...The Real Face of Overeating Restaurants, fast-foods, snack kiosks, and vending machines are on every corner offering all kinds of food. There are unlimited choices for people who like to spend their spare time enjoying a meal at a local sandwich shop, or for busy people who eat on the run, or for sports and movie fans who like to watch favorite shows surrounded by bags of chips and cans of soda. Food plays an important role in human life. People eat not only to satisfy physical needs, but also for pleasure. Eating at the restaurant is a great relief for a person after a busy, stressful week. Also, food provides important nutrients for the human body. A balanced food diet makes a great contribution to human’s health, but overeating can lead to devastating consequences. Why do people overeat? There are psychological, physiological and social causes and effects of excessive food consumption. Overeating and its consequences have become a twenty first century disaster in the United States and across the globe. One of the major causes of overeating is the psychological state of a person. Nowadays many factors influence human emotions. One of them is stress. Exposure to the constant stress of everyday life significantly disturbs people’s psychological health. It can cause light or deep depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders as well as eating disorders. There are different ways of coping with stress, and often people turn to food as a relief from their problems. Harvard research...
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...Obesity, also called corpulence or fatness it is the excessive accumulation of body fat that is caused by the consumption of more calories than the body can use. It is a condition in which the body accumulates an abnormally large amount of fatty tissue or fat. It is a chronic disease that is rapidly increasing and having devastating effects on health especially in the United States. Effects of obesity can cost us personally or as a community, it is the second cause of death yearly. Some contributing factors to obesity are overeating, medications genetics, and psychological conditions; however, these factors can be prevented by doing things like regular exercise and following a healthy eating plan. Sociological speculators like Marxist, states that obesity is due to the rise of capitalism and subsequent class divisions that is increasing depended on unhealthy foods due to social reasons. Effects Obesity has had on me or my Community Effect that obesity has had on me personally was when I was a child the neighborhood that I live in was lower class, so there wasn’t a lot of stores or farmers’ markets as it is today that provided healthier foods for children and adults to eat, and there wasn’t too much encouragement on healthy eating and exercise. This led to many children and adults within my community being overweight and having a lot of health problems like diabetes and other serious medical conditions. Obesity rates in the state that I live in Virginia is holding steady compared...
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...Obesity When it comes to statistics, Oklahoma has the sixth highest obesity rate in the nation. In 2014, the current obesity rate was 33 percent. Each year 150 billion dollars is spent only on obesity conditions. Obesity has a lot of negative effects on a person’s health. One effect of obesity is high blood pressure. Blood vessels then have to circulate more blood to the fat tissue, making the heart work harder to pump more blood through additional blood vessels. The next effect of obesity is diabetes. Obesity blocks insulin, which is that hormone that regulates blood sugar. One last effect of obesity is sleep apnea. Obesity allows unneeded weight to make the chest wall squeeze the lungs, causing restricted breathing. Genetics, overeating,...
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...Causes of Childhood Obesity Danielle Rainey Galen College of Nursing Causes of Childhood Obesity One of the biggest epidemics in America today is the meteoric rise of childhood obesity. It is essential for children to have extra calories and nutrients to propel their growth and development. If they take in the right number of calories, the pounds they add should be in direct proportion to their growth. If they take in more calories than they burn off, the result can be a significant increase in weight. According to Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flegal (2012) “childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (p.483). The effects of obesity are varied and include the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, trouble sleeping and can even result in social isolation and depression. But what are the root causes of this epidemic? The causes themselves are just as varied and just as numerous as the effects. They encompass a wide variety of convoluted elements such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, low self-esteem, family issues, peer problems and can even include medical causes such as illness or depression. One cause of childhood obesity is overeating and poor eating habits. Children are submerged in an environment that is conducive to overeating and maintaining their poor eating habits. In today’s fast paced society, some parents have little time to plan and assemble healthy meals for their...
