Logo for Open Oregon Educational Resources

Obesity Epidemic: Causes and Solutions

Since the 1980s, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased dramatically. Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show rising obesity across the nation, state-by-state . 1

The figure shows three maps of the U.S. with states color-coded based on the percent of the their population estimated to be obese. In 1990, all of the states are a blue color, indicating 10-14 percent of their populations were obese. In 2000, many states are a darker blue color, indicating 15-19 percent obesity, and about half of a beige color, indicating 20 to 24 percent obesity. In 2010, there are still some beige states but no blue ones, and many are orange or red, indicating 25 to 30+ percent obesity.

Figure 7.17. Each year since 1990, the CDC has published maps of the United States in which states are color-coded based on the percentage of their population estimated to be obese. The maps show a clear increase in the prevalence of obesity between 1990 and 2010.

The methods used by the CDC to collect the data changed in 2011, so we can’t make direct comparisons between the periods before and after that change, but the trend has continued. Every year, more and more people in the U.S. are obese.

A map of the U.S. showing obesity prevalence color-coded by state. States are about evenly split between green (20-25% obesity), yellow (25-30% obesity), or red (30-35% obesity).

Figure 7.18. The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults has continued to rise between 2011 and 2018.

These trends are unmistakable, and they’re not just occurring in adults. Childhood obesity has seen similar increases over the last few decades—perhaps an even greater concern as the metabolic and health effects of carrying too much weight can be compounded over a person’s entire lifetime.

A line graph shows the prevalence of obesity trending upwards between the years 1999-2000 and 2015-2016 in both children and adults. In this time span, the prevalence of obesity in children increased from 13.9 to 18.5 percent. In adults, it increased from 30.5 to 39.6 percent.

Figure 7.19. Between 1999 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity in both children and adults has risen steadily.

While obesity is a problem across the United States, it affects some groups of people more than others. Based on 2015-2016 data, obesity rates are higher among Hispanic (47 percent) and Black adults (47 percent) compared with white adults (38 percent). Non-Hispanic Asians have the lowest obesity rate (13 percent). And overall, people who are college-educated and have a higher income are less likely to be obese. 2 These health disparities point to the importance of looking at social context when examining causes and solutions. Not everyone has the same opportunity for good health, or an equal ability to make changes to their circumstances, because of factors like poverty and longstanding inequities in how resources are invested in communities. These factors are called “ social determinants of health . ” 3

The obesity epidemic is also not unique to the United States. Obesity is rising around the globe, and in 2015, it was estimated to affect 2 billion people worldwide, making it one of the largest factors affecting poor health in most countries . 4 Globally, among children aged 5 to 19 years old, the rate of overweight increased from 10.3 percent in 2000 to 18.4 percent in 2018. Previously, overweight and obesity mainly affected high-income countries, but some of the most dramatic increases in childhood overweight over the last decade have been in low income countries, such as those in Africa and South Asia, corresponding to a greater availability of inexpensive, processed foods. 5

Despite the gravity of the problem, no country has yet been able to implement policies that have reversed the trend and brought about a decrease in obesity. This represents “one of the biggest population health failures of our time,” wrote an international group of researchers in the journal  The Lancet  in 2019 . 6 The World Health Organization has set a target of stopping the rise of obesity by 2025. Doing so requires understanding what is causing the obesity epidemic; it is only when these causes are addressed that change can start to occur.

Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

If obesity was an infectious disease sweeping the globe, affecting billions of people’s health, longevity, and productivity, we surely would have addressed it by now. Researchers and pharmaceutical companies would have worked furiously to develop vaccines and medicines to prevent and cure this disease. But the causes of obesity are much more complex than a single bacteria or virus, and solving this problem means recognizing and addressing a multitude of factors that lead to weight gain in a population.

At its core, rising obesity is caused by a chronic shift towards positive energy balance—consuming more energy or calories than one expends each day, leading to an often gradual but persistent increase in body weight. People often assume that this is an individual problem, that those who weigh more simply need to change their behavior to eat less and exercise more, and if this doesn’t work, it must be because of a personal failing, such as a lack of self-control or motivation. While behavior patterns such as diet and exercise can certainly impact a person’s risk of developing obesity (as we’ll cover later in this chapter), the environments where we live also have a big impact on our behavior and can make it much harder to maintain energy balance.

Environment

Many of us live in what researchers and public health experts call “ obesogenic environments. ” That is, the ways in which our neighborhoods are built and our lives are structured influence our physical activity and food intake to encourage weight gain . 7 Human physiology and metabolism evolved in a world where obtaining enough food for survival required significant energy investment in hunting or gathering—very different from today’s world where more people earn their living in sedentary occupations. From household chores, to workplace productivity, to daily transportation, getting things done requires fewer calories than it did in past generations.

The image shows three photos. Left to right: a group of well-dressed Black women sit at a work conference table, with laptops in front of them; 4 vending machines sell snacks and soft drinks; and cars jamming a freeway.

Figure 7.20. Some elements of our environment that may make it easier to gain weight include sedentary jobs, easy access to inexpensive calories, and cities built more for car travel than for physical activity.

Our jobs have become more and more sedentary, with fewer opportunities for non-exercise thermogenesis (NEAT) throughout the day. There’s less time in the school day for recess and physical activity, and fears about neighborhood safety limit kids’ ability to get out and play after the school day is over. Our towns and cities are built more for cars than for walking or biking. We can’t turn back the clock on human progress, and finding a way to stay healthy in obesogenic environments is a significant challenge.

Our environments  can also impact our food choices. We’re surrounded by vending machines, fast food restaurants, coffeeshops, and convenience stores that offer quick and inexpensive access to calories. These foods are also heavily advertised, and especially when people are stretched thin by working long hours or multiple jobs, they can be a welcome convenience. However, they tend to be calorie-dense (and less nutrient-dense) and more heavily processed, with amounts of sugar, fat, and salt optimized to make us want to eat more, compared with home-cooked food. In addition, portion sizes at restaurants, especially fast food chains, have increased over the decades, and people are eating at restaurants more and cooking at home less.

Poverty and Food Insecurity

Living in poverty usually means living in a more obesogenic environment. Consider the fact that some of the poorest neighborhoods in the United States—with some of the highest rates of obesity—are often not safe or pleasant places to walk, play, or exercise. They may have busy traffic and polluted air, and they may lack sidewalks, green spaces, and playgrounds. A person living in this type of neighborhood will find it much more challenging to get adequate physical activity compared with someone living in a neighborhood where it’s safe to walk to school or work, play at a park, ride a bike, or go for a run.

In addition, poor neighborhoods often lack a grocery store where people can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and basic ingredients necessary for cooking at home. Such areas are called “ food deserts ”—where healthy foods simply aren’t available or easily accessible.

Another concept useful in discussions of obesity risk is “food insecurity.”  Food security means “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” 8  Food insecurity   means an inability to consistently obtain adequate food. It may seem counter-intuitive, but in the United States, food insecurity is linked to obesity. That is, people who have difficulty obtaining enough food are more likely to become obese and to suffer from diabetes and hypertension. This is likely related to the fact that inexpensive foods tend to be high in calories but low in nutrients, and when these foods form the foundation of a person’s diet, they can cause both obesity and nutrient deficiencies. It’s estimated that 12 percent of U.S. households are food insecure, and food insecurity is higher among Black (22 percent) and Latino (18 percent) households. 3

What about genetics? While it’s true that our genes can influence our susceptibility to becoming obese, researchers say they can’t be a cause of the obesity epidemic. Genes take many generations to evolve, and the obesity epidemic has occurred over just the last 40 to 50 years—only a few generations. When our grandparents were children, they were much less likely to become obese than our own children. That’s not because their genes were different, but rather because they grew up in a different environment. However, it is true that a person’s genes can influence their susceptibility to becoming obese in this obesogenic environment, and obesity is more prevalent in some families. A person’s genetic make-up can make it more difficult to maintain energy balance in an obesogenic environment, because certain genes may make you feel more hungry or slow your energy expenditure. 2

Solutions to the Obesity Epidemic

Given the multiple causes of obesity, solving this problem will also require many solutions at different levels. Because obesity affects people over the lifespan and is difficult to reverse, the focus of many of these efforts is prevention , starting as early as the first years of life. We’ll discuss individual weight management strategies later in this chapter. Here, we’ll review some strategies happening in schools, communities, and at the state and federal levels.

Support Healthy Dietary Patterns

Interventions that support healthy dietary patterns, especially among people more vulnerable because of food insecurity or poverty, may reduce obesity. In some cases, studies have shown that they have an impact, and in other cases, it’s too soon to know. Here are some examples:

  • Implement and support better nutrition standards for childcare, schools, hospitals, and worksites. 9
  • Limit marketing of processed foods, especially ads targeted towards children.
  • Provide incentives for supermarkets or farmers markets to establish businesses in underserved areas. 9

Two photos from farmers' markets. On the left, people are shown selecting fresh fruits and vegetables in a busy marketplace, with tall buildings rising above the market stands. On the right, a closeup of a farmers' market stand, showing enticing fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and beets.

