One of the most significant health issues that effects men, women and children throughout the United States is obesity. Obesity is the label given to anyone who is more than simply overweight, but is carrying a vast amount of excess weight that it effects their abilities, energy and psychological well being. When that weight has increased to a size that prevents one from fitting in a single seat or unable to walk without assistance, they are often called “morbidly obese.” According to studies, more than 17% of children and 30% of adults living in the United States are considered to be obese (Levi, Segal and et. al. 3). Obesity can lead to a number of very serious, even life threatening, conditions, including hypertension, heart conditions, heart disease and diabetes to name a few (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1). There has been a great deal of debate and argument regarding obesity and what exactly causes it. Many assign blame to the types of foods available in the modern era and others blame the obese individuals for their size and poor eating habits (Sutin and Terracciano 1). However the one contributor that people are far less accepting of is that obesity is contributed to by genetics and other biological aspects that predisposition these individual towards the possibility of becoming obese, both, in childhood and as adults. After reviewing the available information it seems fair to conclude that the biological contributors to obesity is a huge factor and makes far more sense than blaming food options or “fat shaming” obese people.
The modern era is one of convenience. People are often busy between work, family and social activities that other activities, like home cooked meals, are few and far between. To accommodate that need for convenience and speed, frozen, processed and fast-food restaurants offer foods that are quick and simple, but for the most part they are not particularly healthy. This has turned many people against such restaurants and “junk food” companies, blaming them for the current American epidemic of obesity (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 1). Many defend fast food, they argue that no one is holding a gun to people’s head, forcing them to eat their food. Blaming the restaurants, grocery stores and quick-marts all across the country for obesity in America is no different than blaming the fork for causing weight gain. Now there are people who do not eat well, they engage in eating unhealthy foods, in large quantities on a day-to-day basis, combining that with low activity will result in unnecessary weight gains, but that cannot account for all the instances of obesity in the United States. The easiest element to blame for the presence of obesity in society is the people who are labeled obese. People have this impression that all people who are obese caused the problem themselves because they “make pigs of themselves” when they eat, they are lazy and are generally unhealthy (Jou 1874). The problem with obesity, in their view, is the obese people, themselves. This has led to a lot of “fat shaming” of the severely overweight; many seem to believe that negative reinforcement, like fat jokes and other criticisms, will motivate all of the obese people to change their ways and lose the weight (Sutin and Terracciano 1). The reality is that this perspective cannot alone be used to explain obesity in the United States. There are many people who are rail thin and eat in huge quantities and people who eat quite modestly but still suffer with excess weight.
Finally, it is the biological aspects of obesity that has real scientific validity and facts that can contribute not just to explain the causes of the bulk of obesity, but learn how to beneficially treat and prevent obesity in the future. Firstly weight loss and gain has a biological function. When food is bountiful then the body fattens up, which can then compensate when there are times of famine. Human beings in America as a whole are not confined to that biological imperative; for most it is a perpetual time of plenty and rarely a time of famine. This can lead many people to carry more weight then many of their ancestors. However, it is the genetics of obesity that can have a huge impact on the weight and therefore overall health of many Americans and individuals all across the world (Levi, Segal and et. al. 91).Obesity is hereditary, meaning that if one has parents who are obese it is likely that child may be as well. Having learned a negative relationship with food can and has been passed on generation through generation. More importantly there a many serious health conditions that can cause an individual to become obese. Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid, which slows ones metabolism and Cushing’s syndrome causes the body to produce too much cortisol, which can lead to weight gain. Very commonly people’s weight increases as a side effect the medications that they take for unrelated conditions, like antidepressants (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 1).
Obesity is a serious problem that can come with many serious complications in their health, lifestyle and mental and emotional health. Hypertension and heart disease contribute to adult death in high percentages and diabetes can lead to the loss of vision and limbs, requiring one to be on a lifetime of medications. That being said finding means to understand and address obesity is a paramount concern for healthcare all across the country and across the globe. However, continuing to blame food for obesity and shaming obese people is not productive and not beneficial and will not better the statistics of obesity among the population. This does not mean that learned behaviors, sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits do not contribute to obesity in some cases, but by and large the epidemic can be attributed to something that people cannot control, their unique metabolism and genes. It is becoming more and more obvious that the varying genetic predisposition and underlying conditions that can contribute to obesity is likely the means to effectively understand the biological dynamics in order to effect change today and develop prevention the future.
WORK CITED
Jou, Chin. "The Biology and Genetics of Obesity-A Century of Inquiries." The New England
Levi, Jeffery., Segal, Laura M. and et. al. "The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier
America 2015. The Trust for America's Health-Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2015): 1-116. Print.
Sutin, A.R. and Terracciano, A. "Perceived Weight Discrimination and Obesity." PLOS. (2013):
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National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. "What Causes Overweight and Obesity?" The United
States Department of Health and Human Services. (2012): 1. Web. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Overweight and Obesity: Data and Statistics."
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