Obesity is described is as a medical condition where an individual has too much excess body fat that can potentially lead to effects on one’s health and is achieved by a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or above. One is considered to be severely obese if their body mass index reaches a value of 35 and above. While it is often overlooked, obesity is extremely common among the population and can lead to many complications yet is extremely easy to prevent. While the risk potential increases with age, it does not mean children can’t be considered obese. Childhood obesity can be a detriment to one’s life, affecting all physical, developmental, social, and emotional factors. The presence of childhood obesity in America only continues to increase over time and is therefore considered an epidemic in the United States, where since 2000, the national obesity rate among youth ages 2 to 19 has increased from 13.9% to 18.5%, almost one in five children qualifying today (“Childhood Obesity Trends”). A steady increase in childhood obesity trends only predicts further prevalence of obesity in the future. Childhood obesity is therefore said to have a high level of association with severe obesity into adulthood.
The primary way of determining whether or not one is considered to be obese is by looking at one’s body mass index. One’s body mass index can be calculated by dividing their weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters (“Healthy Weight”) and should be calculated frequently in order to determine if preventative measures should be put into place if one falls under the category of obesity. Because BMI measures do not take muscle mass into account, it can lead to an inaccurate diagnosis of obesity in a healthy person, particularly for athletes by overestimating the amount of fat being carried. Another method being used more recently which gets around this is simply measuring the circumference of one’s waist in inches. To get an accurate measure, it is imperative that the measurement is taken after breathing out just above the hips. A waist size of thirty-five inches for women and forty inches for men is said to indicate a higher risk for consequences associated with obesity (“Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk”).
Potential Risk Factors
There are several risk factors associated with obesity including race, gender, environmental, economic, social, and individual factors. According to one particular study conducted by Asheley Skinner and Joseph Skelton, rates of obesity for children and non-white people are extremely high. The data from the study found that Hispanic girls and non-Hispanic black boys are at higher risk than any other groups. Of the participants that were studied, 20.9% of Hispanics and 20.3% of blacks were considered overweight compared to 14.3% of whites and 12.7% of other groups. Being black or Hispanic are therefore considered to be risk factors for obesity (Skinner and Skelton). Another study determined that obesity prevalence generally increased with age, where in 2011-2012, 8.1% of infants, 16.9% of 2-19-year-olds, and 34.9% of adults (20 and above) were obese, displaying a clear linear correlation. There were extremely low levels of obesity found in children aged 2-5, whereas for women aged 60 and above there was an extreme increase of obesity rates reaching 38.1% of those sampled, whereas men they were pretty much constant. This shows gender can also potentially be a risk factor for obesity with women at a heightened risk (Ogden et al.).
Several Individual factors we often hear about that can increase the risk of becoming obese include constantly eating foods with no nutrients and many calories, low physical activity or inactivity, getting minimal or no sleep, genetics, depression or stress, a slower metabolism, and drug use. In 2000, poor diet and physical inactivity was the second leading cause of death in the United States (Hill et al.). One of the biggest problems in America is the vast availability of unhealthy low nutrient foods that harm more than they benefit our bodies. Many of the foods being offered are extremely processed and full of unhealthy calories rather than natural which can be extremely detrimental on one’s health. As well as the fact that many of the foods available are not beneficial, the use of several types of drugs, stress, and depression can potentially lead to binge eating, only increasing the risk for obesity. Eating foods such as potatoes with no nutritional value and drinking soda which has large amounts of added sugar are examples of things that should be avoided. Furthermore, it is important to create a healthy balance between inactivity and physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep in good shape. while obviously people have to sleep and that means inactivity, people often spend too much of their leisure time being sedentary, over half of the time due to watching television. It is important to remember that even the slightest bit of physical activity is better than nothing.
