Abstract
Obesity is a major cause of concern for many health professionals due to its severe impact on overall health condition of the affected person. The condition, which is usually caused by unhealthy living conditions, over-reliance on fast foods, genetic structure of the obese person, and their underlying health issues, is present in a large portion of Americans. The paper looks at the influence this health condition is making on the life of its patients and how it can be treated. The paper begins by looking at the social and mental health and productivity changes in the individuals who suffer from this disease. Later its impacts on physical health are studied. After that, the paper starts looking at the treatment of obesity. Here, we find that about three transitions that an obese person has to make in their perception about obesity. First, they need to prioritize health foods over unhealthy ones. Second, they need to indulge themselves in physical activities. And in the last, they have to start prioritizing their health over their comfortable lifestyle.
Introduction
In the modern era, obesity has become a major health issue which has arisen out of the unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity is commonly defined as a potential health impairing health condition that occurs due to an excessive and abnormal accumulation of body fat ("Obesity and overweight", 2017). The common lifestyle factors that result in this condition include unhealthy diet, frequent snacking, and lack of physical activities. Other than factors prevailing in way of living of living of affected people, their genetic composition also shows a basis for obesity in some stage of their life. Moreover, certain health conditions also prompt this weight condition for the patient. This condition is harmful to the person both in short- and long-term. The harms start to appear in the form of social isolation and may end in chronic, potentially fatal diseases.
Obesity is a serious condition for its sufferers and it affects them in many circles of their lives. Health makes just one of these effects. Others aspect include its impact on social life, work life and mental health of the patient.
Impacts on Social Life of Patient
The obesity has a pronounced impact on the social life of obese people. In social gathering and peer-groups, obesity is mostly a rejected trait. This social rejection may appear in the form of fewer friends or it can mean that the existing friends are less willing to hang around with the obese person. Moreover, sometimes, the appearance of obesity is generally accompanied by losing precious friendships which were nourished for many previous years.
Impact on Mental Health
Obesity is often accompanied by the lack of physical activity. This laziness, when gather with diminishing friendships and reduction of the social circle, leads to depression (Preiss, Brennan, & Clarke, 2013). As obese people see themselves less influential and productive members of the society their morale decreases. Ultimately, the rate of being suicidal is higher for obese people than for otherwise healthy individuals.
Obesity and Person’s Work Life
As we know, obesity decreases the number of social contracts person had previously let alone permitting them to make new friends. In long run, this results in a very short social network that a person manages. Thus, when a person wants a career move they would have to rule out the possibility of getting job opportunities from their social network. This limits their job opportunities by a large proportion.
Furthermore, certain jobs require only healthy and fit looking persons. Obese people often cannot take part in tasks which require intense physical activity.
Impact on Physical Health
There are many diseases which arise directly from the obesity. One of these health issues is high blood pressure or hypertension. Excess fat in the body demands a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen. Blood vessels have to overwork resulting in more pressure on the artery walls. As a result blood pressure of the person rises (Ferdinand, 2013). When this state prolongs for some time, it results in a decrease in heart’s ability to transport blood to appropriate body vessels.
Another health problem that results from obesity is diabetes. This appears because of body’s resistance to insulin that develops because of obesity. Moreover, several types of cancers can result from obesity. In women, especially, the cancers induced by obesity include gallbladder, uterus, and breast cancer. On the other hand, men suffer from prostate and colon cancer because of their weight issues.
Other health problems that have a major impact on the quality of life of the patient and that arise due to obesity include joint problems and sleep apnea. Former of the two is almost irresolvable to the obese person because of the limitation their weight problem has on its surgical solution.
How to Treat Obesity
Although the obesity might seem a chronic condition, it can be treated with changing life-long habits about diet and physical movements. The affected person has to prefer natural foods over processed foods and fast foods. Exercise should be a part of the routine for every health person and for every person who wants to attain sound health.
Changes in Diet
Consumption of processed foods is directly linked to a decline in health as well as obesity (Poti, Duffey, & Popkin, 2013). Health diet is low in carbohydrates and high in fibrous foods such as fruits and vegetables. When eating protein, the person needs to choose vegetable sources of protein or in non-vegetarian sources needs to prioritize fish and poultry over fatty meat.
Instead of sweets and desserts, healthy meals consider fruits, salads, and vegetable soups. The options for satisfying cravings include increased water intake or stuffing snacks with fillers or foods that suppress hunger.
Adopting Healthy Physical Activity
Most of the jobs, nowadays, are office based with less possibility of physical movement. This work style is accompanied by mobile and TV culture which prompts individuals to remain in the same position for hours. Both circles of human life, which are professional and family life, are indented by a lack of any motivation to move and involve in physical work. This lack of activity results in accumulation of excess fats in the body. To counter this accumulated fat, the person needs to burn these fats through exercises such as running, jogging, and strength training. However, these workout routines would be nothing if the person recollects the burnt fats by stuffing more foods in their bellies. The strength training should be accompanied by strict control on food cravings to achieve best results.
Changing Attitude
Another important factor that helps in cure of obesity is changing the mindset about its treatment. One must admit before embarking on the journey of weight loss that there is no one-shot solution for this health condition. In order to sustain the results acquired after months or years of dieting and exercising, the once-obese person can slip back into a state of obesity if they don’t continuously check what they put into their stomach and don’t continue with their workout routine.
Moreover, they need to understand that this condition has only a small impact on their social life. The aspect of life where it has a more pronounced impact is their health which. So they need to be willing to fight this condition if they want to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
References
Obesity and overweight. (2017). World Health Organization. Retrieved 3 February 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
Preiss, K., Brennan, L., & Clarke, D. (2013). A systematic review of variables associated with the relationship between obesity and depression. Obesity Reviews, 14(11), 906-918. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/obr.12052
Ferdinand, K. (2013). Obesity and hypertension: It's about more than the numbers. Obesity, 21(4), 657-658. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oby.20372
Poti, J., Duffey, K., & Popkin, B. (2013). The association of fast food consumption with poor dietary outcomes and obesity among children: is it the fast food or the remainder of the diet?. American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 99(1), 162-171. http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071928
