make fast food, soda, and other processed foods are known to concentrate their marketing efforts in Black and Hispanic communities. Similarly, ads for candy and sugar-sweetened beverages tend to cluster near public schools compared with private schools and these marketing efforts contribute to sociocultural differences.

Socioeconomic Factors: Latinx and Black communities are also more likely to be situated in food deserts, areas with reduced access to affordable fresh produce and other healthy foods. In food deserts, convenience stores reign, filled with ultra-processed foods and little in the way of fruits and veggies.

Food deserts are most often “found in black and brown communities and low-income areas (where many people don’t have cars),” according to the Food Empowerment Project. If the nearest supermarket is miles away and you lack transportation, but the 24-hour convenience store is on your nearest corner, that’s likely where you will shop. Even if you do have access to grocery stores, better-for-you foods cost more to buy.

Consider this: Between 1989 and 2005, the overall price of fruits and vegetables in the US increased by nearly 75%, while the price of fatty foods fell by more than 26%.

Medications

Several widely-prescribed prescription medications are known to cause weight gain and, in some cases, obesity. This type of obesity is called iatrogenic obesity . Here are some of the more common culprits:

You may recognize names of steroids (also called corticosteroids ) like prednisone , cortisone, and dexamethasone. These powerful anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat certain conditions in which the body’s own immune defense system isn’t working well, such as Crohn's disease, lupus , rheumatoid arthritis , or asthma .

Steroids are known for causing weight gain. They do this by ramping up appetite, promoting fluid retention, increasing the storage of body fat and even redistributing your body fat so it settles around the belly, which is one of the more dangerous places for it to accumulate, as belly fat is linked with diabetes and heart disease​.

Medications for Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder

Antidepressants , anti- anxiety drugs, and mood-stabilizing drugs act in the brain either by increasing appetite or decreasing the number of calories burned. On the other hand, anti-obesity medications such as Qsymia and Saxenda, decrease appetite. Popular mental health meds that can have this effect include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa

Anti-depressants such as Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Imipramine, and Trazodone

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) like Lithium and various benzodiazepines

Antipsychotics such as Clozapine, Risperidone, Quetiapine, and Haloperidol

Medications for Diabetes

Diabetics are unable to properly utilize glucose , or sugar, our main source of energy. Glucose levels are regulated by a hormone called insulin .

In people with Type 2 diabetes , the body is resistant to insulin thanks in part to a diet consistently high in starches (bread, bagels, cereals, juice, pasta, sweets), leading to chronically elevated blood sugar levels.

The classic drug treatment for diabetes is supplemental insulin , which affects other hormones in a way that promotes fat storage. (It’s worth noting that a high percentage, though not all, of people with Type 2 diabetes are already overweight, so adding insulin therapy isn’t the sole culprit behind this type of obesity.)

That said, a recent paradigm shift in diabetes treatment has many people trying a new class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which actually promote weight loss. They keep you fuller, longer, helping to prevent overeating.

Other Common Medications

All medications come with side effects and for many, these include weight gain. Other drugs that may promote weight-gain include:

Hormonal contraceptives

Insomnia medications

Medications for high blood pressure

Anti-seizures and epilepsy drugs

Stress Levels

Stress affects people in different ways and a growing body of literature suggests that chronic stress may impact the metabolism in toxic ways, by ramping up the production of a stress hormone called cortisol and promoting fat accumulation.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone, so this makes sense considering that weight gain is a common side effect in people taking steroid medications. According to a 2017 study published in the journal Obesity , elevated cortisol levels and being overweight are closely linked. It’s not always what you’re eating, but what’s eating you.

Getting enough zzz helps to ensure a humming metabolism and well-balanced hunger hormones, while getting too little sleep leads to the increase in ghrelin , a hormone that promotes hunger. Simply by virtue of staying up later, we have more time to eat, which can also contribute to weight gain.

In the Nurses’ Health Study, which followed 68,000 middle-age American women for up to 16 years, women who slept for five hours or less were 15% more likely to become obese compared with those who slept seven hours a night.

What Are the First Steps Toward Treatment?

While the causes of obesity are complex and interconnected, there is hope. Losing just 3% to 5% of weight—and maintaining the loss—can spur improvements in health. However, because obesity is a complicated disease, treating it is also complex.

While a very small percentage of people will hit their weight-loss goals through lifestyle tweaks like eating less and moving more, others will require nutritional interventions, medication or even surgery. The first step toward healing? Working with your doctor to assemble a weight-loss team of specialists you can trust for the journey ahead.

The causes of obesity range from those steeped in nutrition, exercise and genetics to living in an obesogenic environment. Five common causes include a surplus of calories (taking in more calories a day than you burn); calorie quality (ultra-processed foods and beverages like chips, candy and soda promote overeating); having a family history of obesity; poor sleep (sleep helps regulate hunger and satiety hormones); and taking certain obesity-promoting medications (antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and mood-stabilizing drugs, for example, activate brain receptors that increase appetite or decrease the number of calories burned).

No single food causes obesity, but certain foods are known to promote obesity when consumed in large quantities, particularly in people who are prone to obesity or who live in obesogenic environments. For instance, ultra-processed foods and beverages have been engineered using fat, sugar, salt, and other addictive ingredients to light up the reward centers of the brain, driving us to continue eating. But because there’s no protein or fiber to fill you up, your brain tells you to keep eating and eating.