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...Obesity in Children Veronica Zepeda BSHS 361 February 6, 2012 Joycelyn Benett Obesity in Children Childhood obesity is a growing crisis in the United States. A mixture of cultural factors influence children eating and exercise habits. The media, television, video games, and movies take place of exercising or playing outside. Other factors that led to childhood obesity are cultures, working parents, eating fast foods versus healthy low fat foods. The Cause Countless factors contribute to childhood obesity; some of these factors are poor eating habits, overeating, lack of exercise, family eating patterns, activity level, types of foods, and overfeeding. Most children grow up to follow their parents eating examples in the form of lifestyle, therefore; modeling by parents about their eating habits is another cause to childhood obesity. Children tend to model their parents exercise habits. Stressors and emotional reactions promote overeating habits for children, for instance; divorce, marital problems, fighting among parents. Other causes include physical activity classes are being removed from schools are feeding children with unhealthy foods in the school districts. When children sit and watch television they sit for hours at a time, while watching television they consume unhealthy snacks, commercials shown promote eating junk food that encourage children to eat sweets, salty, saturated fats, carbohydrates, and mal-nourished foods. Medical Health Effects ...
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...Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper Andrea Muller SCI/241 September 12, 2014 Cindy Davis Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper When a person carries too much or excess body in comparison to the lean muscle mass, it calls for an unhealthy body. As the body fat-to-lean ratio increases, so does your health risks. In fact, more often than not an unhealthy body composition can lead to obesity and lead to more critical health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and even cancer. What causes these factors of obesity? Consuming a high in fat, high in sugar, lack of exercise, overeating, and excess alcohol intake are all factors of obesity. On the other hand, eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect someone’s everyday diet by either eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. Such eating disorders include: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating. Whether you are a man or woman, these disorders are very real and can be treatable. Usually, these eating disorders are associated with other mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. Each eating disorder has specific characteristics to them as well as treatments. However, these eating disorders also take a toll of a person’s health therefore many health risks are of a concern. People with anorexia nervosa analyze eating, food and their weight constantly. This obsession makes them believe that they...
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...Body Fat and Eating Disorders 5/18/2014 Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. Eating disorders are also an epidemic in the United States. Obesity and eating disorders can cause health problems in a person. There are many factors that influence the obesity epidemic. Body composition can be described as the proportions of lean tissue and fat that makes up the body. There are risks with having too much body fat. The risks include raising the risk of developing a health issue. High blood pressure, heart disease and sleep disorders are all illnesses a person can have occur because of excess body fat. Diabetes, respiratory problems, and the increased chance of cancer are linked to obesity. Gallbladder issues, arthritis, and menstrual issues are also a concern of those who are obese. An obese person is also at risk infection, poor healing, and surgical complications. The more body fat a person has the greater the health risk is. The longer a person has the excess body fat the risks are greater. A person who gain weight excessively as a child and remains gaining weight also face great health risks. Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and is causing health care expenses to rise as the number of obese people rise (Grosvenor & Smolin, 2012). Several factors influence the obesity epidemic in the United States. The first factor is Americans are eating more and burning fewer calories. Appetites are stimulated by smells and the sight...
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...October 24, 2013 Cause and Effect: Obesity and the “Miracle Surgery” Obesity is a life-threatening “epidemic” that is rising across America. Americans now eat 2,700 calories a day, about 500 calories more than 40 years ago (Ambinder, par 3). It seems as though dieting is not enough for those whose weight is out of control. The fast food companies’ job is to make food tasty enough to purchase, but the consequence is consumption of fatty food ingredients that do not help those who cannot control their dietary intake. There are some people who do not mind being obese, but there are those who are seeking a solution to their problem of obesity. Obesity can cause several life-threatening diseases and even death if not reversed. The surgery that over a million people are turning to is gastric bypass. This surgery is considered a “miracle cure” that will reverse chronic diseases and may save their life. There are so many commercials that promote weight loss for the overweight individual. You have Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Food Lovers Lost Program, liquids, powders, and exercises that promote weight loss. Unfortunately, there are millions of people that have spent thousands of dollars to find a solution to weight loss. According to the (ABC News “100 Million Dieters, $20 Billion: The Weight Loss Industry by the Numbers which aired 5/8/13, $20 million dollars a year in the United States is spent on weight loss, which includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries...