  • Place nutrition and calorie content on restaurant and fast food menus  to raise awareness of food choices. 9 Beginning in 2018, as part of the Affordable Care Act, chain restaurants with more than 20 locations were required to add calorie information to their menus, and some had already done so voluntarily. There isn’t yet enough research to say whether having this information improves customers’ choices; some studies show an effect and others don’t. 10 Many factors influence people’s decisions, and the type of restaurant, customer needs, and menu presentation all likely matter. For example, some studies show that health-conscious consumers choose lower calorie menu items when presented with nutrition information, but people with food insecurity may understandably choose higher calorie items to get more “bang for their buck”. 11 Research has also shown that adding interpretative images—like a stoplight image labeling menu choices as green or red as shorthand for high or low nutrient density—can help. And a 2018 study found that when calorie counts are on the left side of English-language menus, people order lower-calorie menu items. Putting calorie counts on the right side of the menu (as is more common) doesn’t have this effect, likely because the English language is read from left to right. 12 Some studies have also found that restaurants that implement menu labeling offer lower-calorie and more nutrient-dense options, indicating that menu labeling may push restaurants to look more closely at the food they serve. 10,13

A menu sign at a Nathan's hotdog stand displays calorie countrs

Figure 7.22. As of 2018, restaurant chains and some other food vendors are required to list calorie counts on their menus. Would these make you pause before ordering?

  • Increase access to food assistance programs and align them with nutrition recommendations. For example, in 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised the food packages for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to better align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new packages emphasized more  fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy and decreased the availability of juice. After this change, there was a decrease in the obesity rate of children in the WIC program. Similar progress may be made by increasing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to reduce food insecurity. Many farmers’ markets now accept SNAP benefits for the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables. 3
  • Tax sugary drinks, such as soda and sports drinks, which contribute significant empty calories to the U.S. diet and are associated with childhood obesity. Local taxes on soda and other sugary drinks are often controversial, and soda companies lobby to prevent them from passing. However, early research in U.S. cities with soda taxes show that they do work to decrease soda consumption. 3 In the U.S., soda has only been taxed at the local level, and the tax has been paid by consumers. The United Kingdom has taken a different approach: They started taxing soft drink manufacturers for the sugar content of the products they sell. Between 2015 and 2018, the average sugar content of soda sold in the U.K. dropped by 29 percent. 14

Support Greater Physical Activity

Increasing physical activity increases the energy expended during the day. This can help maintain energy balance, thus preventing weight gain. It may also help to shift a person into negative energy balance and facilitate weight loss if needed. But simply adding an exercise session—a run or a trip to the gym, say—often doesn’t shift energy balance (though it’s certainly good for health). Why? Exercise can increase hunger, and there’s only so many calories a person can burn in 30 or 60 minutes. That’s why it’s also important to look for opportunities for non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT); that is, find ways to increase movement throughout the day.  

  • P rioritize physical education and recess time in schools. In addition to helping kids stay healthy, movement also helps them learn.
  • Make neighborhoods safer and more accessible for walking, cycling, and playing.
  • When safe, encourage kids to walk or bike to school.
  • Build family and community activities around physical activity, such as trips to the park, walks together, and community walking and exercise groups.
  • Facilitate more movement in the workday by encouraging walking meetings, movement breaks, and treadmill desks.
  • Find ways to move that are enjoyable to you and fit your life. Yard work, walking your dog, playing tag with your kids, and going out dancing all count!

solution for obesity essay

Figure 7.23. There are lots of ways to increase physical activity, including walking to work, playing with friends, and going for a bike ride.

VIDEO:  “ James Levine: ‘I Came Alive as a Person’ “  by  NOVA’s Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers, YouTube (April 24, 2014), 3:04 minutes. This short video explains some of the research on NEAT and efforts to increase it in our lives.

VIDEO:  “ The Weight of the Nation: Poverty and Obesity”  by HBO Docs, YouTube (May 14, 2012), 24:05 minutes. 

VIDEO: “ The Weight of the Nation: Healthy Foods and Obesity Prevention”  by HBO Docs, YouTube (May 14, 2012), 31:11 minutes.  These segments from the HBO documentary series, “The Weight of the Nation,” explore  some of the causes and potential solutions for obesity.

References:

  • 1 CDC. (2019, September 12). New Adult Obesity Maps. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html
  • 2 CDC. (2019, January 31). Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
  • 3 Trust for America’s Health. (2019). The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America . Retrieved from https://www.tfah.org/report-details/stateofobesity2019/
  • 4 Swinburn, B. A., Kraak, V. I., Allender, S., Atkins, V. J., Baker, P. I., Bogard, J. R., … Dietz, W. H. (2019). The Global Syndemic of Obesity, Undernutrition, and Climate Change: The Lancet Commission report. The Lancet , 393 (10173), 791–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32822-8
  • 5 UNICEF. (2019). The State of the World’s Children 2019. Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing well in a changing world . New York.
  • 6 Jaacks, L. M., Vandevijvere, S., Pan, A., McGowan, C. J., Wallace, C., Imamura, F., … Ezzati, M. (2019). The obesity transition: Stages of the global epidemic. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology , 7 (3), 231–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30026-9
  • 7 Townshend, T., & Lake, A. (2017). Obesogenic environments: Current evidence of the built and food environments. Perspectives in Public Health , 137 (1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913916679860
  • 8 Pan, L., Sherry, B., Njai, R., & Blanck, H. M. (2012). Food Insecurity Is Associated with Obesity among US Adults in 12 States. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , 112 (9), 1403–1409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.06.011
  • 9 CDC. (2019, June 18). Community Efforts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/community.html
  • 10 Bleich, S. N., Economos, C. D., Spiker, M. L., Vercammen, K. A., VanEpps, E. M., Block, J. P., … Roberto, C. A. (2017). A Systematic Review of Calorie Labeling and Modified Calorie Labeling Interventions: Impact on Consumer and Restaurant Behavior. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) , 25 (12), 2018–2044. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21940
  • 11 Berry, C., Burton, S., Howlett, E., & Newman, C. L. (2019). Understanding the Calorie Labeling Paradox in Chain Restaurants: Why Menu Calorie Labeling Alone May Not Affect Average Calories Ordered. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing , 38 (2), 192–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915619827013
  • 12 Dallas, S. K., Liu, P. J., & Ubel, P. A. (2019). Don’t Count Calorie Labeling Out: Calorie Counts on the Left Side of Menu Items Lead to Lower Calorie Food Choices. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29(1), 60–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1053
  • 13 Theis, D. R. Z., & Adams, J. (2019). Differences in energy and nutritional content of menu items served by popular UK chain restaurants with versus without voluntary menu labelling: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE , 14 (10), e0222773. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222773
  • 14 Public Health England. (2019). Sugar reduction: Report on progress between 2015 and 2018 . Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832182/Sugar_reduction__Yr2_progress_report.pdf

Image Credits

  • Figure 7.17. “Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults, BRFSS, 1990-2010” by Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 7.18. “Prevalence of self-reported obesity among U.S. adults in 2011 and 2018”  by Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 7.19. “Trends in obesity prevalence”  by National Center for Health Statistics is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 7.20. Elements of obesogenic environment: “wocintech”  by WOCinTech Cha  is licensed under CC BY 2.0 ; “Perfect timing”  by Tamara Menzi , Unsplash is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “Vending machines”  by Purchase College Library  is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
  • Figure 7.21. Farmers markets. “group of people standing near vegetables”  by Megan Markham  is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “Veggies at Corvallis Farmers Market” by Friends of Family Farmers is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
  • Figure 7.22. Menu labeling. “Ballpark Calorie Counting”  by Kevin Harber  is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
  • Figure 7.23. Increasing physical activity. “Early bird” by Jorge Vasconez  is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “boy running to the future”  by Rafaela Biazi  is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “people riding bicycles inside bicycle lane beside skyscraper” by Steinar Engeland  is in the Public Domain, CC0

Economic and social circumstances, such as poverty and racism, that impact health.

Built environments that promote weight gain by encouraging food intake and limiting physical activity.

Areas where healthy foods simply aren’t available or easily accessible.

Having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

Having inconsistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

Nutrition: Science and Everyday Application, v. 1.0 Copyright © 2020 by Alice Callahan, PhD; Heather Leonard, MEd, RDN; and Tamberly Powell, MS, RDN is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

What Can Be Done

Obesity is a complex disease with many contributing factors. Neighborhood design, access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages, and access to safe and convenient places for physical activity can all impact obesity. Racial and ethnic disparities in obesity underscore the need to address social determinants of health such as poverty, education, and housing to remove barriers to health. Equitable access to obesity prevention and treatment is also needed to slow the obesity epidemic. Policy makers and community leaders can work to ensure that their communities, environments, and systems support a healthy, active lifestyle for all.