Fat food restaurants are part of our obesogenic (or obesity-promoting) environment. Not only do the heavily processed foods served at fast food restaurants drive you to continue munching, but their ballooning serving sizes don’t exactly encourage moderation. In the 1950s, a typical fast food beverage was seven ounces. Today it’s 42 ounces. Hamburgers and fry portions are three times bigger than they ones were, as well. When we’re given a bigger portion of food, we tend to eat more of it.

While sugar doesn't necessarily cause obesity, especially not when consumed in the form of an occasional treat, it is a risk factor for obesity, and mounting evidence strongly suggests that consuming a diet high in added sugars,found in candy, baked goods, and sweetened sodas and juices, is known to promote weight gain and obesity. While these sweet crystals may taste great, they provide calories without nutrition, a.k.a. "empty calories." (This does not apply to foods that contain naturally occuring sugars, like fruit. Those calories are far from empty, as they also provide vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and more.)

Foods high in added sugar — like cookies and ice cream—tend to also be high in calories, and excess calories are tied with obesity. Because these foods taste delicious and aren’t terribly filling, they send a message to the brain that says, "Keep eating." That, in turn, can promote obesity. Additionally, frequent sugar intake raises blood sugar levels, which can lead to a condition called insulin resistance which promotes fat storage.

Obesity Research: The Harvard Gazette . (2019.) “Troubling Predictions.” news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/12/close-to-half-of-u-s-population-projected-to-have-obesity-by-2030/

Interplay of Factors Affecting Weight: Pennington Biomedical Research Center. (n.d.) “Our Children, Our Future and the Disease That Threatens Both.” ghgb.pbrc.edu/curing-the-obesity-epidemic/

Daily Caloric Burn: PLOS One . (2011.) “Trends over 5 Decades in U.S. Occupation-Related Physical Activity and Their Associations with Obesity.” journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019657

Processed Foods and Overeating: National Institutes of Health. (2019.) “NIH Study Finds Heavily Processed Foods Cause Overeating and Weight Gain.” nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-heavily-processed-foods-cause-overeating-weight-gain

Ultra-Processed Foods: Public Health Nutrition . (2018.) “The UN Decade of Nutrition, The NOVA Food Classification and the Trouble With Ultra-Processing.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28322183

Obesity Genes: Obesity Medicine Association. (2018.) “Obesity and Genetics: Nature and Nurture.” obesitymedicine.org/obesity-and-genetics/

Portion Sizes: Nutrition Bulletin . (2018.) “The Portion Size Effect and Overconsumption – Towards Downsizing Solutions for Children and Adolescents.” onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nbu.12307

Targeted Marketing: BMC Public Health . (2018.) “The Obesogenic Environment Around Elementary Schools: Food and Beverage Marketing to Children in Two Mexican Cities.” bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5374-0

Socio-Economic Factors Like Food Deserts: Food Empowerment Project. (n.d.) Food Deserts. foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/

Obesity Medications: Obesity Medicine Association. (2011.) “Medications That May Increase Weight.” obesitymedicine.org/medications-that-cause-weight-gain/

Obesity and Cortisol: Obesity . (2017.) "Hair cortisol and adiposity in a population-based sample of 2,527 men and women aged 54 to 87 years." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.21733

Effects of Sleep and Obesity: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.) “Obesity Prevention Source: Sleep.” hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/sleep-and-obesity/

Obesity and Stigma: International Journal of Obesity . (2020.) "International comparisons of weight stigma: addressing a void in the field." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-021-00860-z.epdf?sharing_token=VBLTs9i2x2iO3WwygV9YKtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PVUzgceSLSbfOCagBKEsHEamUk9NVBpcFo6VaUvAkGUS82vaEsSRia2uCX6y-WmOBkuWaPDf4tRKkp2cRyBS6_YVulQVNYVxGN1ftkfOdOqM5WCY-rQKXUs57GO7WBvbNWKyy4YadPyz9bC6ROr5u_jq4qo2Dg-P_e7AbnaYu23j-tmYR7CQH2XOnf7pNqzDk%3D&tracking_referrer=www.washingtonpost.com

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Obesity Essay | Essay on Obesity for Students and Children in English

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

Obesity Essay: Obesity is a condition that occurs when a person puts on excess body fat. It is a sudden and unusual increase in body fat. It can lead to heart-related diseases, blood pressure, hypertension, cholesterol, and various other health issues. The main cause of obesity is over-eating. Consuming junk food and staying away for physical activities can lead to an increase in the cases of obesity. Every 1 out of 5 children is facing obesity around the globe.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Obesity for Students and Kids in English

In this article, we have provided a long essay and a short essay, along with ten lines on the topic, to help students write this essay in examinations. Given below is a long essay composed of about 500 words and a short essay comprising 100-150 words on Obesity in English.

Long Essay on Obesity 500 words in English

Obesity essay is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

The world today is facing various complex diseases. Out of them, obesity is one. Obesity is a condition wherein a person starts to gain unnecessary body fat. This is an excessive and abnormal increase in body fat which can lead to various other related health issues like heart problems, blood pressure, hypertension, cholesterol, and many more. Some people think of obesity as only a cosmetic and physical concern but that’s not true.

