Obesity

Obesity

Obesity is from the Latin, obesitas, which means, “stout, fat, or plump”. It is the term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death worldwide with increasing prevalence in adults and children. Authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. According to the University of Michigan Health System, 2.3 million children and 60 million adults are obese. Obesity is not only a health issue; it’s a financial issue, as well. An estimated 400,000 deaths are due to obesity, which puts our national economy nearly $122.9 billion annually. It typically occurs only when a person consumes more calories than they expend. This paper will explore how obesity effects the individual, as well as our society and is due to less options.

Most of us are now familiar with the health risks that obesity can cause because it is becoming such an epidemic. Even being slightly overweight can put people at risk for a number of serious illnesses, including arthritis, breathing difficulty during sleep, type two diabetes, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Too much stress from being overweight, peer pressure, not being able to “fit in”, being teased by others, and other family issues can cause children to suffer from serious emotional problems. These problems can lead children and even adults to eat “comfort foods” to relieve the stress, depression, and sadness. This does not help, and only makes the situation worse. Most of these foods people eat during these periods of rough times are high-calorie foods such as, chocolate and other sugary foods which will cause weight gain.

A limited number of cases are primarily clue to genes, medical reasons, or psychiatric illness. Other contributors thought to be factor in increased obesity are insufficient sleep, endocrine disruptions, decreased...