A man hiking

The Federal government is

  • Studying what works in communities to make it easier for people to be more physically active and have a healthier diet.
  • Measuring trends in obesity and related risk factors.
  • Developing and promoting guidelines on dietary patterns  and amounts of physical activity Americans need for good health .
  • Helping  families with lower incomes get affordable, nutritious foods  through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, and farm-to-education programs.
  • Supporting children and families who are at higher risk for obesity through services at Federally Qualified Health Centers, Head Start, WIC, and other service agencies.
  • Funding programs and providing training and resources for initiatives that promote healthy eating, food and nutrition security, and physical activity .

A woman shopping for fresh  produce

Some states and communities are

  • Making it easier to choose healthy food options where people live, work, learn, and play.
  • Making healthy foods more available by connecting local producers with retailers and organizations such as childcare, schools, hospitals, and food hubs.
  • Promoting nutrition standards in early care and education settings, food pantries, and faith-based organizations.
  • Partnering with business and civic leaders to plan and carry-out local, culturally tailored interventions to address poor nutrition, and physical inactivity and tobacco use.
  • Designing communities that connect sidewalks, bicycle routes, and public transportation with homes, early care and education settings, schools, parks, and workplaces.

Healthcare providers can

  • Measure patients’ weight, height, and body mass index, and counsel them on keeping a healthy weight and its role in disease prevention.
  • Screen children and adults for overweight and obesity and refer patients with obesity to intensive programs, including family healthy weight programs and the Diabetes Prevention Program .
  • Counsel patients about nutrition, physical activity, and optimal sleep.
  • Use respectful and non-stigmatizing, person-first language with all individuals in weight-related discussions.
  • Connect patients and families with community services to help them have easier access to healthy food and ways to be active.
  • Discuss the use of medications and other treatments for excess weight.
  • Seek out continuing medical education on the latest on obesity science.

A man with a salad

Everyone can

  • Eat a healthy diet by following the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
  • Get the amount of physical activity recommended by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2 nd edition.
  • Get involved in community efforts to improve options for healthier foods and physical activity.
  • Lose weight, if they weigh more than recommended, to help reduce risk for many chronic diseases.
  • Get enough sleep .
  • Manage stress .
  • Talk to their healthcare providers about available obesity prevention and treatment options to help reduce potential health risks.

To receive email updates about this topic, enter your email address.

DNPAO logo

  • Physical Activity
  • Overweight & Obesity
  • Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity
  • Breastfeeding
  • Micronutrient Malnutrition
  • State and Local Programs
  • Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
  • Prevent Heart Disease
  • Healthy Schools – Promoting Healthy Behaviors
  • Obesity Among People with Disabilities

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
  • Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
  • You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
  • CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

IELTS Practice.Org

IELTS Practice Tests and Preparation Tips

  • Band 9 IELTS Essays

IELTS essay about obesity and its causes and solutions

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published January 24, 2017 · Updated August 12, 2023

Essay topic

The number of people who are at risk of serious health problems due to being overweight is increasing. What is the reason for the growth in overweight people in society? How can this problem be solved?

Sample essay

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of overweight people in the world. This can be attributed to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. Obesity is a major health problem. It is a risk factor for diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

Excessive consumption of junk foods is the number one cause of obesity. Junk or fast foods are rich in calories and unhealthy fats. When we consume more calories than our body can burn, it will convert the excess calories into fat. As a result people who consume calorie rich foods on a regular basis gain weight. Late night dinners are another cause of weight gain. When we have a heavy meal immediately before going to bed, the body does not get an opportunity to burn it. Our sedentary lifestyle is also to blame. Most of us have jobs that allow us to spend our entire day in a chair. This lack of physical activity reduces our requirement for calories. Still, we are consuming more calories than we need.

Limiting the consumption of calories and making physical activity an important part of your routine is the only way to combat obesity. Our bodies are designed to move. When we exercise, we not only burn the excess calories but also reduce our risk for a variety of illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. We need to make proper changes to our eating habits too. We must make a conscious effort to stay away from fatty foods. We must also ensure that we are having low calorie healthy meals at regular intervals.

To conclude, while it is true that the number of obese people is on the rise this problem can be tackled by making appropriate changes to our lifestyle and eating habits.

The next time you decide to  buy online dissertation or essay, and improve your English grammar, please, visit our blog to find more tricks and samples on how to write your essay correctly on your own.

Quick Links

  • IELTS Mock Test
  • Band 8 Letter Samples
  • OET Writing Sample
  • Band 7 Essay Sample

Tags: ielts essay samples

solution for obesity essay

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

  • Next story  IELTS essay sample | The popularity of consumer goods is a reflection of the power of advertising
  • Previous story  Band 9 essay sample | Keeping pets can cause health problems in children

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

IELTS Practice

IELTS Sample Test

Band 9 Essay Samples

  • Band 8 Essay Samples

Band 7.5 Essay Samples

  • Band 7 essay samples

Band 9 letter samples

Band 7.5 IELTS letter samples

  • Band 8 letter samples
  • Band 7 letter samples

Academic IELTS Task 1 reports

Get Free Lessons In Your Inbox

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Author | Manjusha Nambiar

Manjusha

  • Academic Writing Task 1
  • Advantage Disadvantage Essays
  • Advantages/Disadvantages Essays
  • Agree Or Disagree
  • Band 6 essay samples
  • CELPIP Writing Samples
  • Discuss Both Views
  • Discussion Essays
  • Grammar exercises
  • IELTS Books
  • ielts model essays
  • IELTS Model Letters
  • IELTS Questions
  • ielts reading
  • IELTS Writing
  • Learn English
  • OET Letters
  • Positive or Negative Essays
  • Problem Solution Essays
  • PTE Academic Essays
  • Sample Essays
  • Sample Letters
  • Sample Reports
  • Students' Essays
  • Uncategorized
  • Writing Tips
  • Discovering India
  • English Grammar and Writing
  • IELTS Writing Tips
  • Learn Maths Online
  • NCERT Guides

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Publications
  • Account settings
  • Advanced Search
  • Journal List
  • v.14(1); Spring 2010

Logo of permanentej

Obesity: Problem, Solution, or Both?

Vincent j felitti.

Vincent J Felitti, MD, FACP, is a retired Internist from the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Clairemont Mesa Medical Office in San Diego, CA. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. E-mail: moc.cam@acdsdmfjv

Kathy Jakstis

Kathy Jakstis is the Manager of the Positive Choice Wellness Center for the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. E-mail: [email protected]

Victoria Pepper

Victoria Pepper, MS, is the Marketing and Promotions Health Educator for the Positive Choice Wellness Center in the San Diego Area of the Southern California Region. E-mail: [email protected]

Albert Ray, MD, is Assistant Chief of the Department of Family Practice at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego and is an elected Director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. E-mail: [email protected]

Since 1982, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group's Positive Choice Weight Loss Program in San Diego has treated more than 30,000 adults, predominantly middle-aged, for obesity—some successfully, some not. This has been an extraordinary experience and provided us with numerous counterintuitive observations. We now are convinced that obesity is widely misunderstood, and we realize that the unusual program we have operated safely and effectively for more than a quarter century is often misunderstood as well. There is growing interest in our program and in using our approach as a model for other Kaiser Permanente (KP) Regions. We therefore share an overview here of our experience with this specific program. Consequently, most referenced works in this report are publications emanating from our program, sometimes contrasting those findings with conventional views on the subject.

The Positive Choice Weight Loss Program has two integrated components:

  • Prolonged absolute fasting, with the use of a supplement to support health and to prevent death from such fasting.
  • A lengthy and complex group program to explore the basis of each participant's unconscious compulsive use of food, as well as to explore the hidden benefits of obesity for that individual.

Given that the average weight loss of someone completing our 20-week program is 62 lb (28 kg) and that approximately 5000 patients each have lost more than 100 lb (45 kg), we realize we have challenged the belief systems of some who assume either that such weight loss cannot commonly be achieved or that the process of supplemented absolute fasting must be dangerous. In fact, the process has been notably safe, and major improvements in biomedical outcomes have been the norm. This article addresses four basic issues:

  • The safety of properly supplemented prolonged absolute fasting in obesity
  • The observed origins of obesity, and their implications
  • The components of a relevant treatment program
  • Outcomes of the Program.

