How Obesity Affects Our Health Essay

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Main body

3. Works Cited

Introduction
The way the human body regulates weight is complex and interacting. There are biological, behavioral, and environmental factors
included. Bodyweight is the result of how the body regulates energy intake, expenditure, and energy storage; collectively this is
called energy balance (Hill 752I. Obesity in terms of body mass index is 30 or more. Health risk factors begin to increase with a
BMI of 25 LSchneider 272I. In simpler terms, obesity is a 20% or more increase in body weight above the normal range expected
as a result of fat accumulation. Obesity is a major risk factor in high blood pressure (hypertension) and certain types of diabetes
(type III.

Many articles, found in the literature, explain other medical problems associated with obesity like heart disease and joint diseases
(arthritis). However; the social and psychological effects of obesity received little attention (Brown 225Q228I. The aim of this
thesis is to discuss the causal effect of obesity on hypertension, diabetes (type III, and the socio-psychological impact of obesity
using a cause-effect perspective.

Main body
The association between obesity and hypertension is well documented, although the exact relationship remains unclear. Obesity
activates some biochemical-hormonal mechanisms which play a role in raising blood pressure (Davy and Hall 803Q813I. Also,
obesity is associated with increased cholesterol levels which play a role in increased blood vessels rigidity (arteriosclerosis) and
accordingly hypertension. Al Atat and others (823Q854I showed that control of obesity contributes to control 48% of hypertension
in whites and 28% in blacks.

Studies that confirmed obesity plays a role in type II diabetes are many. Data collected by Wannamethee and Shape (1266Q1272I
recommend reducing the risk of type II diabetes by prevention weight gain and encouraging weight loss in obese individuals.
Genuth (198Q201I conducted a similar study in the UK. They suggested that most type II diabetes patients were obese or have
been obese at one time in their lives. Linda and colleagues (371Q377I; analyzed data from the 1997Q2003 National Health
Interview Survey (NHISI.

They concluded that between 1997 and 2003, the incidence of diagnosed diabetes has increased among US adults. The
presented data suggested that obesity is a major cause in increasing the incidence, and the incident cases of diabetes are
becoming more obese.

Obesity has socio-psychological impacts on the individual (Obesity Education Initiative):

1. Social unacceptability: The general impression in the US, as well as most western societies, is that; people (especially
women) should be thin, and being fat is a sign of poor self-control. This creates negative attitudes about the obese that are
sometimes translated into a kind of discrimination.

2. Psychological disorders and obesity: Community-based studies, in the US, did not show significant differences in
psychological status between obese and nonobese. In European studies, on the other hand, studies suggest an impact of obesity
on emotional status.

3. Overeating disorder (Binge): It means eating larger amounts of food than most people would eat in a discrete period of time
:
L2Q3 hours) with a sense of lack of control during these periods. It occurs in 20Q50% of individuals who seek specialized obesity
treatment.

4. Body image: It is sensing one’s own body size and image and the emotional response to this image. Obese people are usually
not satisfied and preoccupied with their body image and avoid social appearance. In fact, body image dissatisfaction may be a
major driving cause towards treating the obesity condition.

Conclusion: Obesity is a challenging problem that needs innovative ways to tackle. Unlike smoking, where passive smokers may
direct the society effort towards advertising, legislating for, and encouraging smokers not to smoke; individual eating at Mc
Donald’s does not cause harm to anybody else. Therefore; the society driving force is missing. Alternatively, a great way to
change eating habits is to go to public schools and start with the generations to come. Encouraging exercise (energy expenditure)
is useful in health terms as well as helping those who lost weight not to regain what they lost.

Works Cited
Hill, James. O. Understanding and addressing the epidemic of obesity: An energy balance prospective. Endocrine Reviews. 27L7I
L2006Ie 750Q761.

Schneider, M. Introduction to Public Health L2nd ed). Pp. 225Q228. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett. 2006.

Brown, S. P. Clinical Exercise Physiology. Introduction to exercise science.. Pp. 212Q234. Philadelphia, PAe Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins. 2001.

Davy KP; Hall JE. Obesity and hypertension: two epidemics or one? Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 286L5I L2004IeR803Q
13.

El Atat F. Aneja A. Mcfarlane S. Sowers J. Obesity and hypertension. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 32L4I L2003Ie823Q54.

Waanamethee, S.G. and Shaper, A.G. Weight change and duration of overweight and obesity in the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care. 22L8I L1999Ie 1266Q1272.

Genuth, S. Implications of the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study for Patients with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Obesity
Research 8 L2000Ie198Q201.

Linda, S. Geiss, M.A. Liping, P. Cadwell, B. Gregg, E.W. et al. Changes in Incidence of Diabetes in U.S. Adults, 1997i2003.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30L5I L2006Ie PP. 371Q377.

Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in
adults: The evidence report. National Institutes of Health. Web.

Updated: Mar 3rd, 2024

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