Introduction
Medical experts claim that obesity-related deaths are preventable and curable. According to the Institute of Medicine, "nearly 69% of adults in the United States and 32% of children are either overweight or obese" (as cited in Gaines, 2012, p. 178). The alarming truth coincides with the fact that currently, only the state of Colorado has an "obesity rate of less than 20%, 12 states have an obesity rate greater than 30%, and 38 states have an obesity rate greater than 25%" (Gaines, 2012, p.178). Moreover, despite the country's push to decrease the obesity rate in each state to only 15%, none of them reached the national goal, thus, an increasing concern on whose responsibility it is to keep the obesity problem under control – the government or the individual (Korthals, 2010). Because the body mass index (BMI) can be used to gauge obesity, countries where there are no established BMI reference as of yet can use data from the Centers for Disease Control BMI percentile charts. Based on the charts, "for children and adolescents ages 2 to 19, 'overweight' is defined as a Body Mass Index [BMI] at or above the 85th percentile for children of the same age and gender. 'Obesity' is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile" (Moseley, 2012). However, there are no available data for children below two years of age. Obesity is a physical condition that proper diet and exercise can help cure, but what is the key to changing people's view on the proper diet and exercise? Everyone knows proper diet and exercise is the best way to help stunt obesity, yet there is still too many people ignoring this common sense, but some great ways to influence people to make healthy choices include, creating a tax on unhealthy foods, start educating students from elementary school all the way through high school graduation or maybe insurance companies could no long have to insure those with health issues caused by obesity. With these solutions, the problem about obesity will slowly be addressed.
The Problems
First, it is well settled that obesity is a medical condition that can be cured by following proper diet and by getting enough exercise. However, just like Kirk Brady who used to play basketball in college, but now weighs more than 250 pounds, his weight gain has been uncontrollable since he stopped playing basketball five years ago. Kirk is among the many Americans today who does not have a social life, eats too much, spends more time in the computer, and shuns exercise. He said that he is aware about the repercussions of gaining too much weight, but just could not stop himself from eating (personal communication, December 5, 2012). Based on studies, obesity is a societal problem that affects everyone regardless of age.
Illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, obesity, and arthritis that used to be associated with adults only have now become prevalent among children as well. According to studies, there are more than 300,000 estimated deaths related to obesity and is said to be the second cause of death in the United States (Gaines, 2012, p.178). "Modern society openly encourages them to 'Buy, buy, buy!' and 'Eat, eat, eat!'. It would appear parents are powerless to ignore the constant noise of children begging and whining for the latest fast-food, sugary, fat-filled craze" (Collison & Cornall, 2012). Supposedly, it is during this time when teens begin developing their bodies and gain their adult weight and bone mass. Thus, what they eat now is a foretelling of the state of their health in the future. Because teens and adults consume lesser amounts of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins needed by the body, the possibility of succumbing to diseases is high. In addition, those who eat more junk foods and sweets are more predisposed to obesity, development of heart diseases, and diabetes. In addition, children and adolescents also risk suffering from "psychological and social problems brought about by bullying, depression and anxiety" (Collision & Cornell, 2012).
Adding to the problem is how individuals opt to spend their leisure time now. Considering the availability of the internet everywhere, more people prefer to stay at home or go to arcades for entertainment, instead of allotting some time to exercise and sports. With adequate nutrition and the right amount of physical activities, people become healthier, leaner, and more resistant to diseases and illnesses.
Secondly, every person should know his or her own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) in order to know how many calories can be consumed to avoid gaining excess weight. Inactivity, aside from food intake, helps an individual gain unwanted pounds. Because individuals are not active the whole 24 hours in a day, it is important that an individual understands the amount of calories he or she needs to keep the body functioning even while at rest (Teta & Teta, 2011). These body processes include cell growth, blood circulation, normal breathing, muscle contraction, and brain and nerve function, among others. ("Calculating Your Daily Energy Requirements", 2011). In addition, the BMR determines the rate at which a person burns calories, and thus, influences a person's weight gain, weight, loss, or maintenance of weight.
Other factors influence the BMR. For one, it is influenced by age considering that metabolism is highest during the puberty stage. On the other hand, it decreases as an individual reaches the age of 40 and above, which means adolescents experience faster metabolism rate than children do. This is also the reason why at the age of 40, more individuals begin noticing flabs in certain areas of the body. Body composition also affects metabolism. Typically, the more muscle an individual has, the faster the BMR is even while at rest. Gender plays a role in metabolism as well. In general, men have faster metabolic rates than women who are of the same height and weight. Therefore, men tend to burn more calories than women do even while at rest because men generally have more muscles than women.
Lastly, the endocrine glands are also known to influence an individual's BMR. The thyroid hormones control the metabolic rate, and when thyroxin is low, then metabolism is slower, too. A hyperactive thyroid usually leads to higher BMR and could even "increase to twice the normal amount" ("Calculating Your Daily Energy Requirements", 2011).
References
"Calculating your daily energy requirements". (2011). Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
Collison, G., & Cornall, L. (2012). Childhood obesity is a weighty issue. Newcastle Herald, p. 36.
Gaines, K. (2012). Health care and obesity: Can we really have our cake and eat it, too?. Urologic Nursing, 32(4), 178-202.
Korthals, M. (2010). Genomics, Obesity and the Struggle over Responsibilities. New York: Springer.
Moseley, K. (2012). Tackling childhood obesity. Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Teta, J., & Teta, K. (2011). Exercise is medicine. Townsend Letter. p. 83-84.
