Eliminating Obesity and Autoimmune Disease Essay example

In this research paper we will be looking at the topic of obesity and the social ramifications that it holds. We will first look at obesity in a broad way. Then we will focus on obesity and its effects on children. And finally, obesity and adulthood will be covered. The topic of obesity is important to the field of sociology because obese people make up a significant portion of the world’s population. In addition, the manner in which obese people are treated has a significant effect on society as a whole.

Health problems did not only stop at diseases, but continued on to physical health as well. Both hunter-gatherers and farmers have to work to obtain food, however farming requires a lot of hard physical labor. Farmers have to work hard to maintain their crops because that is their only food source, and taking care of crops is not easy and it took a toll on their health. It is shown in evidence that farmers had “an increase in degenerative conditions of the spine, probably reflecting a lot of hard physical labor” (Diamond, 118). Between diseases and physical defects farming was making a huge impact on humans’ ability to survive, so much that even life expectancy went down from twenty six years in hunter-gatherers to nineteen years in farming communities (Diamond, 118).

Obesity has played a major role in media over the last decade. With growing concern over the issue, a controversy over whether obesity is a disease itself or not has developed. Obesity, by definition, is a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body, usually indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater. According to the currently accepted definition of disease, a condition of the body or one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, it can be concluded that obesity does not meet the criteria to be classified as a disease.

Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for more than a decade. Various reasons and theories are thrown around as to the cause of this severe problem by psychologists, dietitians, and professors trying to pinpoint a single cause. Due to America’s vast supply of resources, luxurious living standards, and moral of the country, there is no one cause for obesity contrary to advertisements offering a quick-fix drug. America’s obesity problem is rooted much deeper than just cheap fast food and poor choices. Medical conditions, influence of genes, unhealthy lifestyles, and mental illnesses are all contributors towards obesity in any one person. Obesity is a serious problem in America with multiple contributors and one lone solution

Jim wood paraphrases Michael Pollan, in his book In Defense of Food on page 3/4 that our health problems were not an outcome of agriculture (like what Mr. Diamond says) but was a side effect of Industrial farming not traditional so is somewhat recent (starting around 1909). This would mean that our health overall has declined due to industrial farming (but is is masked by our health care). Jim wood also states “ Almost all the traditional farmers that I know of maintain a wide dietary breadth, either by planting a huge variety of secondary crops or by continuing to hunt and gather wild forest products (or, most often, by doing both)”( on jim woods blog page 3/4) If this quote was accurate it would mostly disprove Mr. Diamonds belief on early

In today’s growing world, fad diets seem to be all the rage. As obesity rates are increasing more and more each year with 1/3 of the population overweight and 1/3 of the population obese, many people are trying everything that they can to lose weight. With people in our nation because too busy to exercise, too busy to make healthy meals, and healthy foods being too expensive, many people turn to these fad diets to help control their weight or help them lose their weight. One of the most known fad diet is the Weight Watchers program. The purpose of this study is to find out using both creditable and not so creditable sources if this fad diet actually works.

Over 60% of the people in the U.S are obese, obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. What you eat is what you are. More and more people are becoming obese which is not healthy. People who suffer from obesity are going to face severe chronic illness or stress. A person who is obese is not necessarily overweight but has too much body fat. Many experts use BMI index for an accurate measurement for a body fat. BMI is calculated by a formula that includes a person’s height and weight. One important cause of insulin is obesity. Insulin is supposed to transport blood sugar into the cells of the muscle and fat. Since the year 1980 the obesity rate in the U.S. has changed. In 2000 the obesity rate was 30% percent but in 2013 it

Obesity does not discriminate against social status, sex, or race; it can take a person’s life and turn it upside down in the blink of an eye if they are not careful. Some people think of obesity as a worldwide killer because there is no outrunning it if it overtakes a person’s body. Every 1 in 3 adults are obese right here in America, that should give each and every individual some type of hint that there is a major problem occurring. The obesity epidemic is not something that has just caught the attention of people recently; it has been going on since the 1950’s! This epidemic is a major problem; over 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being obese or extremely overweight and over 40 million children were said to be obese in

