Obesity Epidemic by Anonymous

Imagine being told by your doctor that your weight and eating habits are taking away years from your life. For the rest of your life you will have to control every little thing you eat and hope that you do not develop medical problems because you are overweight. Obesity is an epidemic that affects over 39% of adults and continues to affect more and more people (“Obesity and Overweight”).  Not only can obesity make peoples lives more difficult, it can also lead to serious health problems that could become fatal. These health problems include type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, depression, and many other illnesses. Without solving this issue, the obesity rate will continue to increase along with the problems that come with it.

            Obesity has only recently become a problem. Before the 1800s, malnutrition and food shortages were common all throughout the world (Eknoyan). Living styles in earlier years did not allow for people to become overweight. Hundreds of years ago, being overweight was considered a good thing, because obesity was associated with success, power, and wealth (“The History of Obesity”). As technology changed and improved, food became more abundant and easily accessible. While this changed people’s quality of life and helped improve many aspects of society, it led to a major health problem. Not only has obesity prevailed in adults, it has also increased in children and adolescents. One out of every six children between the ages of two and nineteen are obese, and these numbers continue to rise (“An Epidemic of Obesity”).

            There are many negative social effects that come with obesity. Obesity stigma is one of them. This refers to people having negative attitudes towards people who are obese. Obesity comes with stereotypes of being lazy or lacking willpower. Obesity discrimination has only recently become known as a problem. For certain groups, especially women, it has become more common than racial discrimination (Bartoshuk). Weight bias is also especially hard on children. They have a 63% higher chance of being bullied, which can lower people’s self-esteem, trigger feelings of shame, lead to depression and even suicide (“World Obesity Day”). Some of these people experience weight bias daily. Studies show that in the future a child’s weight will predict whether or not they experience peer victimization (Puhl). Obesity discrimination is common in our society and can be hurtful to people. It can make someone feel like they are inferior to others and make them think less of themselves. Not only can obesity lead to physical health problems, it can also lead to mental health problems.

            Another social effect of obesity is economic cost. Obesity can lead to serious health conditions that can require a great deal of treatments. The lifestyles that these people are required to live will cost a lot of money and consume much of their time. The cost of obesity is 46% higher than people who are not overweight, and these expenses have continued to rise throughout the years (“Economic Costs”). Time spent going to appointments or doing treatment for obesity related illnesses is time spent away from work. Missing this extra time could affect a person’s job, income, and even their work environment. Obesity is also associated with lower productivity in workplaces. Studies have shown that employers lose about $500 per employee per year (“The Healthcare Cost of Obesity”). While this might not be the case for everyone who is overweight or obese, it is a common stereotype. These stereotypes could affect the chances of someone being hired or affect the way that they are perceived at work.

            Many people suffer from these social consequences that come with obesity. One of these people is a man named Brian Denham. Brian had been overweight for almost all his life. He suffered from obesity discrimination as a child. He was never chosen to play on football teams. And as a result, he felt left out. Although he put on a brave face and tried to act like everything was fine, the discrimination affected him. He did not think highly of himself. His problem was his addiction to sugary treats and other sweets. Brian was not considered obese. He was only a little overweight, and he still felt the effects of weight bias. Imagine the toll that this discrimination would have on someone who is obese. In adulthood Brian was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, one of the most common consequences of obesity (“Childhood Obesity: 10 of Your Stories”). Type 2 Diabetes is when the body does not use insulin properly, which causes high glucose levels. Diabetes can lead to complications and illnesses, such as neuropathy as well as skin and eye complications. Neuropathy is nerve damage, which is experienced by about half of all people with diabetes (“Complications”). With the right treatment and eating habits, Type 2 Diabetes can be easily controlled.