Not getting enough sleep can be influential on the increasing rates of obesity as well. With an increasing amount of daily activities, such as with the expectation for students to go to school, do homework, study, exercise, eat, volunteer, and participate in extracurricular activities, it is difficult to balance this busy schedule with a good amount of sleep. Regardless, it is a necessity to get a good night’s sleep in order to keep the body properly functioning including the prevention of a slowed down metabolism. A decrease in the amount of sleep correlates not only with decreased mental health but with an increasing rate of obesity as well. Beccuti and Silvana’s study on the effect of sleep on obesity looked at past experiments that yielded the result of sleeping less than 7 hours each night caused a 6% increase in obesity rates for people aged 18-85. Many people complain that while they do try to get the proper amount of sleep, they often wake up due to sleep disturbances. These disturbances can also negatively impact obesity rates, particularly in those with conditions like obstructive sleep apnea. Research has been done to determine the link between obstructive sleep apnea and obesity, and the research shows that in cases of obesity 93.6% of men and 73.5% have the condition. While obesity does lead to obstructive sleep apnea, there is evidence that the condition itself can lead to gaining extreme weight as with decreased sleep at night and increased tiredness during the day, one is less likely to partake in any sort of physical activity. There is also some evidence that obstructive sleep apnea leads to an increased amount of food consumed and therefore an increase in weight gain. For those without obstructive sleep apnea, sleep disturbances can still potentially lead to an increase in obesity prevalence as the lack of sleep can still lead to increased tiredness during the day leading to physical inactivity and an increased appetite. Statistics showed that persistent sleep discontinuity due to disturbances meant a 70% risk of leading to obesity, and it is therefore extremely important to regulate the amount of sleep one receives each night (Beccuti and Silvana).
Economic status can also be influential on rates of obesity. In the past it was believed that wealth and obesity had a strong correlation as with more money more food could be bought and consumed, yet in America it is quite the opposite. In well-developed and wealthy countries like China and the United States, obesity has continued to grow over time, but from a study conducted by James Levine, homeless people in America are more likely to be obese than the wealthy. The difference between wealthy and poor communities is actually quite major, where counties with more than 35% of the population being poor meant an obesity rate 145% higher than that in wealthier counties. This is most likely due to the fact that homeless people tend to be sedentary for long periods of time and very rarely do exercise as well as the fact that they don’t have much money to spend on quality food. These people living in poverty usually have less resources available to do exercise such as access to gyms or parks, which can relate to the reason why sedentary behavior is common among areas of poverty. For the most part, the cheapest food available in America is fast food where one can eat an entire meal for less than five dollars, whereas fresh foods can be pricier. While poorer people may be able to have the money to buy food, it is definitely more affordable and realistic to lean toward these unhealthy and cheaper options than healthier more expensive foods. The combination of the consumption of cheaper and more accessible fast food with no nutritional value along with increased sedentary behavior among people living in poverty can be quite influential on the rates of obesity in these poorer counties and account for the differences in obesity rates between poor and wealthy communities (Levine).
There are several environmental factors that can influence higher rates of obesity among varying groups of people as well. One of the biggest environmental problems is the location factor. Several counties have far more access to fresh foods, whereas others are more fast food oriented which can play a part in the influence of obesity on individuals living in these fast food filled communities. While wealthier communities are generally located in better areas, there are communities that are not as fortunate with their location. Some communities don’t have schools or supermarkets anywhere in walking distance, which creates the dependency on transportation in order to get anywhere. For communities located near other locations such as supermarkets, parks, gyms, or schools, families will often walk rather than take transportation to get there, therefore increasing the amount of fitness being done in these better located areas. People located in these areas with resources being further and not in walking distance are more likely to be obese if they have to resort to transportation to reach these resources and are therefore far more sedentary. Relative to this, families located in wealthier areas are more able to go outside due to the amount of safety in the community. Generally older and poorer neighborhoods are not as clean or may be located in unsafe areas and can often lead to people being less comfortable walking outside of their homes, and therefore more sedentary behavior leading to higher rates of obesity. The amount of crime and cleanliness of a particular neighborhood is therefore considered an environmental factor that can influence obesity.
Social factors may also facilitate the risk of obesity which can be determined by the people one chooses to hang out with. One particular study looked at the influence of others and the rates of obesity associated with these particular groups of peers, the groups being friends, siblings, and spouses. The study found that if an individual was close friends with someone who became obese within four years’ time, the individual’s potential of becoming obese would increase by 57%. This number is far higher than those found for the influence of siblings or spouses, which were increased by 40% if one sibling became obese and 37% if one spouse became obese. Friends or siblings of the same gender appeared to be more influential than differing genders (Christakis and Fowler). Due to the extremely high numbers of influence caused by all three groups, social facilitation is considered to be a major influence for increasing the potential for obesity.
