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Obesity is an External Consequence that an Individual does not Have Much Control Over

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“Look at her, eating at Macdonalds, maybe if she stopped eating so much she would lose some weight”. This statement is constantly made by thousands of people who do not know the truth about obesity. Humans are quick to make judgements based on what they see in front of them. If an obese person is eating, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is, “Its their fault that they are overweight”. The details of the obese individuals story are often overlooked. People do not realize that there are many factors that contribute to obesity such as; genetics, medical disorders, and the lifestyles being passed on to current and upcoming generations. Likewise, the story of a woman named Claire illustrates how a person can be deemed …show more content…

This hormone produces the feeling of hunger, thus a person will feel the need to eat more often, even shortly after finishing a meal. Moreover, brain scans revealed that people with the double FTO gene were experiencing the same brain responses that an individual experiences through alcohol and recreational drug use, simply from eating (WebMD, 2013). These facts demonstrate that the causes of overeating may be the result of specific genes in your body that you have no control over. Furthermore, problems associated with health, such as disease or depression, can result in obesity. For example, Prader-Willi syndrome, which is characterized by a defect in chromosome 15. This disease causes a dysfunction in the brains hypothalamus, the part controlling hunger and satiety. An individual with Prader-Willi syndrome will have trouble controlling their food intake, in addition they will suffer from a slower metabolic rate than the average person. Without being closely monitored, these causes can lead to a person becoming morbidly obese (Foundation for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research Canada, 2014). Can a person who suffers this disease be blamed for their obesity? Surely they cannot, because these illnesses are external forces which the individual cannot control. Likewise to disease, depression can also result in obesity. “Studies have found that 66 percent of those seeking bariatric, (weight loss) surgery have had a

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