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...Binge-Eating Disorder Many people are affected by overeating compulsions and binge eating is a disorder I am very interested in exploring. We all overeat from time to time. Taking an extra helping at Thanksgiving dinner or having dessert when you’re already full. But for binge eaters, overeating is regular and uncontrollable. A binge eater uses food to cope with stress and other negative emotions, even though afterwards you feel even worse. You may feel like you’re stuck in a vicious cycle, binge eating disorder is treatable. With the right help and support, you can learn to control your eating and develop a healthy relationship with food. Binge eating disorder is characterized by compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop. The symptoms of binge eating disorder usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. A binge eating episode typically lasts around two hours, but some people binge on and off all day long. Binge eaters often eat even when they’re not hungry and continue eating long after they are full. They may also gorge themselves as fast as they can while barely registering what they’re eating or tasting. Binge eating disorder occurs in normal-weight, overweight and obese individuals. The essential feature of binge-eating is recurrent episodes binge eating must occur, on average, at least once per week for three months. An “episode of binge eating”...
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...Jovann Gulliver 10/21/11 ENGL107-1104A-20 Professor Slotemaker Unit 1 Individual Project Obesity In America Obesity has and will continue to affect the American people on a negative scale. Unless we change our prospective on how to fight this battle, we will continue to lose. There are many underlying factors that suggest that obesity is more defined than just a food lover’s disease. The main factors are one’s environment, one’s stress management, and one’s genetic makeup. Someone’s environment plays a very important factor on their lifestyle as well as the types of food they consume. For example, someone who lives on a farm tend to consume more natural foods than someone who lives in an urban environment and consume processed food. There is no secret to the fact that over-consumption of fast food can lead to obesity. Being surrounded by many choices of fast food, can lead someone to over indulge in it, which can lead to other health problems besides obesity. How someone choose to manage the day-to-day stress in their life, can determine their physical health. For instance, some people handle stress by exercising, painting, sewing, etc. while others handle stress by abusing drugs and/or food. Using food as an outlet to relieve stress will most definitely lead to obesity. When someone uses food to manage stress, often confess that this fix is only temporary and therefore overeating is usually the result. From personal experience, using a tub of vanilla ice cream to get over...
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...Obesity has become one of the largest epidemics in America over the last decade and it continues to grow worse. More than one third of the population in America is obese, which is very alarming. The belief that depression is one of the leading causes of obesity is widely shared. In recent years, we have seen the rate of obesity climb to new heights and the increasing number of health initiatives to help lower the growth rate. Mental There's no doubt that depression and obesity are linked. One can be a byproduct of the other. One of the root causes of obesity can begin through different forms of depression. Constant consumption of unhealthy foods or overeating in general is known to be used as a coping mechanism for depression, which can later lead to obesity. The death of a loved one or the loss of a job, spouse, or income can lead to a depressive state and unhealthy eating habits start developing. In many cases, the habit is difficult to break. Physical Sadly, there are many Americans who've gone down this path and are in very dire conditions, health-wise. Many individuals have experienced issues with weight that are so severe to the point where they're unable to perform basic functions such as walking, running, bathing, or even breathing on their own. There are even individuals who are confined to wheelchairs and cannot sleep without the aid of a breathing machine. In some cases they begin believing that their condition is a burden to their loved ones. Society Obesity...