Physical Consequences of Obesity
While a large percentage of Americans are considered to be obese, it does not mean the risks associated with obesity are not severe. Many physical consequences of obesity have been identified, including but not limited to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, arthritis, premature death, higher trauma and infection rates, and of course stretch marks and cellulite due to the expanding skin. Obesity often influences earlier mortality rates, with the greater degree of obesity suggesting a greater number of years of potential life lost. Looking at a relatively health group of nonsmoking individuals, research has been conducted showing that women aged 40 who were considered to be obese with a BMI of greater than 25 meant roughly 3.3 years of potential life lost, and men of the same group lost approximately 3.1 years. For those nonsmoking individuals considered to be obese with a BMI of 30, women on average had 7.1 years of potential life lost, and men lost around 5.8 years. A BMI of greater than 45 was associated with 8 years of potential life lost for women and 13 years for men. The combination of poor diet and sedentary behavior is the second leading cause of death in the United States and is said to have caused approximately 400,000 lives to be taken each year (Bray, George A.). As the obesity epidemic continues to grow, so do the amount of deaths due to obesity, particularly due to the cancer and cardiovascular disease that occur as a result.
Approximately 630,000 people in 2014 were diagnosed with types of cancer that are associated with obesity. These cancers have increased in prevalence by 7% since 2005, compared to non-obesity related cancers which have decreased by 13%. There are 13 types of cancer associated with obesity that have been identified today and there may still potentially be more, these being meningioma, multiple myeloma, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, thyroid cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, gallbladder cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, colon cancer and colorectal cancer. These 13 types of cancer account for 55% of cancers that have been found in women and 24% of those that have been found in men as of now (“Cancers Associated with Overweight and Obesity Make up 40 Percent of Cancers Diagnosed in the United States”). Maintaining a healthy weight can be a major way to prevent cancer which can is way more difficult to treat than obesity.
As previously mentioned, diabetes is a major risk associated with obesity, the two almost entirely related. Being obese and having type 2 diabetes are nearly interchangeable, and for this reason when one is diagnosed with obesity it is often, they are immediately checked for diabetes as well for people over the age of 45 since they are most at risk, and if they are severely obese regardless of their age. While more common among adults, diabetes is not age specific and can actually happen at any age, causing insulin resistance in the body that creates high blood pressure, potentially lasting for the rest of one’s life if not taken care of. Diabetes are often treated in the same way as obesity, with exercise and a balanced diet, further supporting the idea that the two are nearly interchangeable. Research shows that while not all people diagnosed with obesity has diabetes, a good 80% of people with diabetes are considered to be obese (Hruby and Hu). It is important to know that the location of the fat can actually determine the risk of type 2 diabetes being developed. When one carries a majority of their weight around their stomach, often known as having an apple-shaped body, they are most likely to have type 2 diabetes. People who carry a majority of their weight in their hips or thighs on the other hand, also known as having a pear-shaped body, are far less likely to have diabetes (Rogers and Still). By exercising and eating well in order to prevent obesity, one is preventing the risk of type 2 diabetes as well.
People with obesity are often more likely to have higher risks of trauma, complications in surgery, and infection as found in a study done throughout several trauma centers in Pennsylvania.
This particular study found that severely obese patients had greater than a 30% increase in risk of death due to trauma compared to those at a healthy weight, and that women had over two times the risk of developing wound complications as well as four times the risk of bed sores. Regardless of the severity of an injury, if two people were admitted to the hospital for the same injury, one obese and one at a healthy weight, evidence shows that the patient admitted for the same injury with the same severity but having the addition of obesity would generally need longer periods of being hooked to ventilators, more complications with the procedures being put into place, increased possibility for infection, overall prolonged hospital stays, and higher mortality rates (Hruby and Hu). Therefore, regarding obesity risks in hospitals, being obese appears to be a major burden which can definitely be avoided.
Emotional Consequences of Obesity
Along with the many potential physical consequences resulting from obesity, there are several emotional consequences that may occur as a result. Some of these emotional consequences that may result include a variety of mental health issues,