Overview of Unsupplemented Starvation

The Irish hunger strikers of the early 1980s illustrated the outcome of unsupplemented, prolonged, absolute fasting. They only drank water, and it was clear after six weeks that all involved had sustained significant weight loss and were mortally ill. By seven weeks, all were dead. They died because of profound potassium and magnesium deficiency, with consequent lethal cardiac arrhythmia. Had they received electrolyte supplementation and had the hunger strikers been obese, they could have lived for several months longer before dying because of major protein deficiency. Supplementing two essential fatty acids and the essential amino acids needed for anabolic protein turnover would have prevented such a death. Had this been done, the hunger strikers would have died toward the end of a year because of beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy. Preventing these diseases by vitamin supplementation would be straightforward. To simplify the example, we have left out the problem of calorie deficiency in these nonobese individuals. In obese individuals, body fat stores of course resolve this problem; the metabolism of these fat stores is obviously the basis for weight loss. Details of unsupplemented starvation can be found in the famous work of Ancel Keys, described in his two-volume Biology of Human Starvation. 1

Safety of Supplemented Fasting

The nutritional supplement Optifast 70 was created by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals to supply electrolytes, amino acids, two essential fatty acids, and vitamins. At 420 cal/d in five feedings, this superbly designed product allows a sufficiently morbidly obese individual to cease eating all food and caloric beverages for at least a full year. In our entire experience, no death or biomedical harm has occurred in any of these individuals.

During a year of supplemented absolute fasting, a weight loss of approximately 300 lb (136 kg) will occur ( Figure 1 ). To the degree that this does not occur, it means that the patient is consuming food, regardless of denial. Surprisingly, hunger is not a problem. However, the desire to eat is variable, ranging from minor to uncontrollable. Interestingly, this desire to eat is an issue separate from hunger. Indeed, it attests to the profound psychoactive benefits of food, as illustrated by a commonplace observation that is even built into our language: “Sit down and have something to eat; you'll feel better.” There is truth for many in the phrase “comfort food.”

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is prjl.14.1.024f1.jpg

Patient who lost 277 lb in 51 weeks

Origins of Obesity

In the early years of the Weight Program, we naively were taking morbidly obese individuals down 300 lb (136 kg) at a time, a rate of loss distinctly exceeding that of bariatric surgery. The striking results perhaps understandably led us to believe that we understood what we were doing. Counterintuitively, some of our most successful patients forced us to realize we were merely in possession of a powerful technology and had no idea what we were doing in other regards. They did this by demonstrating that massive weight loss could precipitate divorce, severe anxiety, and sometimes suicidality. Some patients, sensing these outcomes early, fled their own success in the Program. Surprisingly, our high dropout rate was mainly limited to patients who were successfully losing weight. By contrast, we had other patients who were eating during the Program, routinely denying it, and losing no weight while paying a fairly significant fee, seemingly to accomplish nothing. With these patients, it took some time for us to realize that we were supplying an important support system with our group approach. It turned out that many of our obese patients had no functional support systems at home.

The striking and frankly annoying conflict between our ability quickly and safely to reduce a person's weight and what patients appeared capable of tolerating emotionally led us to detailed exploration of the life histories of 286 of our patients. Here, we unexpectedly discovered that histories of childhood sexual abuse were common, as were histories of growing up in markedly dysfunctional households. It became evident that traumatic life experiences during childhood and adolescence were far more common in an obese population than was comfortably recognized. 2 We slowly discovered that major weight loss is often sexually or physically threatening and that obesity, whatever its health risks, is protective emotionally. Ultimately, we saw that certain of our more intractable public health problems such as obesity are often also unconsciously attempted solutions to problems dating back to the earliest years but hidden by time, by shame, by secrecy, and by social taboos against exploring certain areas of life experience. The antecedent life experiences of the obese are quite different from those of the always-slender. 3 Eventually, these Program findings led to the 17,000-member Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, in which we established that the developmental damage initially discovered in our obese patients was broadly applicable to many aspects of everyday medical practice. 4 , 5

Ultimately, we learned from our patients that in obesity, we are dealing with two core problems:

  • The unconscious, compulsive use of food for its psychoactive benefits
  • The unrecognized and unspoken benefits of obesity.

These two core problems are markedly at variance with conventional thinking about obesity, starting with the government's food pyramid. Worse yet, these two basic problems are uncomfortable to deal with. In reviewing the medical literature, one quickly notes that most articles purporting to discuss the causes of obesity quickly switch to describing the unhealthy consequences of obesity and never pursue their stated goal. One also notes the tendency to confuse intermediary mechanism with basic cause. For instance, several years ago, leptin deficiency was proposed as the cause of human obesity. Although that idea has now been discarded, someday the “real leptin” will be discovered, but it will no more be causal than increased levels of epinephrine are the cause of anxiety. Each is a necessary intermediary mechanism, not a basic cause. Understanding the difference is as essential to progress in treatment as it is to primary prevention.

It became evident that traumatic life experiences during childhood and adolescence were far more common in an obese population than was comfortably recognized. 2

Any physician choosing to validate in his patients the points being made here will be in the position of asking about topics that we have all learned are not discussed by polite people. Incest, rape, family suicides, and parental brutality are not readily brought up. That being the case, we physicians typically have no basis for opinions on the frequency or rarity of such life experiences. We documented these experiences as surprisingly common among our patients, but we did not know that before we began routinely inquiring about them. Counterintuitively, we learned that discussion of these experiences is usually not uncomfortable to those who have had them, if they are supported by someone comfortable with their discussion. Patients often find a great sense of relief in discussing their life experiences. As one patient wrote, “The shame, guilt, and pain for the abuse and molestations of childhood, and being raped, was so great that I had to come forward or die. If your questionnaire had been put in front of me, it would have shown me that people existed in the medical profession who knew about the sad things that happen to some people.” This poignant statement imposes a huge responsibility on us that we can of course avoid by falling back on lack of time or lack of training as being the factor that precludes our inquiry.

The now internationally recognized ACE Study was initiated to determine the prevalence and outcomes of ten categories of such life experiences in more than 17,000 consecutive adults from KP's San Diego population. 6 These experiences are common, and their consequences are devastating in terms of emotional damage, biomedical disease, and the costs of health care. Like a child's footprints in wet cement, the consequences are lifelong. Putting it plainly in regard to obesity, we have seen that obesity is not the core problem. Obesity is the marker for the problem and sometimes is a solution. This is a profoundly important realization because none of us expects to cure a problem by treating its symptom.

Given the nature of our observations about the causes of obesity, repeatedly documented in thousands of responses to our preprogram questionnaire (See http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/spr10/PreprogramQuestionnaire.pdf to view the questionnaire) and in more than 50 videotaped interviews, it was inevitable by the early 1990s that we revise our program to fuse two separate goals: weight loss by supplemented fasting, and helping patients identify and resolve the life experiences underlying obesity. By far the easier of the two goals is the medical management of supplemented absolute fasting. Weekly checks of potassium levels, blood pressure measurements in patients taking antihypertensive medications, and blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes are our most common tracking measures other than weight itself. Other details of biomedical management are equally straightforward but are not the point of this article. Chronic disease is not a reason for exclusion from the Program; most such patients should actually be sought for Program inclusion if obese. Our only absolute exclusions are pregnancy and recent myocardial infarction or stroke. Optifast 70, drunk five times daily for a total daily intake of 420 cal, is a remarkable material that makes biologically safe the otherwise unthinkable. The remainder of the day's caloric needs come from body fat stores as long as those fat stores exist. It is important to understand that Optifast 70 has one function only: the prevention of death from prolonged absolute fasting. It does not take weight off people; not eating does that. And it has nothing to do with whether lost weight is regained or kept off; that outcome is solely a function of what is accomplished or not accomplished by the group work of the Program.

By contrast with the simplicity of fasting, the weekly two-hour group meetings of the Program are a complex endeavor that is difficult for some patients to engage in and is difficult to train staff to pursue vigorously. By the mid-1980s, we had learned that our initial goal of teaching people to “eat right” was totally irrelevant to obesity, although it seemed a reasonable thing to do when we did not know what to do. In retrospect, we should have known better because most of us knew that overweight, middle-aged women commonly know enough about calorie content to give a dietitian a run for his or her money any day of the week. Nutrition is an interesting and important subject that has no more relationship to obesity than it does to anorexia. The role of the Program is to help people recognize and find an acceptable alternate solution or resolution to the underlying problems being treated with food. We are at an early stage of success; the work is difficult because it is resisted by some patients and can awaken personal ghosts in staff, but we have clearly established a beachhead on the right beach and slowly are moving inland.

In the course of detailed interviewing of about 2000 obese patients over the past 20 years, in-depth and often repetitively over time, we have noted several recurrent findings:

  • It is rare for anyone to be born obese. In 2000 adult obese patients, only one individual was born overweight, at 14 lb (6 kg), to a 550-lb (250-kg) mother, and she was slender throughout childhood and adolescence until age 20, when she married an alcoholic and suddenly began massive weight gains, ultimately matching her mother's weight. “Born fat” is a defensive concept.
  • A significant minority of our Program participants are born at subnormal weight because of prematurity.
  • Obesity indeed runs in families, as does speaking the same language. It is the distribution pattern of body fat deposition that is genetically determined, not its presence.
  • Major weight gain is typically abrupt, episodic, and life-event related.
  • The forces underlying extreme morbid obesity are relatively easy to discern for those seeking them. They are qualitatively similar to those underlying mild overweight, though they are much harder to discern in the latter.
  • The age at which weight gain first began is critically important because it allows one to inquire why it began then . Some patients will know and others will not want to know, but this is an essential point not to be dropped because of patient avoidance.
  • Obesity commonly is beneficially protective: sexually, physically, and socially. This is an uncomfortably difficult point for many nonobese individuals to accept.
  • Major weight loss may present a significant threat, usually to the person involved, but sometimes to others.
  • Emotional support from others for major weight loss is uncertain.

