OBESITY

The Trend in Modern

Society
INTRODUCTION

 Obesity is a condition characterized by elevated

fat mass. It is commonly known as a condition of
being outside the societal “norm” in body size
and weight.
 Scientifically, obesity is having a BMI >40
 BMI= weight in kg / (height in m x height in m)
 According to the National Center for Health
Statistics, over 61% of American adults are
classified as overweight or obese.
“Super Size Me”

 There are multiple reasons so many Americans

are rapidly becoming obese. One of which is the
fast food industry, according to the film Super
Size Me.
 http://youtube.com/watch?v=V168xofxgu0

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Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

Super Size Me falls into the category of

environmental causes of obesity.
According to Shirley S. Wang and Kelly D.
Brownell in “Obesity: Causes and
Consequences,” high-sugar, high-fat junk food is
most affordable and easy to get, and portion
sizes of fast food are growing.
Furthering this problem is “the sedentary nature of
modern societies.” Also in the article, “studies
show that obesity rates in countries rise with
modernization.”
Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

 Environmental factors explain large population

increases in obesity, but at the individual level
genetics is addressed.
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 Some people are genetically obesity-prone,
having increased appetite, less motivation to be
physically active, and lower metabolism.
Consequences of Obesity

Health Risk Factors and Well-being:

 Disease- Type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
hypertension, and other medical problems.
 Because of pressure from society to be thin, a lot
of bias towards overweight people exists, causing
guilt and shame.
 Many treatments and solutions exist because
people want to change their obesity, some being
detrimental.
Solutions to Obesity

 According to Kathryn Henderson and Kelly

Brownell in “Obesity: Prevention and
Treatment,” one should undergo “treatment
matching” to select an appropriate level of
treatment.
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1. Self-Help and Commercial Programs

2. Behavioral Treatments
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4. Surgical Treatments
Other Solutions to Obesity
 According to A. J. Hill in his article “Obesity and eating
disorders,” eating disorders are commonly a solution to
obesity due to the fact that the idea of needing to be thin
is an important value in our society.
 A value is the standard by which people define what is
desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.
 Individuals in our society diet, exercise, have surgeries,
take pills, develop eating disorders and other things
because those activities have become norms in our
society due to the way we value being thin and fit.
 Norms are expectations, or rules of behavior, that reflect
and enforce values.
“Quick Fixes” (Pharmacological
Treatments)

 Diet pills have become a major source of treating

obesity. Some of the main ingredients of these pills that
are supposed to work, according to Eric Steinmehl, are:
 Caffeine
 EGCG
 Chromium
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 L-dopa or L-tyrosine
“Quick Fixes” (Pharmacological
Treatments)

 According to Steinmehl, there are certain pills

you should not buy. These include:
 Cascara
 Dandelion
 Ephedra
 Garcinia QuickTimeª and a
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 Hoodia
 Usnic acid
New Devices

 In an article entitled “Multiple Devices Under

Development to Curb Obesity Without Surgery,”
research on weight loss has brought about non-
surgical alternatives to bariatric sugrery.
 One of the leading alternatives is the Transcend
II Gastric Stimulator, which is implanted on the
rib cage and curbs appetite. This is only one of
many that are being released in certain parts of
the world.
Prevention of Obesity

 In the article by Kathryn and Brownell, they claim

that “The combination of prevalence,
seriousness, and resistance to treatment make
obesity one of the most significant public health
problems of modern times. Advances have been
made in treatment, but with the exception of
surgery, weight losses tend to be modest and
not well maintained. Prevention, therefore, must
become top priority.”
 Conclusion

THE END
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