The lifestyle of people has changed a lot. Instead of focusing more on physical activities, there has been a paradigm shift to adapting non-physical activities. Children used to play in parks and playgrounds with friends whereas now the preference has been shifted to mobile and computer games. Not only children but also elders have changed their lifestyle a lot. Previously, people preferred to do everything by themselves. Right from doing household chores to getting things from the market, everything was done manually. But time has changed a lot. Now, everything gets delivered at the doorstep. This type of lifestyle has lead to various diseases including obesity.

Additionally, obesity is even caused due to genetics as well. Some people have heredity or have genes that force them to gain weight faster as compared to others. Also, there are some medications like those consumed by bodybuilders (steroids), antidepressants, and medicines for diabetes that make changes in the body metabolism in such a way that the appetite increases resulting in gaining weight. Some people are couch potatoes and foodaholic which means they can’t stay away from food. Under such a situation the appetite increase and the chances to fill oneself with junk food enhances. This kind of habit positively increases the chances of becoming obese.

Ever-increasing cases of obesity are surely a cause of concern, but there are various cures available to treat it. Also, not every treatment is related to medication or surgery. Some of the treatments are such that are related to changes in diet and adapting to physical activities. Eating a healthy, fibrous, and nutritious diet can help reduce that excess weight. Also not munching in between and following a diet routine can help to cure obesity.

Secondly, by doing some physical activities like walking, jogging, running, or exercising one can also burn unwanted fat and calories, thereby reducing obesity. There are various drug therapies as well as surgeries like bariatric surgery that can help reduce the weight. The drug therapies can be long term as well as short term depending on the weight to be reduced. But usually, these are clubbed with natural therapies like exercising and yoga.

Obesity is now concerning more and more people. It is thus necessary to make people aware of the symptoms, causes, and cures of the disease as well. This will help to take the necessary steps and combat obesity. Everybody should adapt to the health-enhancing lifestyle and should try to reduce unhealthy habits as much as possible. It is quite true that junk food is attractive and a healthy plate looks dull but to stay healthy and fit, one needs to choose the healthy plate over junk. This is the best way to keep the self and family away from obesity.

Short Essay on Obesity 150 words in English

Obesity essay is usually provided to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Obesity is a cause of serious concern today. Although, many may not think of obesity as the disease still the effects of obesity can lead to various health issues. Obesity is a situation where a person faces a continuous increase in body mass. This increase is usually not normal and hence is a cause of concern. The diseases linked to obesity range from blood pressure, heart issues, hypertension, and diabetes as well. There are many causes of obesity. The most common cause of obesity is unhealthy food habits. An increase in the consumption of junk foods and munching in between leads to obesity.

The second cause of obesity is a decrease in physical activities. People have turned to couch potatoes. They prefer to sit and watch television rather than going out and doing physical exercises like running, walking, jogging, or yoga. The third reason is related to heredity or genetics. Apart there are other reasons related to medication that result in weight gain. There are various natural as well as medical treatments available for obesity. Adapting to healthy food habits and daily exercising can reduce weight. It can lead to a reduction in obesity. Apart there are drug-related therapies as well as surgeries like bariatric surgery available to reduce that excess weight.

It is important to adapt to a healthy lifestyle which includes intake of nutritious food and exercise to reduce obesity. Also making people aware of cause and cures of obesity can be of great use. The best way to keep the self and family away from obesity is to have a healthy lifestyle.

10 Lines on Obesity Essay in English

• Obesity is very common today. It is a situation where a person gains excessive and abnormal weight.
• It has affected 1 out of every 5 individuals in the world.
• It can lead to various diseases such as heart-related, hypertension, blood pressure, and many more.
• There are various causes of obesity right from genetic to habit related.
• Increased intake of junk food, decreased physical activities, increased medication, and unhealthy lifestyle is some major causes of obesity.
• The cases of obesity are more prevalent in children as they tend to be couch potatoes.
• Obesity can be cured by natural as well as medical ways.
• Natural ways to cure obesity include healthy food habits, a healthy lifestyle, and exercising.
• Medical treatments for obesity include drug treatment and surgeries like bariatric surgery.
• Making people aware of how to adapt to a better lifestyle can reduce the chances of obesity.

FAQ’s on Obesity Essay

Question 1. What is Obesity?

Answer: Obesity refers to a situation where the person gains abnormal and excessive weight. Such an increase in weight can lead to health issues.

Question 2. What are the causes of Obesity?

Answer: There are various causes of obesity. The main causes of obesity are unhealthy food habits, reduced physical exercises, increased medication, couch potato nature, and heredity.

Question 3. How can we cure obesity?

Answer: There are various natural and medical cures available for obesity. These include healthy food habits, exercising, drug treatment, and surgeries like bariatric surgery.

Question 4. What steps can be taken to reduce cases of obesity?

Answer: The steps that can be taken to reduce the chances of obesity are as follow:

• Intake of healthy food
• Adapting to a better lifestyle
• Say no to munching and junk food.
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What Are the Causes of Obesity?

Readers offer their opinions in response to a guest essay asserting that scientists aren’t sure.