            Another example is a woman named Rebecca Stevenage. She was overweight as a child, teen, and as an adult. As a child she was bullied because of her weight. Because of this, she suffered from low self-esteem issues and depression for many years. As a child she was addicted to food and binged on comfort food. Her weight problems caused a strain on the relationship she had with her parents. She felt her parents also used food as comfort and passed it down to her. Although she did not blame them, it still affected the relationship she had with them. After years of struggling with her weight, Rebecca developed a healthy relationship attitude towards food and learned how to control her eating. It was a painful journey to fix her eating habits, but by doing so she stopped herself from getting any obesity related illnesses (“Childhood Obesity: 10 of Your Stories”).

The emotional toll that comes with obesity can affect many aspects of a person’s life and can cause health issues, both mental and physical. A few of these include depression and self-esteem issues, which can lead to emotional eating. Many people find comfort in food. When we are babies, milk is used to calm us and stop us from crying (“Emotional Eating”). It is only natural for people to continue to find food calming. Most of the time the food that people find comforting are not healthy foods. Normally people turn to sweets, such as candy or pastries. This cause them to gain even more weight. This is exactly the opposite of what we want to happen. Instead of helping people who are obese, we put them down and only make things worse for them. The discrimination that our society puts on people who are obese only hurts them and causes them to gain more weight.

            There are many prevention methods for obesity. Depending on whether someone is an infant, child, adolescent, or adult there are different solutions. For some people obesity starts in the infancy stage. Most people believe that a chubby baby is a healthy baby. While this is true that chubby babies are thriving, it could also be setting them up to be overweight in the future. An article written by Erik L. Goldman states that Dr. Nicholas Stettler, a pediatric gastroenterologist in Virginia, explains that, “Rapid weight gain during the first 4 months of life is an independent and robust predictor of obesity by age 7” (Goldman). Rapid weight gain can be attributed to not breastfeeding long enough. The sooner an infant starts eating solid food, the more weight they are likely to gain.

            Prevention for children is based on teaching them the right habits. The New York State Department of Health explains that “Parents and caregivers can help prevent childhood obesity by providing healthy meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education” (Department of Health). If children eat junk food all the time while young, they will grow up thinking that is normal. Healthy eating habits should be taught to children from a very young age. While it is okay to eat junk food and sweets, it should be controlled and not eaten in excess. With the online resources available now, it is easy to find out exactly what foods should be given to kids at certain ages and what is considered healthy. Exercise is very important for all ages, but it is especially for children because it can determine whether they will be active throughout their life. Technology makes it more difficult to get kids to exercise. Many kids would rather stay inside and play video games than to go outside and be active. Exercise and playing sports are big parts of childhood and have huge roles in a child’s weight. The best way of controlling a child’s weight is to teach them good eating and activity habits. Preventing childhood obesity and teaching habits from a young age will also help with obesity during the adolescent stage. Teaching these habits will hopefully transfer into adulthood and make it easier to people to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

            The solution for adult obesity is similar to that of children. Healthy eating habits and exercising are important for adults as well. Keeping track of daily food intake can be helpful in watching calories and making sure overeating is not a problem. This is easy to do with our cellphones. There are many apps on our phones that keep track of calorie intake and calories burned while exercising. An article by Johns Hopkins Medicine explains how “Simply reducing portion sizes and using a smaller plate can help you lose weight” (Preventing Obesity). Controlling how much a person eats help maintain a healthy weight. It is also important for people to weigh themselves frequently. Sometimes the weight gain can not be physically seen, so people are not always aware that they have gained weight. By using a scale, a person can be conscious of their weight. There are also surgeries that can help with weight loss, one of which is a gastric bypass. This is when the stomach is cut into a smaller pouch and connected straight to the small intestine. Making the stomach smaller causes people to eat smaller portions. After the surgery many people lose up to 80% of excess body weight. While there are many other surgical options for weight loss, gastric bypass is one of the safest and most common (Weight Loss Surgery Houston).

