One of the most dangerous epidemics
in the world
Obesity has become an overwhelming
ongoing epidemic in society. Studies show that obesity has affected about 93.3
million of United States adults in 2015~2016 (“Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight
& Obesity | CDC” 1). Especially with all the delicious, greasy, fast
food nowadays it's hard to choose the healthy option when a giant cheeseburger
is staring you in the face. Not to mention, healthy food costs more than the
processed foods we eat every day. This society has conformed to be acceptant of
the ongoing epidemic of overweight and obese people when in reality we should
be helping the nation become healthy again.
Though obesity has been around for a
long time, it only really began escalating within the last couple of decades.
In the 1900s obesity was not a prevalent issue until around the 1960s/70s.
According to the American Psychological Association, it was during these times
when only about 13 percent of U.S. adults and 5 to 7 percent of U.S. children
were obese (American 1). Then as technology advanced further, the amount of
manual labor started to decrease throughout the years. One factor that
dramatically increased the rate of obesity is the number of fast-food
restaurants doubled between 1972 and 1997, and the number of full-service
restaurants rose by 35 percent (American 1). Thus in 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of
the population in most U.S. states (“An Epidemic of Obesity: U.S. Obesity Trends.”
1). Although it was only a two percent
difference, the epidemic of obesity slowly but surely started to climb. Today,
about 17 percent of our children, 32 percent of adult males, and 36 percent of
adult females are obese (American 1). This implies that most of the
population that are obese are in fact woman.
One factor that caused obesity to
become a large issue was the mainstay of soft drinks and other sweetened
beverages — has increased from 38.2 pounds in 1980 to 868 pounds in 1998
(American 1). The sudden drastic change in diet choices, allowed for people to
choose the less healthy foods with the consequence of their overall health. The
food choices went from healthy fruits and vegetables to very unhealthy fast
food. The main reason for this was because fast food costs less and is a lot
easier to obtain rather than having to go through the trouble of going to the
store to get groceries, then cook.
Obesity does not only occur in
adults; it is actually on the rise for children as well. One out of six
children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese and one out of three are
overweight or obese (“An Epidemic of Obesity: U.S. Obesity Trends.”
1). One cause of this problem in
children is that while 87 percent of schools require physical education in
junior high, this declines to 47 percent as high school sophomores, and only 20
percent for high school seniors (1). With less physical activity in school, it
allows children to sit down all day without the proper amount of healthy
activity daily. Physical activity is an essential part to a child's development
into adulthood. Obesity in children can also increases the risk of heart
disease in adulthood, as well as the prevalence of weight-related risk factors
for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and
high blood sugar (1). This means that if a child is introduced to obesity at a
young age, they are more likely to contract heart problems than a child that is
raised healthy.
Obesity has affected all ethnicities
and age groups, but some groups are affected more than others. Some studies
have shown that Hispanics
47.0% and non-Hispanic blacks 46.8% had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of
obesity, followed by non-Hispanic whites 37.9% and non-Hispanic Asians 12.7% (“Adult
Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC.” 1). Additionally, the prevalence of
obesity was 35.7% among young adults aged 20 to 39 years, 42.8% among
middle-aged adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 41.0% among older adults aged 60
and older (1).
Obesity is a major effect in our
society. It is the second leading
cause of deaths, behind tobacco, in the United States (“Obesity Consequences.”
1). The health care costs of obesity in the U.S. were estimated to be as high
as $190 billion in 2005, a number that is double earlier estimates, and that is
expected to rise, along with obesity rates, over the coming decades (“Obesity
Consequences.” 2).
This includes all the money spent on anything related to try to help with
obesity. The estimates did not account for all the lost work days, insurance,
and other personal costs. Additionally, obesity causes or is closely linked
with a large number of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea,
gallstones, kidney stones, infertility, and as many as 11 types of cancers,
including leukemia, breast, and colon cancer (2).
One example of obesity is the
television show called My 600 Pound Life on TLC. This program showcases
different people living with the devastating epidemic of obesity. The impact of
obesity has reigned down on many people, some more harsh than others. The effects of obesity unfortunately took the
life of twenty-nine-year-old Sean Milliken (Maglio). Sean Milliken was one of
the stars on My 600 Pound Life and tried to better himself by going on
this journey to lose weight to become healthy again. Unfortunately, the degree
of his condition was far too severe for him to recover.
Obesity is such a ramped epidemic it
effects entire families. An example of how an entire family can become effected
is the Johnson family who is featured on the show Family by the Ton on
TLC. Three family members have a combined weight of almost two thousand pounds
(John 1). obesity has caused many anxieties and challenges in order for them to
accomplish their goal of losing weight. Throughout the show, it chronicles the
highs and lows of what its like being obese. The Johnson family shows the
struggles they face every day when making food choices. They are currently
working with a doctor that specializes in weight loss. The Johnsons not only
showed the struggles of making healthy food choices, but also how food can be a
comfort for them. This show is a good example of how obesity can also be a
genetic trait.