To the Editor:

Re “ Scientists at Least Know What Doesn’t Cause Obesity ,” by Julia Belluz (Opinion guest essay, Nov. 27):

Having practiced clinical dentistry and clinical nutrition for 40 years, I almost fell off my chair when I read this essay. Calling obesity a chronic condition rather than a chronic disease is a mistake!

We know that obesity is a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. People are eating highly processed, pesticide-laden foods with excessive amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, salt, junk fats and various added sugars.

Factors like sedentary lifestyles, poor access to unprocessed foods in urban settings, lack of exercise, junk food advertising, poor eating habits, emotional eating and consuming too much fast food are additional causes of American and worldwide obesity. All of these factors can cause genetic mutations, add stress to our endocrine system, increase systemic inflammation and activate predispositions to all chronic disease.

Moreover, the end game of years of chronic obesity includes chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver as well as fertility issues.

We have had an epidemic of obesity in America for the past 50 or 60 years. This short timeline in our human genetic evolution makes it impossible to handle the changes in our Western diet. Our metabolism is not prepared to handle what our industrialized culture did to our food chain for the past three generations.

Sadly, obesity has now defined Western civilization — that is, “better living through food chemistry!”

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Article Contents

Obesity: causes, consequences, treatments, and challenges.

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Obesity: causes, consequences, treatments, and challenges, Journal of Molecular Cell Biology , Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2021, Pages 463–465, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjab056

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Obesity has become a global epidemic and is one of today’s most public health problems worldwide. Obesity poses a major risk for a variety of serious diseases including diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer ( Bluher, 2019 ).

Obesity is mainly caused by imbalanced energy intake and expenditure due to a sedentary lifestyle coupled with overnutrition. Excess nutrients are stored in adipose tissue (AT) in the form of triglycerides, which will be utilized as nutrients by other tissues through lipolysis under nutrient deficit conditions. There are two major types of AT, white AT (WAT) and brown AT, the latter is a specialized form of fat depot that participates in non-shivering thermogenesis through lipid oxidation-mediated heat generation. While WAT has been historically considered merely an energy reservoir, this fat depot is now well known to function as an endocrine organ that produces and secretes various hormones, cytokines, and metabolites (termed as adipokines) to control systemic energy balance. Studies over the past decade also show that WAT, especially subcutaneous WAT, could undergo ‘beiging’ remodeling in response to environmental or hormonal perturbation. In the first paper of this special issue, Cheong and Xu (2021) systematically review the recent progress on the factors, pathways, and mechanisms that regulate the intercellular and inter-organ crosstalks in the beiging of WAT. A critical but still not fully addressed issue in the adipose research field is the origin of the beige cells. Although beige adipocytes are known to have distinct cellular origins from brown and while adipocytes, it remains unclear on whether the cells are from pre-existing mature white adipocytes through a transdifferentiation process or from de novo differentiation of precursor cells. AT is a heterogeneous tissue composed of not only adipocytes but also nonadipocyte cell populations, including fibroblasts, as well as endothelial, blood, stromal, and adipocyte precursor cells ( Ruan, 2020 ). The authors examined evidence to show that heterogeneity contributes to different browning capacities among fat depots and even within the same depot. The local microenvironment in WAT, which is dynamically and coordinately controlled by inputs from the heterogeneous cell types, plays a critical role in the beige adipogenesis process. The authors also examined key regulators of the AT microenvironment, including vascularization, the sympathetic nerve system, immune cells, peptide hormones, exosomes, and gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Given that increasing beige fat function enhances energy expenditure and consequently reduces body weight gain, identification and characterization of novel regulators and understanding their mechanisms of action in the beiging process has a therapeutic potential to combat obesity and its associated diseases. However, as noticed by the authors, most of the current pre-clinical research on ‘beiging’ are done in rodent models, which may not represent the exact phenomenon in humans ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ). Thus, further investigations will be needed to translate the findings from bench to clinic.

While both social–environmental factors and genetic preposition have been recognized to play important roles in obesity epidemic, Gao et al. (2021) present evidence showing that epigenetic changes may be a key factor to explain interindividual differences in obesity. The authors examined data on the function of DNA methylation in regulating the expression of key genes involved in metabolism. They also summarize the roles of histone modifications as well as various RNAs such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs in regulating metabolic gene expression in metabolic organs in response to environmental cues. Lastly, the authors discuss the effect of lifestyle modification and therapeutic agents on epigenetic regulation of energy homeostasis. Understanding the mechanisms by which lifestyles such as diet and exercise modulate the expression and function of epigenetic factors in metabolism should be essential for developing novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic diseases.

A major consequence of obesity is type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when body cannot use and produce insulin effectively. Diabetes profoundly and adversely affects the vasculature, leading to various cardiovascular-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, arteriosclerotic, and microvascular diseases, which have been recognized as the most common causes of death in people with diabetes ( Cho et al., 2018 ). Love et al. (2021) systematically review the roles and regulation of endothelial insulin resistance in diabetes complications, focusing mainly on vascular dysfunction. The authors review the vasoprotective functions and the mechanisms of action of endothelial insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling pathways. They also examined the contribution and impart of endothelial insulin resistance to diabetes complications from both biochemical and physiological perspectives and evaluated the beneficial roles of many of the medications currently used for T2D treatment in vascular management, including metformin, thiazolidinediones, glucagon-like receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors, as well as exercise. The authors present evidence to suggest that sex differences and racial/ethnic disparities contribute significantly to vascular dysfunction in the setting of diabetes. Lastly, the authors raise a number of very important questions with regard to the role and connection of endothelial insulin resistance to metabolic dysfunction in other major metabolic organs/tissues and suggest several insightful directions in this area for future investigation.