            While it is the persons responsibility to watch their weight and prevent themselves from gaining too much excess weight, the food industry does not help with this. Many companies care more about their profits and how much people like there product than how healthy it is for society. Fast foods serve mainly junk food, and while there are usually a few healthy options on every menu they are drastically outnumbered by the unhealthy options. Nowadays, much of or food is processed. About 70 % of our foods are processed, and this number continues to increase. Many times, people are not aware that they are eating processed foods (Wynne). People choose where they go to eat and what they eat, but when much our foods are processed and unnatural it limits healthy food options tremendously. The best thing for people is to avoid or limit processed food. To do this, check labels on food items. Foods with fewer ingredients, with recognizable names, are probably good food choices. Cooking healthy and unprocessed food early in the week and having leftovers for the entire week can be helpful. This way people have a plan for what they are eating and know exactly what is in their food (Wynne). While it is okay to eat processed and unhealthy food at times, it should not become an every day thing. Eating unhealthy is one of the main causes for obesity and once someone is used to eating junk food all the time it is difficult to switch to healthier foods.

People get diagnosed with unpreventable and uncurable diseases every day. It is absurd that people who are obese bring diseases, some fatal and some not, upon themselves when they are completely preventable. Many people do not take enough time in their lives to keep themselves at a healthy weight. While it does take much discipline to willingly eat heathy and exercise the way that is suggested. It is healthy to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. If trying to lose weight, more exercise will be required. Sitting too much during the day is also not healthy. The risk of having metabolism problems increases the more hours a person is sitting each day (Edward). Adults have busy lives and many people do not want to workout after a long day at work, but millions of people in the world do it. Among adults, over 70% of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and colon cancer could be preventable by exercising moderately, having a healthy diet, and avoiding being overweight (Willet). There are many different steps that people can take to either keep themselves at a good weight or to lose weight to get themselves to a healthy weight. It is more difficult to lose the weight once someone is overweight, which is why people should act before they gain too much weight.

Obesity is an epidemic that affects a big part of our society. It comes with many health complications, such as diabetes, heart problems, and many other medical problems. While not everyone who is overweight develops these complications, a big majority of them do. And while in the past obesity was seen as a good thing, but it is not as socially accepted as it used to be. These people face challenges that most other people do not have to deal with. There are many stereotypes that come with obesity and most of them are negative. For many people their school and work environments can be more difficult, and kids may experience bullying. Obesity, however, is something that can be prevented with the right habits. Eating healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and exercising regularly can help someone from gaining unnecessary weight.

Works Cited

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Bartoshuk, Linda. “This Stigma of Obesity.” Association for Psychological Science, 2010, www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/this-stigma-of-obesity.

“Childhood Obesity: 10 of Your Stories.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Oct. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19743173.

“Complications.” American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/.

“Department of Health.” Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents, 2012, www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/resources/obparnts.htm.

“Economic Costs.” Obesity Prevention Source, 8 Apr. 2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/economic/.

Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. “How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 14 Dec. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/exercise/faq-20057916.

Eknoyan, Garabed. “A History of Obesity, or How What Was Good Became Ugly and Then Bad.” Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17045228.

“Emotional Eating.” HealthyChildren.org, www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Emotional-Eating.aspx.

Goldman, Erik L. "Rapid weight gain in infancy predicts obesity. (Innate Metabolic Predisposition?)." Family Practice News, 15 Jan. 2002, p. 8. Student Resources in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A82510338/GPS?u=txshracd2496&sid=GPS&xid=c22e6c50. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

“Obesity and Overweight.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.

“Preventing Obesity.” Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/obesity/preventing-obesity.

Puhl, Rebecca. “Childhood Obesity and Stigma.” Obesity Action Coalition, www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/childhood-obesity-and-stigma/.

“The Healthcare Costs of Obesity.” The State of Obesity, www.stateofobesity.org/healthcare-costs-obesity/.

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Willett, Walter C. “Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes.” Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. 2nd Edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11795/.

“World Obesity Day: Understanding the Social Consequences of Obesity.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 10 Oct. 2017, www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/news/news/2017/10/world-obesity-day-understanding-the-social-consequences-of-obesity.

Wynne, Dawn. “Breaking Free of Processed Foods.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 23 Jan. 2014, www.huffpost.com/entry/dangers-of-processed-foods_n_4174751.