With adequate medical monitoring, there is no biologic risk to supplemented absolute fasting. Supplemented fasting has two treatment advantages:

  • When large amounts of weight are to be lost, it reduces weight quickly enough to provide positive and supportive feedback.
  • By removing eating as a major coping device, we expose the underlying issues that are being treated by the psychoactive properties of food.

The main work of the Program enters personal territory that is comfortably off-limits to polite people. It is therefore difficult and demanding, though conceptually simple. Doing the work in groups is essential because of the implicit support of the group and because participants quickly learn from each other's self-observations. To the degree that counselors pose meaningful questions to their groups, and insist on answers to the questions asked and not to some enfeebled version of their questions, they are successful. To the degree that they teach by lecturing, they fail. In actual fact, our task is to help the participants discover what they already know at some level, and then to use that discovery for their own benefit. To illustrate the process, some seemingly simple questions may be offered for our readers to try, understanding that this works best in small groups and initially will be stressful for the group leader:

  • Why (not how) do you think people get fat?
  • How old were you when you first began putting on weight? Why do you think it was then and not a few years earlier or later?
  • Sometimes people who lose a lot of weight regain it all, if not more. When that happens, why do you think it happens?
  • What are the advantages of being overweight?

Patients' answers to these questions are staggeringly counterintuitive to conventional thinking about obesity. Moreover, their answers have been consistent over the many years we have posed these questions in group sessions. For instance, answers to question 1 routinely are: “stress, depression, people leave you alone, men won't bother you.” There are of course occasional escapist responses like “I just like food.” In that case, the following response to the answer given for question 2 is helpful: “Really? Can you tell us why you suddenly liked food more at 22 when you first began putting on weight?” Responses to question 3 always are versions of “If you don't deal with the underlying issues, the weight will come back.” About 60% of the time, someone in a group will also propose that regain occurs because major weight loss is threatening. Answers to question 4 repeatedly fall into three categories: obesity is sexually protective; it is physically protective (eg, “throwing your weight around”); and it is socially protective—people expect less from you.

… a physician has to become part of the problem by authenticating as biomedical disease that which is actually the somatic inscription of life experience onto the human body and brain .

Ultimately, we were forced to recognize that patients in a supportive setting speak of things that we ourselves may find it easier not to know. This embarrassing recognition exposes the tempting opportunity that a physician or group leader has to become part of the problem by authenticating as biomedical disease that which is actually the somatic inscription of life experience onto the human body and brain. The frequent reference to “the disease of obesity” is grossly in error, diagnostically destitute, and apparently made by those with little understanding of the antecedent lives of their patients. Obesity, like tachycardia or jaundice, is a physical sign, not a disease.

What we have learned about obesity has been more widely applicable in everyday medical practice than we would ever have contemplated. The general principles underlying the unconscious, compulsive use of food as a psychoactive agent are common to any of the addictions. We unwittingly recognized this at some level in the early years of the Program by giving as gifts, coffee mugs bearing the inscription, “It's hard to get enough of something that almost works.” The psychoactive benefits of food are profound though not curative: “Sit down and have something to eat; you'll feel better.” Hunger is not at issue in that saying. Whether we are talking about the next mouthful, the next drink, the next cigarette, the next sexual partner, or the next dose of whatever psychoactive chemical we might buy on the street, the concept is equally applicable: It's hard to get enough of something that almost works.

Slowly, we have come to recognize that overeating is not the basic problem. It is an attempted solution, and people are not eager to give up their solutions, particularly at the behest of those who have no idea of what is going on. Nor is obesity the problem. Obesity is the consequence, the marker for the problem, much in the way that smoke is the marker for a house fire. Often enough, obesity is even the solution—to problems that are buried in time and further protected by shame, by secrecy, and by social taboos against exploring certain areas of human experience. A memorable response comes to mind from 1985 when a patient, going with us through a timeline of her life in which weight, age, and events were matched, told us that at age 23 she was raped and that in the subsequent year she gained 105 lb (48 kg). Looking down at the carpet, she then muttered to herself, “Overweight is overlooked, and that's the way I need to be.” Not knowing how to respond at the time, we said nothing. A few weeks later when she had lost 35 lb (16 kg), enough to be noticeable, she abruptly disappeared for 2.5 years, quickly regaining the weight. When she attempted to rejoin the Program after that hiatus, we discovered that she had no recollection of this conversation. Prompted by this to look into the issue of amnesia, we found in a sample of 300 consecutive obesity program patients that 12% acknowledged a history of focal amnesia, typically for the few years antecedent to the onset of weight gain. Amnesia is a high-grade marker for dissociation, which is a high-grade marker for abuse. 7

Just as no one becomes amnesic because of good experiences, no one becomes fat out of joy. Depression is common in the Program and is a major stumbling block to weight loss. Not surprisingly, until the recent advent of pharmacologic blockers of fat absorption, every single “diet pill” save one has had potent antidepressant activity. The exception was fenfluramine, whose potent antianxiety activity was linked with the antidepressant phentermine as the first component of fen-phen. These medications can play a useful supportive role, but it should be understood that what is being treated is depression or anxiety, the consequences of antecedent life experiences, and not obesity per se. Overall, we have found and documented that the antecedent life experiences of the obese are quite different from those of the always-slender. 3

Subsequent to the 20-week weight-loss phase of the Program, we have a 12-month Maintenance Phase. Initially thinking that this was necessary to teach people how to eat right, we slowly came to see that Maintenance indeed is essential, but for other reasons: to provide group support when major weight loss is threatening, usually to the person involved but sometimes to those who are close. Some of our patients regain all their weight, and others do not. The question we posed was: What are the differences between those who regain and those who do not? We have identified two major predictors of regain: a history of childhood sexual abuse and currently being married to an alcoholic. 8 The latter can probably be generalized into having a significantly dysfunctional marriage, but that concept was too nebulous to study as an outcome.

Today the prevalence of obesity is rapidly increasing in children. Although our experience with obese children is quite limited, we are impressed by the number of adults who date the onset of their initial weight gain to coincide with parental loss in childhood, usually by divorce. Our most obese female patient, weighing 840 lb (381 kg) at age 29, was born weighing slightly less than 2 lb (0.9 kg) and was thin until her parents divorced when she was 11 years old and she never again saw her father. By age 17, she weighed 500 lb (227 kg). This correlation with parental divorce has escaped general attention, although a search in Google Scholar using the phrase childhood obesity divorce quickly indicates its presence in the literature. Given the high prevalence of divorce in the US, we suspect that “McDonald's” may be a more comfortable explanation for childhood obesity, although it obviously misrepresents mechanism as cause.

Bariatric surgery has been increasing in popularity since its initiation in 1967 by Edward Mason, the remarkable Iowa surgeon who introduced gastric bypass surgery to the US. 9 Our own experience in the Program with bariatric surgery is biased because we see a disproportionate number of cases where “the surgery failed” and patients consequently enter the Weight Loss Program. We have found alternate explanations that are not usually considered. An unexpectedly clear insight was provided by a recent patient comment: “The antidote [sic] to bariatric surgery is Karo Syrup.” The psychological implication is blatant; the physiologic insight is ingenious. One may not be able to chew one's way through a lot after bariatric surgery, but the ability to ingest highly caloric liquids is unlimited. The question, of course, is: Why would a patient do that? A different take on bariatric surgery is depicted in a brief video clip of an interview with a patient available at: http://public.me.com/vjfmdsdca. These comments from patients are, once again, counterintuitive to conventional views about obesity. We have slowly learned that our average patient on the one hand wants very much to lose weight but on the other hand often has significant unconscious fear of the changes that major weight loss will bring about. In keeping with this unexpressed conflict, it is worth remembering that opposing forces are routinely present in biologic systems.

We have measured our Program outcomes in three categories:

  • Weight loss
  • Maintenance of weight lost
  • Benefits of weight loss.

The average weight loss in one 20-week cycle of our program has been 62 lb (28 kg). The most anyone has ever lost in our former 26-week cycle was 157 lb (71 kg). This was a highly motivated man with a large underlying muscle mass.

Eighteen months after completion of the Program, half of our patients are keeping off 60% or more of the weight lost. These are old data and have probably improved with the revised Program, but we have not restudied the point. Instead, we have studied the differences between those who regain and those who do not. 8 Our ability to predict regain offers the possibility for preventive treatment in advance.