Following on from the theme of obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction, Xia et al. (2021) review the latest progresses on the role of membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a zinc-dependent endopeptidase that proteolytically cleaves extracellular matrix components and non-matrix proteins, in lipid metabolism. The authors examined data on the transcriptional and post-translational modification regulation of MT1-MMP gene expression and function. They also present evidence showing that the functions of MT1-MMP in lipid metabolism are cell specific as it may either promote or suppress inflammation and atherosclerosis depending on its presence in distinct cells. MT1-MMP appears to exert a complex role in obesity for that the molecule delays the progression of early obesity but exacerbates obesity at the advanced stage. Because inhibition of MT1-MMP can potentially lower the circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cancer metastasis and atherosclerosis, the protein has been viewed as a very promising therapeutic target. However, challenges remain in developing MT1-MMP-based therapies due to the tissue-specific roles of MT1-MMP and the lack of specific inhibitors for this molecule. Further investigations are needed to address these questions and to develop MT1-MMP-based therapeutic interventions.

Lastly, Huang et al. (2021) present new findings on a critical role of puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA), an integral non-transmembrane enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of amino acids near the N-terminus of polypeptides, in NAFLD. NAFLD, ranging from simple nonalcoholic fatty liver to the more aggressive subtype nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, has now become the leading chronic liver disease worldwide ( Loomba et al., 2021 ). At present, no effective drugs are available for NAFLD management in the clinic mainly due to the lack of a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease progress, reinforcing the urgent need to identify and validate novel targets and to elucidate their mechanisms of action in NAFLD development and pathogenesis. Huang et al. (2021) found that PSA expression levels were greatly reduced in the livers of obese mouse models and that the decreased PSA expression correlated with the progression of NAFLD in humans. They also found that PSA levels were negatively correlated with triglyceride accumulation in cultured hepatocytes and in the liver of ob/ob mice. Moreover, PSA suppresses steatosis by promoting lipogenesis and attenuating fatty acid β-oxidation in hepatocytes and protects oxidative stress and lipid overload in the liver by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, the master regulator of antioxidant response. These studies identify PSA as a pivotal regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and suggest that PSA may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for treating NAFLD.

In summary, papers in this issue review our current knowledge on the causes, consequences, and interventions of obesity and its associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, NAFLD, and cardiovascular disease ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ; Gao et al., 2021 ; Love et al., 2021 ). Potential targets for the treatment of dyslipidemia and NAFLD are also discussed, as exemplified by MT1-MMP and PSA ( Huang et al., 2021 ; Xia et al., 2021 ). It is noted that despite enormous effect, few pharmacological interventions are currently available in the clinic to effectively treat obesity. In addition, while enhancing energy expenditure by browning/beiging of WAT has been demonstrated as a promising alternative approach to alleviate obesity in rodent models, it remains to be determined on whether such WAT reprogramming is effective in combating obesity in humans ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ). Better understanding the mechanisms by which obesity induces various medical consequences and identification and characterization of novel anti-obesity secreted factors/soluble molecules would be helpful for developing effective therapeutic treatments for obesity and its associated medical complications.

Bluher M. ( 2019 ). Obesity: global epidemiology and pathogenesis . Nat. Rev. Endocrinol . 15 , 288 – 298 .

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Cho N.H. , Shaw J.E. , Karuranga S. , et al.  ( 2018 ). IDF Diabetes Atlas: global estimates of diabetes prevalence for 2017 and projections for 2045 . Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract . 138 , 271 – 281 .

Gao W. , Liu J.-L. , Lu X. , et al.  ( 2021 ). Epigenetic regulation of energy metabolism in obesity . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 480 – 499 .

Huang B. , Xiong X. , Zhang L. , et al.  ( 2021 ). PSA controls hepatic lipid metabolism by regulating the NRF2 signaling pathway . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 527 – 539 .

Loomba R. , Friedman S.L. , Shulman G.I. ( 2021 ). Mechanisms and disease consequences of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease . Cell 184 , 2537 – 2564 .

Love K.M. , Barrett E.J. , Malin S.K. , et al.  ( 2021 ). Diabetes pathogenesis and management: the endothelium comes of age . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 500 – 512 .

Ruan H.-B. ( 2020 ). Developmental and functional heterogeneity of thermogenic adipose tissue . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 12 , 775 – 784 .

Xia X.-D. , Alabi A. , Wang M. , et al.  ( 2021 ). Membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), lipid metabolism, and therapeutic implications . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 513 – 526 .

Author notes

Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China E-mail: [email protected]

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Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows

An examination of national health survey results suggests that inactivity, rather than higher calorie intake, could be driving the surge in obesity.