Overall, obesity is an ever-growing
epidemic. Healthcare professionals should be testing and more closely
monitoring people at a very young age, especially if there are obese people in
the family. People need to be more informed about making better food choices as
well as the importance of exercise. Our country is made up of many different
ethnicities in which obesity effects each in a different way. For example,
Hispanics are the most likely to be obese in America. Also, with the
introduction of fast food, sodas, and junk food, obesity rates started climbing
and will continue to climb unless people take action on their health.
Obesity has been a major impact on
society. Is there anything that can be done about this epidemic? For starters, many people believe that the
main cause of obesity is personal responsibility or willpower. Meaning you are solely responsible for what
you eat and drink. Additionally, you can say no whenever you want to. There are many companies out there that
provide support for weight loss/weight management. Weight Watchers and Jenny
Craig are just two of the many options out there. One way they assist in weight management is
to allow a sponsor, or mentor, to help with the battle of defeating this
epidemic. For instance, it’s Friday
night, has been a long week, and all you want to do is have a double-stuffed,
pepperoni and sausage pizza and a large Coke delivered. But before you do that, you can call your
sponsor. helping you think about why you want this food, and what you can eat
instead. This is a helping hand in
assisting you to make good decisions. This is a very volatile opinion, as there
are many out there who say that the core question is whether personal failing
is the simplest explanation. The issue becomes particularly important in the
case of children (Personal Responsibility and Obesity: A Constructive Approach
To A Controversial Issue 1).
According to
healthline.com, “there are 10 leading causes of weight gain and obesity” (“10
Leading Causes of Weigh Gain and Obesity”1). They are: genetics, engineered
junk food, food addictions, aggressive marketing, insulin, certain medications,
leptin (a hormone) resistance, food availability, sugar, and misinformation (1). There are 10 factors that are leading to my
weight gain and obesity. Do I give up?
Is the struggle too difficult?
The bottom line is if you have concerns about your waistline, you should
not use this article as an excuse to give up (1). The point of this article is
to open people's minds to the fact that something other than individual
responsibility plays a role in the obesity epidemic (1).
So now we know
about the causes of obesity. There are a variety of ways to fix this epidemic;
everything from weight loss surgery to diet/exercise. Weight loss surgery is the most drastic and
expensive of solutions. It comes along with any of the possible surgical
side-effects. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has stated that patients
with a BMI of greater than 40 (morbid obesity) or patients with a BMI of
greater than 35 who have serious medical problems such as sleep apnea that
would improve with weight loss (“Personal Responsibility And Obesity: A
Constructive Approach To A Controversial Issue” 1). Weight loss surgery can be very
successful. However, there are ways to
sabotage its success. It is possible to
keep eating larger than necessary portions, causing the stomach to stretch once
again and allow for ongoing weight gain. It also does not address the
underlying cause of the weight gain in the first place. Additionally, there is
also a side effect where alcohol consumption can increase. Obviously, this can create its owns risks and
complications.
Another way to
treat obesity is through medications.
Over the years, there have been many medications on the market. Some with great success, other with a more
limited success-rate. One thing that
must be noted is that all of the medicines have had some kind of side effects,
to the degree that many have been removed from the market by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). According to www.drugs.com,
“some of the weight loss drugs that are still on the market are Qsymia
(phentermine and topiramate), Belviq (lorcaserin), Contrave and Saxenda.
Contrave and Saxenda are given together as a weight management drugs” (Anderson
1). Contrave is used in obese or
overweight adults with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes (Anderson 1). Saxenda (liraglutide), from Novo Nordisk, is
an injection for chronic weight management.(1) Liraglutide is also approved at
a lower dose for use in type 2 diabetes (brand name Victoza), but the two drugs
should not be used together or with any other glucagon-like
peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (also called incretin mimetics). It is given
as a daily subcutaneous injection. There is also a low-dose over the counter
(OTC) option called Alli. Alli
(orlistat) is taken as one 60 mg capsule three times a day with each meal
containing fat, but don't exceed more than 15 grams of fat per meal. You should
expect to lose most of your weight in the first 6 months. Use Alli in
combination with diet and exercise. Do not take more than 3 capsules per day
(1). The individual has to judge for themselves the risks vs. rewards of each
of these medications.
Finally, there is also the option of
diet and exercise. This can be used
alone, or in conjunction with any of the previous methods discussed. As the
word diet implies, it is what you eat. The best way to experience weight loss
is with both exercise and the methods discussed above. But even saying that, it is not quite so
simple. There are low-fat diets, and
low-carb diets, with anything in between. Additionally, healthy food diets can
become expensive as well, meaning you would have to fully commit to the
journey.