The biomedical benefits of such major weight loss have been dramatic. Of 400 consecutive patients taking medication for hypertension who completed the Program, 62% were able to discontinue all medication and no longer had hypertension. Of 400 consecutive patients with hypercholesterolemia, the average starting cholesterol level was 285 mg/dL; the average cholesterol level for those completing the Program was 204 mg/dL. Most impressively, of 320 patients with Type 2 diabetes who completed the Program, 71% were able to discontinue medication and had normal fasting blood sugars. In terms of health care economics, there is a 25% reduction in physician office visits while patients are in the Program and a 40% reduction in such visits in the subsequent year. Certainly, some of this is due to a reduced disease burden, but we suspect that a significant portion is due to reduced emotional distress in patients who have been helped in supportive settings to speak of the worst secrets of their lives and have been enabled to emerge feeling still accepted as human beings.

We have had an unusual opportunity to become deeply involved in the treatment of major obesity since 1985. What we have counterintuitively learned from that experience is that obesity, though an obvious physical sign and easily measured, is not the core problem to be treated, any more than smoke is the core problem to be treated in house fires. Supplemented absolute fasting is a highly effective treatment for obesity, but only if it is combined with a meaningful program that is designed to help patients explore the psychodynamic issues that underlie overeating as a coping device, as well as exploring the possible protective benefits of obesity itself. The work is difficult because it threatens social conventions and beliefs and often awakens personal ghosts in staff. This can lead to nonalignment of purpose and reminds us of Michael Balint's famous comment, “Patients see doctors because of anxiety, while doctors see patients because of disease. Therein lies the problem between the two.” 10 Although our work with obesity is difficult to carry out, we have nevertheless found that the work we have described can be done and that the benefits are major.

Disclosure Statement

The author(s) have no conflicts of interest to disclose .

Acknowledgments

Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS, of KOK Edit provided editorial assistance .

The Boston Tea Party

To say that obesity is caused by merely consuming too many calories is like saying that the only cause of the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party.

— Adelle Davis, 1904-1974, American author and nutrition pioneer

Soul of the healer

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is prjl.14.1.024uf1.jpg

“Three Mushrooms, Latourell Creek” photograph By David S Emmons, LCSW

David S Emmons, LCSW, is a Mental Health Triage Therapist at the Interstate Medical Offices in Portland, OR. He is a serious amateur photographer working in slide and print film, and he divides his subject matter between the urban and the natural world.

Childhood Obesity: Solutions that Fit the Problem

For nearly 20 years, childhood obesity has been considered a public health crisis in the U.S. And yet, more children than ever before are struggling with weight management. Nearly 42 percent of teens between 16 and 19 are overweight or obese, and the repercussions are determining their future right now.

Obese children are at nearly twice the risk of having three or more co-morbidities, when compared to children who are not overweight, according to research led by Dr. Neal Halfon , Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH), the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Luskin School of Public Affairs. These kids don’t just bring the potential for depression, ADHD or a learning disability to school with them; they could bring all three or a number of other associated conditions. Any one of these co-morbidities on its own can seriously limit a child’s academic progress and transition into adulthood. But for some of these children, the idea of moving into a career is the last thing on their mind. They’re far more concerned with other pressing realities, like bullying and thoughts of suicide.

While the scourge of childhood obesity has become entrenched in our society, progress has been made to untangle its complexities and root it out. Through a combination of research and hands-on community involvement, UCLA and partners are helping our children find the solutions that fit their unique challenges.

Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

A healthy appetite for water-rich, fiber-rich produce plays a crucial role in curbing food cravings and reducing obesity in children. But these choices have become harder to find in many day-to-day environments, especially for those who need healthy options the most.

More than 42 million people in the U.S. are food insecure. They lack reliable access to food that is both affordable and nutritious, like fresh produce. Instead, when they walk to and from school or go out for lunch on the weekend, they find themselves choosing from an abundance of fast food and convenience store snacks.

“The gut microbiome research suggests that the quality of what one eats is an important influence on satiety. People who need to economize when it comes to food choices buy low-cost foods that are fiber-poor and calorie-rich, and because the lack of fiber reaching the gut microbiota depresses satiety signaling, it also means they need more calories to feel satisfied than people with diets high in fruits and vegetables,” explains Dr. William McCarthy , Adjunct Professor in the FSPH Department of Health Policy and Management.  

While the food insecurity situation can be dismaying, Dr. McCarthy knows there is hope. His research has shown that even if children don’t make the healthy choice right away, just giving them the option will develop their appetite. "Schools need to be patient and tolerate some plate waste … but students will not expand their liking for fruits and vegetables if they don't at least taste the food."

One way UCLA is making the healthy choice the easy choice is through Good Food for Local Schools (GFFLS). The national school lunch program feeds almost half of all kids in the U.S. That’s 31 million hungry bellies every day. GFFLS provides school districts with a comprehensive tool kit of resources for supporting healthy, sustainable food in pre-K–12 schools. This includes curriculum, operational resources, policy, research, and services that help our school districts make informed, systemic change.

Break a Sweat to Change a Life

Children also need to balance the calories they consume with enough physical activity. But it’s no secret that they are living increasingly sedentary lives, attached to digital devices. Activities that could be fun and full of exercise are greeted with moans of aversion.

For generations, Physical Education (P.E.) was the front line of defense against inactivity. This was especially true for inner-city youth. However, funding cuts and pressure to perform well on standardized tests have made P.E. an afterthought for many districts. The situation is currently so bad that the median P.E. budget is only $1.50 per student a year, in a school of 500 students. The result is that many students in this generation are growing up without adequate fitness equipment, a motivational fitness curriculum, and professional development for their teachers.

UCLA has an active presence in thousands of schools across the nation. The Sound Body Sound Mind (SBSM) program is one example of how our research can combine with action to create change. The program, which serves more than 185,000 students a year, is unique in that it develops both the body and the mind to enjoy physical activity. Most of the children in the program don’t start off thinking of themselves as athletic. But after they’ve been in the program for a while, they report higher levels of confidence and perform better on fitness tests. As the SBSM cofounder Professor William E. Simon likes to say, “exercise is preventive medicine.”

One Size Does Not Fit All

While it’s clear that programs targeting nutrition and exercise help, it isn’t clear why results aren’t easy to replicate from one zip code to another ... yet.   

“Looking at our data it became very clear that we have families in census tracts right next to each other with very different obesity rates—one community where the trajectory was going up right next to another where it was going down, for reasons that weren’t clear,” says Dr. Shannon Whaley, Director of Research and Evaluation at Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC (PHFE WIC). “Up to now, no study that I’m aware of has looked at the interplay between community-level environmental issues and early childhood obesity rates.”

What the public health community and concerned agencies have been lacking is a tool that can help them understand the myriad of cultural factors at play. And that’s exactly what a team of researchers at the FSPH is creating.    

“We want to understand which strategies are most effective within the context of a specific neighborhood,” says Dr. May C. Wang , Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences at the FSPH. The result is an NIH-funded interdisciplinary project led by Wang and Dr. Michael Prelip of UCLA, in partnership with Whaley of PHFE WIC and others, called the Early Childhood Obesity Systems Science Study (ECOSyS).

ECOSyS innovatively applies methods from the field of systems science, to better understand the impact of various intervention strategies on childhood obesity in diverse neighborhood or community settings, and has the potential to advance knowledge about replicating and scaling-up interventions. For instance, preliminary findings suggest that interventions that promote breast-feeding may influence the effectiveness of child nutrition and physical activity programs on child growth.

“Rather than examine one program or policy at a time to see its impact, with systems science we can examine a collection of programs and policies all at once to determine their impact on obesity among the 2- to 5-year-old population,” says Dr. Prelip , Professor and Chair of Community Health Sciences at FSPH. It’s a breakthrough that promises to help agencies across the nation coordinate their efforts and utilize their finite resources on well-informed, comprehensive change.

The Choice is Ours

In less than a single lifetime, childhood obesity has become one of the greatest threats to our children. The causes are numerous, but more than ever before, our understanding of them is clear. With the knowledge gained through research and civic action, we can fight back together. It will take community-wide support as well as individual determination to create the systemic change our children need. But it is possible, and within our power, to help them make their next choice their best choice.

solution for obesity essay

Latest Impact Stories

A toddler in a highchair eats broccoli

10 Tiny Steps Toward Sustainable Living

Two surfers, an elderly man and a child, hold their surfboards and size up the waves.

It’s Time to Rethink Aging

Two individuals engaging in political discussion.

Revealed: The Rules of Polite Debate

Join our email list and stay connected to the centennial celebration..

Obesity Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

Obesity Essay: A Complete Guide and Topics

By: Nova A.

11 min read

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Aug 31, 2021

Obesity Essay

Are you assigned to write an essay about obesity? The first step is to define obesity.

The obesity epidemic is a major issue facing our country right now. It's complicated- it could be genetic or due to your environment, but either way, there are ways that you can fix it!

Learn all about what causes weight gain and get tips on how you can get healthy again.