July 7, 2014 - By Becky Bach

An examination of national health survey records shows Americans are exercising less, which could be driving the rising obesity rates.  Shutterstock

Inactivity rather than overeating could be driving the surge in Americans’ obesity, according to a study by a team of Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

Examining national health survey results from 1988 through 2010, the researchers found huge increases in both obesity and inactivity, but not in the overall number of calories consumed.

“What struck us the most was just how dramatic the change in leisure-time physical activity was,” said Uri Ladabaum , MD, associate professor of gastroenterology and lead author of the study. “Although we cannot draw conclusions about cause and effect from our study, our findings support the notion that exercise and physical activity are important determinants of the trends in obesity.”

The study will appear in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine . It’s also available online now in a draft form.

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a long-term project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that collects information from surveys and from physical examinations to assess Americans’ health. The researchers considered survey results from 17,430 participants from 1988 through 1994 and from approximately 5,000 participants each year from 1995 through 2010.

Survey participants recorded the frequency, duration and intensity of their exercise within the previous month. The team defined “ideal” exercise as more than 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or more than 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise.

Correlation, not causation

The research highlights the correlation between obesity and sedentary lifestyles, but because it is an observational study, it does not address the possible causal link between inactivity and weight gain.

Uri Ladabaum

The percentage of women reporting no physical activity jumped from 19 percent to 52 percent between 1988 and 2010; the percentage of inactive men rose from 11 percent to 43 percent over the same period.

Obesity also increased, climbing from 25 to 35 percent in women and from 20 to 35 percent in men.

Surprisingly, however, the number of calories consumed per day did not change significantly. Nonetheless, diet remains a proven and important component of health, and participants may have been tempted to under-report how much they ate, Ladabaum said.

He added that, although the reported average caloric intake did not change substantially during those periods, it didn’t mean that the number of calories consumed were optimal. “We simply did not detect a substantial increase over time,” he said, noting that caloric intake and physical activity are both important determinants of weight.

Both obesity and abdominal girth, which the team analyzed independently, contribute to a variety of well-documented conditions, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as increased mortality.

In 2010, 61 percent of women and 42 percent of men had too much belly fat, up from 46 percent and 29 percent in 1988. In addition, the waists of even normal-weight women swelled between 1988 and 2010, the study showed.

Ladabaum noted that the study did not follow one group of participants over that 22-year span; instead, the data came from different samples in each survey cycle. But the samples are constructed to be representative of the population.

Clarion call

In an accompanying editorial, the journal’s managing editor, Pamela Powers Hannley, MPH, called the study “a clarion call.”

Obesity is a complex, multifaceted problem linked to a variety of societal factors, Hannley said in an interview. “There are societal and economic forces at work that we must address,” she said. “Take, for example, the struggle of single mothers who are trying to balance work and child care. They may lack the time or resources to exercise. We shouldn’t assume that people are just lazy. Their lives might be overwhelming to them.”

Recommendations to exercise 30 minutes a day aren’t enough, Hannley added.

“It’s going to take widespread change,” she said. “We shouldn’t just tell patients they need to work out. We need to work with communities, employers and local governments to enable healthy lifestyles by ensuring that there are safe spaces to exercise that are cheap or free.”

Other Stanford co-authors of the study are Ajitha Mannalithara, PhD, social science research associate; Parvathi Myer, MD, a former postdoctoral scholar who is now at Kaiser Permanente, and Gurkirpal Singh, MD, adjunct professor of gastroenterology.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grant T32DK007056).

Stanford’s Department of Medicine  also supported the research.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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The Obesity Pandemic—Whose Responsibility? No Blame, No Shame, Not More of the Same

“ Imprisoned in every fat man, a thin man is wildly signaling to be let out” Cyril Connolly, rotund British writer, (1903–1974) Can we say this, let alone think it, in 2020?

Introduction

No one doubts the economic costs of obesity, estimated at 5–14% of health expenditure for 2020–2050 ( 1 ), but there is disagreement whether fatness is considered a disease ( 2 ) or a behavioral risk factor, similar to smoking, alcohol and substance abuse that may lead to a disease ( 3 ). Current opinion also emphasizes social determinants and equity, thereby moving away from personal responsibility concepts ( 4 ). Although recent competencies for medical training do recommend chronic disease models and personalized obesity management care plans ( 5 ), there is no mention of topics such as self-management, locus of control or responsibility . It is not clear whether this is because they are considered unimportant or because they are not politically correct—yet, they are critical components for chronic disease management such as diabetes, post-transplant care and obesity ( 6 ). The paradigm chosen has major implications for prevention and treatment strategies.

That the obesity pandemic continues unabated represents a catastrophic failure of government policy, public health, and medicine—but not only of these domains. Table 1 lists different levels of responsibility incorporating the sociotype ecological framework ( 6 ). Levels 1–4 represent context and systems; levels 5–7 society and interpersonal relationships; and levels 8–9 parental and intrapersonal health and psychological make-up. Personal editorial input from a leading obesity journal suggested that “at this point in time, … emphasis on the personal responsibility (rather than the biology), would only add to the stigmatization of obesity in general.” I disagree—and concerning the biology—see the beginning of the discussion section. Without considering aspects of responsibility, obesity management is severely compromised. There are at least two sides to personal responsibility: medicalizing obesity, which reduces it, and parental supervision, which emphasizes it, since fat children are at high risk for adult obesity ( 7 ). Finally, I suggest an integrated nine-level approach that eschews political correctness and hopefully is not more of the same.