Our modern diet may be making us sick. Richard Wrangham, a Harvard primatologist, argues that the biggest revolution in the human diet came not when we started to eat meat but when we learned to cook. “Our human ancestors who began cooking sometime between 1.8 million and 400,000 years ago probably had more children who thrived,” Wrangham says, “Cooking produces soft, energy-rich foods…. Today we can’t survive on raw, unprocessed food alone, we have evolved to depend upon cooked food.” Not only did cooking give early humans the energy that was needed to build bigger brains, but it also helped get in more calories from food so that weight could be put on. We as a society have become so good at processing foods that for the first time in human

The rise of health concerns continues to proliferate throughout the country from increasing obesity rates to the astonishing number of our population with high blood pressure or diabetes. It’s enough to make anyone want to second-guess everything they eat and put in into their bodies. We ask our doctor’s, and ourselves “what can be done?” Eat right, and exercise. Those are the parameters for maintaining a healthy life. So it’s only natural that across the board we’ve got numerous exercise programs to help you lose weight fast or build lean muscle. Then we’ve got every diet under the sun, the no carb diet, high protein diet and all juice diets. Through research we can find and utilize programs and healthy habits that we can practice

In an attempt to cope with losing such an important staple in my life, my love affair with food had become tumultuous. Fifty. That is the number of pounds that I had gained in about a year’s time. After a friend of mine introduced me to his personal trainer, I decided that it was time for me to take back my life. My grandmother always wanted what was best for me and I knew that she would never want me to use food to cope with her absence. Besides, I could never live a full life if my health were not intact. Since I began this journey, I acquired a very important jewel. In order for me to accomplish my fitness goals or any other goal for that matter, I have to remain consistent. I am happy to say that I am now two pounds lighter, healthier and happier. Yes, I have setbacks, but it is my consistency that has garnered these

Obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades. Prevalence of obesity cause many other disease such as diabetes and heart issues. Obesity can be described as a health condition of a person or people of a population that have excess body fat. Diabetes is a disease related to high level of blood sugar in the blood. Obesity and diabetes are among disease that have direct relationship with each other. As obesity increase in a population, diabetes increases too. Jennifer B.Marks, Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller researches in “Obesity in America: it’s getting worse”, Roger Z. Joanne a public health provider in the Obesity Action Coalition group researches in “Obesity and type 2 Diabetes”, Eckel H. Robert, Professor of Medicine in Colorado University researches in “Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: What can be Unified and What needs to Be Individualized”, and Obesity Society group researches in “Your weight and diabetes”, mention that while obesity and diabetes have different definition in medical process, the reason why people become obese and diabetic as well as how to prevent them is same. Eating larger portion size than what the body needs , lack of physical activity, and putting foods without good quality in diet are the major reasons that people become obese.

Obesity in Society In past years, there has been a great deal of concern throughout North America about the prevalence of certain conditions, which affect teenagers more than any other age group. Eating disorders, drug abuse, stress and peer pressure have all had their moment in the spotlight. In the eighties Bulimia and suicide made their mark.

The first argument as to why dieting is more effective for weight loss than exercise is that a good diet is better for overall weight control. A better diet quality has been associated with less weight gain over time and one study looked to compare changes in diet quality in overweight and obese adults during a weight loss intervention (O'brien et al. 2014). Groups consisting of a standard weight loss program, an enhanced version of the weight loss program, and a wait list control group were tested to see if their diet quality improved their weight loss. The results found that the basic weight loss program and the enhanced version of the weight loss program lost  significantly more

Have anyone recently been to the doctor, only to hear him say, “You need to lose weight and get those health issues under control”? After visiting the pharmacy and filling the prescriptions for lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and controlling type 2 diabetes; the decision to go on a diet is confirmed. In order to lose weight, most people, mistakenly, think that they must restrict calories to the point of starvation. In addition, they think this will cause their metabolism to slow down and their muscle mass to decrease. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Although, most people will be able to restrict their caloric intake for a short period of time; it is not a lifestyle they will be able to maintain indefinitely. Even the National Guard currently uses Master Fitness Trainers to work with Soldiers that struggle to meet the Army’s weight standards. They realize that the need to create an effective long term weight loss lifestyle and not just a short term diet is essential for success. Diets always come to an end; consequently, the excess weight slowly returns when the old lifestyle returns. Intermittent fasting is an ideal lifestyle choice for overall health, because it can be adapted to fit into anyone's daily routine, it can correct or improve many health issues and it can increase hormone levels that enhance athletic ability.