Obesity Essay

On this Page

What is Obesity

What is obesity? Obesity and BMI (body mass index) are both tools of measurement that are used by doctors to assess body fat according to the height, age, and gender of a person. If the BMI is between 25 to 29.9, that means the person has excess weight and body fat.

If the BMI exceeds 30, that means the person is obese. Obesity is a condition that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions like metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and even some types of cancer.

Obesity Definition

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as an accumulation of abnormal and excess body fat that comes with several risk factors. It is measured by the body mass index BMI, body weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of a person’s height (in meters).

Obesity in America

Obesity is on the verge of becoming an epidemic as 1 in every 3 Americans can be categorized as overweight and obese. Currently, America is an obese country, and it continues to get worse.

Order Essay

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Causes of obesity

Do you see any obese or overweight people around you?

You likely do.

This is because fast-food chains are becoming more and more common, people are less active, and fruits and vegetables are more expensive than processed foods, thus making them less available to the majority of society. These are the primary causes of obesity.

Obesity is a disease that affects all age groups, including children and elderly people.

Now that you are familiar with the topic of obesity, writing an essay won’t be that difficult for you.

How to Write an Obesity Essay

The format of an obesity essay is similar to writing any other essay. If you need help regarding how to write an obesity essay, it is the same as writing any other essay.

Obesity Essay Introduction

The trick is to start your essay with an interesting and catchy sentence. This will help attract the reader's attention and motivate them to read further. You don’t want to lose the reader’s interest in the beginning and leave a bad impression, especially if the reader is your teacher.

A hook sentence is usually used to open the introductory paragraph of an essay in order to make it interesting. When writing an essay on obesity, the hook sentence can be in the form of an interesting fact or statistic.

Head on to this detailed article on hook examples to get a better idea.

Once you have hooked the reader, the next step is to provide them with relevant background information about the topic. Don’t give away too much at this stage or bombard them with excess information that the reader ends up getting bored with. Only share information that is necessary for the reader to understand your topic.

Next, write a strong thesis statement at the end of your essay, be sure that your thesis identifies the purpose of your essay in a clear and concise manner. Also, keep in mind that the thesis statement should be easy to justify as the body of your essay will revolve around it.

Body Paragraphs

The details related to your topic are to be included in the body paragraphs of your essay. You can use statistics, facts, and figures related to obesity to reinforce your thesis throughout your essay.

If you are writing a cause-and-effect obesity essay, you can mention different causes of obesity and how it can affect a person’s overall health. The number of body paragraphs can increase depending on the parameters of the assignment as set forth by your instructor.

Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that is the crux of its content. It is necessary to write an engaging topic sentence as it helps grab the reader’s interest. Check out this detailed blog on writing a topic sentence to further understand it.

End your essay with a conclusion by restating your research and tying it to your thesis statement. You can also propose possible solutions to control obesity in your conclusion. Make sure that your conclusion is short yet powerful.

Obesity Essay Examples

Essay about Obesity (PDF)

Childhood Obesity Essay (PDF)

Obesity in America Essay (PDF)

Essay about Obesity Cause and Effects (PDF)

Satire Essay on Obesity (PDF) 

Obesity Argumentative Essay (PDF)

Obesity Essay Topics

Choosing a topic might seem an overwhelming task as you may have many ideas for your assignment. Brainstorm different ideas and narrow them down to one, quality topic.

If you need some examples to help you with your essay topic related to obesity, dive into this article and choose from the list of obesity essay topics.

Childhood Obesity

As mentioned earlier, obesity can affect any age group, including children. Obesity can cause several future health problems as children age.

Here are a few topics you can choose from and discuss for your childhood obesity essay:

  • What are the causes of increasing obesity in children?
  • Obese parents may be at risk for having children with obesity.
  • What is the ratio of obesity between adults and children?
  • What are the possible treatments for obese children?
  • Are there any social programs that can help children with combating obesity?
  • Has technology boosted the rate of obesity in children?
  • Are children spending more time on gadgets instead of playing outside?
  • Schools should encourage regular exercises and sports for children.
  • How can sports and other physical activities protect children from becoming obese?
  • Can childhood abuse be a cause of obesity among children?
  • What is the relationship between neglect in childhood and obesity in adulthood?
  • Does obesity have any effect on the psychological condition and well-being of a child?
  • Are electronic medical records effective in diagnosing obesity among children?
  • Obesity can affect the academic performance of your child.
  • Do you believe that children who are raised by a single parent can be vulnerable to obesity?
  • You can promote interesting exercises to encourage children.
  • What is the main cause of obesity, and why is it increasing with every passing day?
  • Schools and colleges should work harder to develop methodologies to decrease childhood obesity.
  • The government should not allow schools and colleges to include sweet or fatty snacks as a part of their lunch.
  • If a mother is obese, can it affect the health of the child?
  • Children who gain weight frequently can develop chronic diseases.

Obesity Argumentative Essay Topics

Do you want to write an argumentative essay on the topic of obesity?

The following list can help you with that!

Here are some examples you can choose from for your argumentative essay about obesity:

  • Can vegetables and fruits decrease the chances of obesity?
  • Should you go for surgery to overcome obesity?
  • Are there any harmful side effects?
  • Can obesity be related to the mental condition of an individual?
  • Are parents responsible for controlling obesity in childhood?
  • What are the most effective measures to prevent the increase in the obesity rate?
  • Why is the obesity rate increasing in the United States?
  • Can the lifestyle of a person be a cause of obesity?
  • Does the economic situation of a country affect the obesity rate?
  • How is obesity considered an international health issue?
  • Can technology and gadgets affect obesity rates?
  • What can be the possible reasons for obesity in a school?
  • How can we address the issue of obesity?
  • Is obesity a chronic disease?
  • Is obesity a major cause of heart attacks?
  • Are the junk food chains causing an increase in obesity?
  • Do nutritional programs help in reducing the obesity rate?
  • How can the right type of diet help with obesity?
  • Why should we encourage sports activities in schools and colleges?
  • Can obesity affect a person’s behavior?

Health Related Topics for Research Paper

If you are writing a research paper, you can explain the cause and effect of obesity.

Here are a few topics that link to the cause and effects of obesity.Review the literature of previous articles related to obesity. Describe the ideas presented in the previous papers.

  • Can family history cause obesity in future generations?
  • Can we predict obesity through genetic testing?
  • What is the cause of the increasing obesity rate?
  • Do you think the increase in fast-food restaurants is a cause of the rising obesity rate?
  • Is the ratio of obese women greater than obese men?
  • Why are women more prone to be obese as compared to men?
  • Stress can be a cause of obesity. Mention the reasons how mental health can be related to physical health.
  • Is urban life a cause of the increasing obesity rate?
  • People from cities are prone to be obese as compared to people from the countryside.
  • How obesity affects the life expectancy of people? What are possible solutions to decrease the obesity rate?
  • Do family eating habits affect or trigger obesity?
  • How do eating habits affect the health of an individual?
  • How can obesity affect the future of a child?
  • Obese children are more prone to get bullied in high school and college.
  • Why should schools encourage more sports and exercise for children?

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Topics for Essay on Obesity as a Problem

Do you think a rise in obesity rate can affect the economy of a country?

Here are some topics for your assistance regarding your economics related obesity essay.

  • Does socioeconomic status affect the possibility of obesity in an individual?
  • Analyze the film and write a review on “Fed Up” – an obesity epidemic.
  • Share your reviews on the movie “The Weight of The Nation.”
  • Should we increase the prices of fast food and decrease the prices of fruits and vegetables to decrease obesity?
  • Do you think healthy food prices can be a cause of obesity?
  • Describe what measures other countries have taken in order to control obesity?
  • The government should play an important role in controlling obesity. What precautions should they take?
  • Do you think obesity can be one of the reasons children get bullied?
  • Do obese people experience any sort of discrimination or inappropriate behavior due to their weight?
  • Are there any legal protections for people who suffer from discrimination due to their weight?
  • Which communities have a higher percentage of obesity in the United States?
  • Discuss the side effects of the fast-food industry and their advertisements on children.
  • Describe how the increasing obesity rate has affected the economic condition of the United States.
  • What is the current percentage of obesity all over the world? Is the obesity rate increasing with every passing day?
  • Why is the obesity rate higher in the United States as compared to other countries?
  • Do Asians have a greater percentage of obese people as compared to Europe?
  • Does the cultural difference affect the eating habits of an individual?
  • Obesity and body shaming.
  • Why is a skinny body considered to be ideal? Is it an effective way to reduce the obesity rate?

Obesity Solution Essay Topics

With all the developments in medicine and technology, we still don’t have exact measures to treat obesity.