The nine multilevel responsibilities and examples of strategies required for tackling obesity.

Why Medicalize Obesity Management?

Insurance regulations may be part of the reason to promote a medical rather than a personal choice paradigm. This has two consequences. First, medicalizing the diagnosis helps ensure continuing insurance coverage for the severely obese. Second, it guarantees long-term reimbursement for the treating physicians. Unfortunately, such medicalization externalizes locus of control ( 8 ), decreases incentives to change lifestyle behaviors and deters self-management necessary to take active responsibility for weight regulation, noting that intelligence has little to do with self-control.

Personal preferences determine what, and how much to eat and to exercise, and how important is body shape (aesthetics) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. No healthy person chooses to go hungry or be malnourished, but there is an element of choice in becoming obese. These issues are closely linked to socio-economic status, culture, and education. Eating should be enjoyable and potentially controllable, but there are often mitigating factors such as the dependability and affordability of the food supply, peer group and advertising pressures. The price of fast food sometimes makes it irresistible. In the U.S., food security among the disadvantaged is cyclical and highest around the time people get their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) food stamp dollars. Intake decreases or switches to higher calorie-per-dollar alternatives as the month progresses, when SNAP purchases run out ( 9 ). Such feast/famine cycles of food assistance may paradoxically contribute to unhealthy eating patterns.

Parental Responsibility for Childhood Obesity?

Parents naturally want to provide for the best growth and development of their children. Parental legal rights are generally overturned to protect a minor if harm is potentially permanent and avoidable (such as refusal of life-sustaining treatment on religious grounds) ( 10 ). Obviously, obesity is serious and can lead to lifelong morbidity. The gap between chronological and biological age widens as obesity increases. Car seats, seat belts, motorcycle helmets, vaccinations, and education are nearly all universally mandated and followed, especially when freely accessible; high-quality food is not. Upstream causes, such as inappropriate overfeeding, food to placate crying, high-calorie, low-nutrient so-called addictive foods, and lack of opportunities to exercise safely in school or in home neighborhoods, all challenge the avoidability criterion.

Holding parents answerable for their child's weight implies that they have the parenting skills (which, universally are not taught) to ensure optimal nutrition quality and quantity and lifestyle for their children. Infant nutrition begins at minus 9 months and breast-feeding protects against obesity. Healthy weight children perform 13% better at school ( 1 ). Throughout childhood, parents are usually well-intentioned and serve, by example, what they eat themselves. Parents have control until the age of about 10, for their children's nutritional choices, exercise and screen time but, by adolescence, the major influencers are peer groups and social media.

Integrated Action Strategies: Not More of the Same

In the final analysis, any change in body weight must follow the first law of thermodynamics. The fact that body fat mass is defended emphasizes, according to the fat cell hypothesis, the importance of early feeding practices, and parental responsibility. Obesity is caused by multifactorial bio-psycho-socio-behavioral influences; it may be inherited but it is not necessarily inevitable. Sometimes, the problem seems genetic because children adopt the eating habits and activity lifestyles of their parents. During evolution Homo sapiens has been programmed to store fat ( 11 ) and to be metabolically efficient. Metabolic efficiency actually increases as a result of weight loss and this is one of the main reasons why weight regain occurs after stopping a diet. Most of our biology as a species has evolved to survive periods of famines (with occasional feasts); but now it is ill equipped to resist the deleterious impact of a sustained surplus of food. Genes have not changed over the past 60 years ( pace epigenetic influences); so the toxic, obesogenic environment is the main culprit for the obesity pandemic. Genes cannot be manipulated from a realistic public health or ethical standpoint. Even if we could attack the biology, say with a drug, this also is not a viable solution. For how long should it be taken—for life? What would be the economic costs? Would the people most in need of it adhere to such treatment? What about the side-effects? Medical management (including bariatric surgery) only helps re-inforce externalizing the “locus of control” without which there can be no long-term chronic disease self-management.

Human history has shown through the sad examples of wars, pestilence and economic deprivations and disparities that obesity cannot occur if food is unavailable. Therefore, we have to attack predominantly the input side of the energy equation through interventions involving the nine levels of responsibility as shown in the Table. The action points listed are not exhaustive, and must be context and time-specific, multi-level and coordinated. They do show, however, the very many options available in tailoring prevention and intervention programs to a particular setting. Preventing obesity is primarily a public health behavior and literacy issue, empowering parental and personal choices. Only when there are health complications should the medical paradigm be appropriate. There are many factors involved, including: cultural issues (norms, values, attitudes) regarding diet (especially the Mediterranean diet) and body shape; lack of knowledge about breast feeding and infant nutrition; lack of physical and economic access to quality food, especially fruits and vegetables (“food deserts,” where neighborhoods lack nearby grocery stores); lack of kitchen facilities (or time) to cook; lack of potable water which leads to over-consumption of sweetened drinks; and lack of protected, well-lit exercise facilities.