Right now, low-carb diets are very
popular. These diets, primarily the Keto diet and the Atkins diet, limit the
number of carbs you can have per day.
People on the keto diet usually get 2% to 5% of their daily calories
from carbs; while Atkins followers are typically getting around 10% of their calories from carbs (at
least at first).( Both diets use this ultra-low carb approach to trigger ketosis, a state in which the
body burns fat for fuel instead of stored carbs, leading, in theory, to weight
loss ("Keto Vs. Atkins: Which Is the Better Low-Carb Diet?"1).
Of course, there is the traditional
low-fat diet. According to www.webmd.com,
when on a low-fat diet, eat plenty of plant foods (such as whole-grains,
fruits, and vegetables) and a moderate amount of lean and low-fat, animal-based
food (meat and dairy products) to help control your fat, cholesterol, carbs,
and calories. When shopping, choose lean meats, fish, and poultry. Limit these
to 5-7 ounces per day “Low-fat Diets for Weight Loss.” 1).
Cooking methodology is also more highly stressed in the low-fat
diet. Trim all visible fat and remove
the skin from poultry. Refrigerate soups, gravies, and stews, and remove the
hardened fat on top before eating. Bake, broil, or grill meats on a rack that
allows fat to drip from the meat. Don’t fry foods. Sprinkle lemon juice, herbs,
and spices on cooked vegetables instead of using cheese, butter, or cream-based
sauces. Try plain, nonfat or low-fat yogurt and chives on baked potatoes rather
than sour cream. Reduced-fat sour cream still has fat, so limit the amount you
use (1).
Exercise will help to assist with weight loss with any of
these diets. Plainly stated, the more
you work out, the better. But hold
on! If you work out too much, or
incorrectly, then exercise can cause damage.
So, there is a balance to be found.
In fact, it can be said that balance
is the key to all of this. Less calories
in, more calories burnt. Seems like such
a simple solutiion. Sounds easy, but can be very difficult to attain. It requires monitoring oneself, and in some
cases, denying ones’ intake for the sake of the equation, which seems absurd to
many people. You only live once! If I
want a second piece of chocolate cake, no one is going to tell me I shouldn’t
have it. This leads into an idea of
Camus’s ("Keto Vs. Atkins: Which Is the Better Low-Carb
Diet?"1). Camus’s understanding of
absurdity is best captured in an image, not an argument: of Sisyphus straining
to push his rock up the mountain, watching it roll down, then descending after
the rock to begin all over, in an endless cycle. Like Sisyphus, humans cannot
help but continue to ask after the meaning of life, only to see our answers
tumble back down (1). Imagine, then,
that the rock is a person’s weight. In
contrast, it goes down, and then back up.
This is the absurdity of obesity.
It is never really conquered, simply managed. To manage it is enough,
but that leaves it never far away from a persons’ thoughts. And, thoughts can be as hard to control as
weight.
Works Cited
“Adult
Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC.” Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.
“An
Epidemic of Obesity: U.S. Obesity Trends.” The Nutrition Source, 12 Apr.
2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/an-epidemic-of-obesity/.
Approach
To A Controversial Issue ”HEALTH
AFFAIRSVOL. 29, NO. 3: CHILD OBESITY: THE WAY FORWARD” https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0739
Gunnars,
Kris. Healthline: Nutrition “10 Leading
Causes of Weigh Gain and Obesity”
Health
Affairs, Research Article. “Personal Responsibility And Obesity: A Constructive
Jay,
Woryn. “'Family By The Ton': TLC Premiere Season 2 - Amanda Johnson's Fight For
Life.” Tv Shows Ace, 3 Jan. 2019, www.tvshowsace.com/2019/01/03/family-by-the-ton-tlc-premiere-season-2-amanda-johnsons-fight-for-life/.
John.
“FAMILY BY THE TON King Family Debuts as the Show Expands for Season 2.” Starcasm.net,
Starcasm.net, 9 Jan. 2019, starcasm.net/family-by-the-ton-king-family/.
"Keto
Vs. Atkins: Which Is the Better Low-Carb Diet?" Health.com, 13 Mar.
2018,
www.health.com/weight-loss/ketogenic-diet-vs-atkins-diet.
L. Anderson,
PharmD. "FDA-Approved Weight Loss Drugs: Can They Help You?" Drugs.com,
10 June 2013, www.drugs.com/slideshow/fda-approved-weight-loss-drugs-1044.
Maglio,
Tony. “Sean Milliken, Who Appeared on TLC's 'My 600-Lb Life,' Dies at 29.” TheWrap,
TheWrap, 19 Feb. 2019, www.thewrap.com/sean-milliken-tlc-my-600-lb-life-dies-at-29/.
“Obesity
Consequences.” Obesity Prevention Source, 12 Apr. 2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/.
“Obesity
Consequences.” Obesity Prevention Source, 12 Apr. 2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/.
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