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...To Eat or Not to Eat Eating is a part of human nature. It is necessary to maintain good health and wellness, but some people may find themselves facing negative health factors due to overeating or under eating. Hunger and satiety are the two main driving factors that lead to food consumption. To make this concept a little easier to understand try thinking of hunger as something that tells us when to eat, while satiety tells us how much to eat. Our blood glucose tends to remain at a fairly stable level most of the time. Hormones found in the pancreas help keep our glucose levels steady. One theory points towards people experiencing hunger as a result of a drop in blood glucose levels when faced with premeal hunger. Some studies have found that when our bodies are anticipating a meal (premeal hunger) our blood glucose levels can drop up to 8% (Pinel, 2007). Often people see premeal hunger as an indicator that they need to consume food for energy, but it is actually the body’s way of preparing for the consumption of food, which causes the body stress and disrupts the body’s homeostatic balance (Pinel, 2007). An experiment was performed on rats which examined the relationship between two regions of the hypothalamus and eating behavior. It was actually believed that these two regions of the hypothalamus controlled one’s eating behavior (Pinel, 2007.) Scientists performed various operations on rats to study how the brain controls eating behavior. Some rats were given...
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...Cause and Effect: Obesity Obesity: Paying a Heavy Price Obesity occurs when a person’s weight is far above his ideal body weight. It has become a major problem in many countries, and it is even expected that in the USA, average expectancy will soon begin to drop sharply for the first time in 200 years because of an epidemic of obesity. In this essay, I will examine some of the causes and effects of obesity in the UAE. Obesity is a complex phenomenon, but the main causes can be grouped into three headings: poor food choice, lack of exercise, and lack of awareness. Poor food choice is one of the main causes. People today eat more and more junk food and fast food. This food is high in fats and cholesterol, and contains too much carbohydrates. The body is overloaded with fats and sugar, which is converted into body fat. The second main cause is lack of exercise. Most people in the UAE have changed their lifestyle completely, from one in which there was more walking, physical and outdoor activity, into a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise. Most expatriates and emirates take cars to work and do office jobs. Maids and foreign laborers stake care of housework and manual labor. A third contributing factor is lack of awareness about good eating habits. Mothers give their children too much choice and too little guidance in what to eat, advertising confuses many people with claims for particular types of commercial processed foods, and conflicting information about diets...
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...Obesity in Children After reading the material for this week, the student began to research obesity in middle childhood. The student discovered the causes of middle childhood obesity, the effect of obesity on a child’s health, psychosocial, and cognitive development, and ways to counteract obesity in middle childhood. The student has provided information on obesity solutions in her area, a national program to help stop childhood obesity, and has suggested other ways to help stop childhood obesity. The Causes of Childhood Obesity Genetic factors contribute to childhood obesity (Parke & Gauvain, 2009). Obese children often remain obese throughout his or her lives. Children suffering from obesity often have obese biological parents. Children adopted by normal-weight adoptive parents may become obese if the child’s biological parents are obese. According to Parke and Gauvain (2009), studies have shown that infants who have overweight parents are more responsive to the difference between sweet-tasting solutions and water. The preference for sweets at a young age increases the risk of childhood obesity. Middle childhood obesity also derives from the child’s role-model’s eating pattern and behavior (Parke & Gauvain, 2009). If the parent or role-model is eating junk food, lives a sedentary life, and watches too much television, the child is likely to do the same. Parents encouraging and prompting children to eat more because of his or her size contributes to child obesity...
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...Biology of Health and Disease | Childhood Obesity | Healthy Choices | | The book entitled Your Child by David Pruitt, MD. focuses on the increase of childhood obesity in the United States. The book explains that between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise (David Pruitt, 1998). The causes and risk factors associated with childhood obesity are discussed in an article by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) entitled Healthy Weight, Healthy Child, which cites poor eating habits, overeating, binge eating, and lack of exercise as the leading cause of unhealthy weights among children and adolescents. There are many societal factors that contribute to childhood obesity. Poor eating habits can be learned, but are also the result of poor socioeconomic factors. Fast foods are not only easier, but cheaper. The cost of a cheesburger and french fries is marginal and can be purchased in a matter of miutes, compaired to the time and cost of a sit-down meal prepared at home...
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