Obesity - W.H.O. - BMI
Obesity is a condition characterized by increased fat in the body. Obesity and being over-weight may be confusing, but they are two different things. Over-weight may be because of other factors other than fat. A person may be over-weight due to increase in the muscles or bone in the body. Obesity, on the other hand, is the excessive fat compared to the body height. A person is obese when the Body Mass Index is above 30 kg/m2. BMI of an individual is the result of dividing ones weight by the height squared. BMI test may be misleading because it is not an accurate measurement for body fat (Schauer 105). A heavily built person may have a higher BMI than an average person, but this does not mean he has higher fat content. Other tests as waist circumference measurement may verify the BMI test.
Approximately 30% of people in the western countries suffer from diabetes according to a report produced by W.H.O. Application of these statistics show that if the world has around six billion people, then one billion are obese. On the contrary, as many people have so much to eat that they become obese, others people lack adequate food and are rotting in poverty. There is normal obesity and morbid obesity. Normal obesity means that the person is just slightly high than 30 kg/m2. Morbid obesity, on the other hand, means that the individual is between 50 and 100 per cent above the normal weight (Schauer 107). This means that the person has a BMI of forty and above. Obesity mostly results from an individual's lifestyle. However, there are many causes of obesity and this medical condition has severe negative effects.
[...] Obesity lowers a person's self-esteem. Most obese people and especially in the western world suffer stigmatization by the community. Stigma is a leading cause of low self-esteem and self-confidence. Victims of low self- esteem are mostly underperforming in their respective places of work and school. Low self-esteem especially in teenagers and children not only detriments their health but also affects their day-to-day lives. It can also cause psychological problems because of the constant teasing by fellow colleagues. Most of the stigmatized people die early deaths and sometimes kill themselves (Dale 45). [...]
[...] Other diseases caused by the existence of excess fat in the body are gallstones, stroke, hypertension, liver disease, sarcopenia, and coronary artery disease among others (Dale 43). Most of these illnesses are fatal and need avoiding. Obesity can also lead to death. Through contraction of these diseases and accumulation of cholesterol around the heart then victims suffer early deaths. This health suffering is self-inflicted on most cases and constantly needs to be in check. Obese people may also suffer shock attack due to the amount of cholesterol in their bodies leading to death or permanent brain damage. [...]
[...] An individual's genetic make-up also contributes on the body fat level. The adopted genes have greater influence on the body weight compared to the environment. This means that children are likely to weigh as their parents (Wadden 124). The physical indulgence of an individual is a contributing factor to the body weight. Active people burn more calories in order to maintain their weights, than non-active people. Activity also tends to decrease appetite reducing the intake of calories. Other causes of obesity include illness, psychological factors, medication, lack of enough sleep or varying sleeping routines, endocrine disruptors, fructose effect on the brain, lower rates of smoking, and too much alcohol intake among other things. [...]
[...] It also brings about the unreal perception of fertility and such individuals receive more respect than the ‘average' people do (Dale 47). References Dale KS, McAuley KA, Taylor RW, Williams SM, Farmer VL, Hansen et al. Determining optimal approaches for weight maintenance: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2009; 180:E39-E46. Wadden TA, Volger Sarwer DB, et al. A two year randomized trial of obesity treatment in primary care practice. N Engl J Med. 2011;365:1969- 1979 Schauer PR, Kashyap SR, Wolski et al. Bariatric surgery versus intensive medical therapy in obese patient with diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2012: Epub March 26. [...]
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