To change the environment from obesogenic to leptogenic requires government and municipal policies targeting schools, workplaces, hospitals, and public places. Interventions should be age-appropriate and involve the social media with role models, influencers, sports people, pop stars, and advertising campaigns with the same types of compelling marketing strategies that are used to sell unhealthy, calorie-rich foods. Here, health and politically correct messages are often at odds. Slogans from body-positive activists such as “fat is beautiful” or “proud to be fat” should be replaced by “fat is unhealthy and dangerous.” Smokers do not glorify their habits, neither should the obese; but, no one should be body shamed. Should cultural and identity inappropriateness prevent a thin actor/singer from adding artificial girth to play Falstaff?–of course not. We need to keep a sense of humor and proportion. However, these pressures have become more complicated. When an advertisement or social media post of a well-toned body is portrayed, the ad agency or social media poster is vilified for promoting “unrealistic expectations.” Results from the recent ACTION study ( 12 ), reporting on over 3,000 people with obesity, showed that 82% considered that weight loss was completely their own responsibility while only 5% did not agree. In this paper, “stigma” only appeared once and only in the introduction. However, stigmatization is a worldwide phenomenon with cultural differences ( 13 ). These also apply to underdiagnosed causes of obesity such as binge eating disorders ( 14 ). Addressing and avoiding stigmatization, especially in the media and social networks, are major challenges in managing and dealing with patients with obesity.

Health professionals and society must not be judgmental in treating obesity as an individual moral failing or lack of self-discipline and will power. Instead, we have to recognize that patients with obesity are also products of a society of inequality, yet we must not let society “normalize” obesity and also, at the other extreme, “too thin” models. Mis-placed medical and political correctness that leads to hands-off management of obesity, means abrogation of the physician's responsibility: it should not stop recognizing the health problems and consequences and pressing for treatment. For example, some doctors are now even reluctant to raise the issue of obesity lest they be accused of fat shaming by not accepting their patients' proportions (despite the quote at the head of this opinion piece), and thereby receive poor approval ratings in an atmosphere where popularity is equated with good healthcare.

How much involvement should there be of public health authorities, school personnel or physicians? Should there be mandatory reporting of obesity and eating disorders as for child neglect/abuse or truancy? Much depends on how measurements are made and on what follow-up programs are in place. Lifestyle education and practice should continue throughout schooling, and lunchtimes may serve as educative experiences in manners and food habits, as practiced in Norway, Japan, and elsewhere.

Legislative interventions such as sin taxes and banning soft drink vending machines and junk food advertising to children are all relevant ( 15 ). Regressive taxation may be used to benefit the population for whom it is most oppressive. Such tax revenues may go to providing parks, playgrounds, and education programs for disadvantaged children, all of which improve health outcomes. The food industry, which is part of the problem [high-calorie, nutrient-poor, hyper-palatable products ( 16 )], must also be part of the solution by encouraging reformulations with healthier ingredients, comprehensible front-of-package food labeling and making price reductions for wholesome foods.

Suitable community-valid interventions can be based on Positive Deviant behaviors of the non-obese living in similar disadvantaged situations ( 17 ). There are also Positive Deviant countries such as Japan, Italy, and Switzerland where obesity rates are below 20%.

Obesity is one of the most difficult conditions to manage in healthcare. No-one has found the correct solution because there is no one solution. Comprehensive programs dealing with obesity require coordinated actions at all the nine levels of involvement—national, food system, educational, medical, public health, municipal, societal, parental, and individual. Parental and individual responsibility, choice and self-management clearly have a place near the center of the stage in the obesity tragedy. Otherwise, it is like going to see the play Hamlet and the Prince fails to make an appearance. Individuals are indeed responsible for their health-promoting behaviors but should be held accountable only when they have adequate resources to do so ( 18 ). In conclusion, no one is to be blamed, but everyone has a collective responsibility for working to combat the obesity pandemic—business as usual is no longer an option.

Author Contributions

The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

I thank Professor Janet Fleetwood for very constructive discussions in preparing this opinion piece.

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Obesity — The Most Common Causes of Obesity

The Most Common Causes of Obesity

• Categories: Food Safety Medicare Obesity

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Words: 505 |

Published: Jan 8, 2020

Words: 505 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Band 8 Sample | Causes of Obesity

Essay topic

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Band 8 essay sample

It is a fact that in some countries, the average weight of the citizens is shooting up while their fitness and health conditions are worsening. In my view this is mainly because of the food habits and modern lifestyle they follow. In this essay, I will examine these two factors and then propose a viable solution.

One of the foremost reasons for obesity is the consumption of unhealthy foods. Many people started to follow western food habits and eventually ended up eating high fat content foods like pizza and burger. Regular consumption of these fat rich foods will increase a person’s weight in a short span of time.

In addition to that, now-a-days, more and more people are living a sedentary lifestyle. They do not dedicate any time to do any kind of physical activity. As a result, they lose their resistance power. If this lifestyle continues then people will fall ill more frequently and lose their health permanently.

It is necessary that the government takes steps to open many sports complexes and fitness studios near residential communities. Most of the people who do not want to travel far to go to a sports center will be ready to use one if it is available nearby. In a study conducted by a popular newspaper 90% of the respondents said that they are willing to use the gym or any physical activity centers if they are within 3 kilometer radius.

To conclude, encouraging people to do more physical activities will not only improve their fitness and overall health but also help people to shed their weight.

(265 words)

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