Here are some insights you can discuss in your essay:

  • How do obese people suffer from metabolic complications?
  • Describe the fat distribution in obese people.
  • Is type 2 diabetes related to obesity?
  • Are obese people more prone to suffer from diabetes in the future?
  • How are cardiac diseases related to obesity?
  • Can obesity affect a woman’s childbearing time phase?
  • Describe the digestive diseases related to obesity.
  • Obesity may be genetic.
  • Obesity can cause a higher risk of suffering a heart attack.
  • What are the causes of obesity? What health problems can be caused if an individual suffers from obesity?
  • What are the side effects of surgery to overcome obesity?
  • Which drugs are effective when it comes to the treatment of obesity?
  • Is there a difference between being obese and overweight?
  • Can obesity affect the sociological perspective of an individual?
  • Explain how an obesity treatment works.
  • How can the government help people to lose weight and improve public health?

Writing an essay is a challenging yet rewarding task. All you need is to be organized and clear when it comes to academic writing.

  • Choose a topic you would like to write on.
  • Organize your thoughts.
  • Pen down your ideas.
  • Compose a perfect essay that will help you ace your subject.
  • Proofread and revise your paper.

Were the topics useful for you? We hope so!

However, if you are still struggling to write your paper, you can pick any of the topics from this list, and our essay writer will help you craft a perfect essay.

Are you struggling to write an effective essay?

If writing an essay is the actual problem and not just the topic, you can always hire an essay writing service for your help. Essay experts at 5StarEssays can help compose an impressive essay within your deadline.

All you have to do is contact us. We will get started on your paper while you can sit back and relax.

Place your order now to get an A-worthy essay.

Nova A.

Marketing, Thesis

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

  • How to Write A Bio – Professional Tips and Examples

Obesity Essay

  • Learn How to Write an Article Review with Examples

Obesity Essay

  • How to Write a Poem Step-by-Step Like a Pro

Obesity Essay

  • How To Write Poetry - 7 Fundamentals and Tips

Obesity Essay

  • Know About Appendix Writing With the Help of Examples

Obesity Essay

  • List of Social Issues Faced By the World

Obesity Essay

  • How To Write A Case Study - Easy Guide

Obesity Essay

  • Learn How to Avoid Plagiarism in 7 Simple Steps

Obesity Essay

  • Writing Guide of Visual Analysis Essay for Beginners

Obesity Essay

  • Learn How to Write a Personal Essay by Experts

Obesity Essay

  • Character Analysis - A Step By Step Guide

Obesity Essay

  • Thematic Statement: Writing Tips and Examples

Obesity Essay

  • Expert Guide on How to Write a Summary

Obesity Essay

  • How to Write an Opinion Essay - Structure, Topics & Examples

Obesity Essay

  • How to Write a Synopsis - Easy Steps and Format Guide

Obesity Essay

  • Learn How To Write An Editorial By Experts

Obesity Essay

  • How to Get Better at Math - Easy Tips and Tricks

Obesity Essay

  • How to Write a Movie Review - Steps and Examples

Obesity Essay

  • Creative Writing - Easy Tips For Beginners

Obesity Essay

  • Types of Plagiarism Every Student Should Know

Obesity Essay

People Also Read

  • writing a book review
  • impromptu speech topics
  • literary analysis essay outline
  • types of plagiarism
  • personal statement examples

Burdened With Assignments?

Bottom Slider

Advertisement

  • Homework Services: Essay Topics Generator

© 2024 - All rights reserved

2000+ SATISFIED STUDENTS

95% Satisfaction RATE

30 Days Money-back GUARANTEE

95% Success RATE

linkedin

Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Contact Us

© 2024 5StarEssays.com. All rights reserved.

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT

  • LOG IN Processing...

SIGN UP TO YOUR ACCOUNT

  • Your phone no.
  • Password Password must be minimum 8 characters.
  • Confirm Password
  •    I have read Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms and Conditions .
  • SIGN UP Processing...

FORGOT PASSWORD

  • SEND PASSWORD

Search

  • I nfographics
  • Show AWL words
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • What is academic writing?
  • Academic Style
  • What is the writing process?
  • Understanding the title
  • Brainstorming
  • Researching
  • First draft
  • Proofreading
  • Report writing
  • Compare & contrast
  • Cause & effect
  • Problem-solution
  • Classification
  • Essay structure
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
  • Book review
  • Research proposal
  • Thesis/dissertation
  • What is cohesion?
  • Cohesion vs coherence
  • Transition signals
  • What are references?
  • In-text citations
  • Reference sections
  • Reporting verbs
  • Band descriptors

Show AWL words on this page.

Levels 1-5:     grey  Levels 6-10:   orange 

Show sorted lists of these words.

Any words you don't know? Look them up in the website's built-in dictionary .

Choose a dictionary .  Wordnet  OPTED  both

Problem-solution essays Situation-problem-solution-evaluation

Problem-solution essays are a common essay type, especially for short essays such as subject exams or IELTS . The page gives information on what they are , how to structure this type of essay, and gives an example problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and fitness levels.

What are problem-solution essays?

Problem-solution

Problem-solution essays consider the problems of a particular situation, and give solutions to those problems. They are in some ways similar to cause and effect essays , especially in terms of structure (see below). Problem-solution essays are actually a sub-type of another type of essay, which has the following four components:

The 'situation' may be included in the essay prompt, in which case it will not be needed in the main body. If it is needed, it can often be included in the introduction, especially for short essays, as with the example essay below . The 'evaluation' may be included as part of the conclusion (also as in the example below), or omitted altogether, especially for short essays. For these reasons, problem-solution essays are more common than situation-problem-solution-evaluation essays (or SPSE essays).

There are two main ways to structure a problem-solution essay. These are similar to the ways to structure cause and effect essays , namely using a block or a chain structure. For the block structure, all of the problems are listed first, and all of the solutions are listed afterwards. For the chain structure, each problem is followed immediately by the solution to that problem. Both types of structure have their merits. The former is generally clearer, especially for shorter essays, while the latter ensures that any solutions you present relate directly to the problems you have given.

The two types of structure, block and chain , are shown in the diagram below. This is for a short essay, which includes the 'situation' in the introduction and 'evaluation' in the conclusion. A longer essay, for example one of around 1,000 words, with citations , would probably have these two sections as separate paragraphs in the main body.

Example essay

Below is a problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and poor fitness . It uses the block structure . Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes) to highlight the different structural aspects in this essay, i.e. Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation. This will highlight not simply the paragraphs, but also (for problems and solutions) the thesis statement and summary , as these repeat the problems and solutions contained in the main body.

Consumption of processed and convenience foods and our dependence on the car have led to an increase in obesity and reduction in the fitness level of the adult population. In some countries, especially industrialized ones, the number of obese people can amount to one third of the population. This is significant as obesity and poor fitness lead to a decrease in life expectancy , and it is therefore important for individuals and governments to work together to tackle this issue and improve their citizens' diet and fitness. Obesity and poor fitness decrease life expectancy. Overweight people are more likely to have serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, which can result in premature death. It is well known that regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, which means that those with poor fitness levels are at an increased risk of suffering from those problems. Changes by individuals to their diet and their physical activity can increase life expectancy. There is a reliance today on the consumption of processed foods, which have a high fat and sugar content. By preparing their own foods, and consuming more fruit and vegetables, people could ensure that their diets are healthier and more balanced, which could lead to a reduction in obesity levels. In order to improve fitness levels, people could choose to walk or cycle to work or to the shops rather than taking the car. They could also choose to walk up stairs instead of taking the lift. These simple changes could lead to a significant improvement in fitness levels. Governments could also implement initiatives to improve their citizens' eating and exercise habits. This could be done through education, for example by adding classes to the curriculum about healthy diet and lifestyles. Governments could also do more to encourage their citizens to walk or cycle instead of taking the car, for instance by building more cycle lanes or increasing vehicle taxes. While some might argue that increased taxes are a negative way to solve the problem, it is no different from the high taxes imposed on cigarettes to reduce cigarette consumption. In short, obesity and poor fitness are a significant problem in modern life, leading to lower life expectancy . Individuals and governments can work together to tackle this problem and so improve diet and fitness . Of the solutions suggested, those made by individuals themselves are likely to have more impact, though it is clear that a concerted effort with the government is essential for success. With obesity levels in industrialized and industrializing countries continuing to rise, it is essential that we take action now to deal with this problem.

Academic Writing Genres

GET FREE EBOOK

Like the website? Try the books. Enter your email to receive a free sample from Academic Writing Genres .

Below is a checklist for the main body of an essay. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

Next section

Find out about writing definitions and definition essays in the next section.

Previous section

Go back to the previous section about cause & effect essays .

  • Cause/effect

logo

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 22 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution Essay

Introduction, what exactly is obesity, reasons of obesity, healthy eating habits – the only solution, survey page.

The progress of a nation solely rests on the citizens. Of greater significance are their socio-economic, political conditions. A huge sum is spent every year by the government for the welfare of the subjects. With the change in policies every year, a novel decision is taken up. These decisions cater to individual interests in the larger interest of society in general.

Unfortunately, the world now witnesses an unhealthy scenario caused due to socio-economic, political imbalances. They affect the physical and mental health of individuals. Perhaps, one of the most glaring problems of the day seems to be obesity. Once, considered a symbol of wealth and social status, physical attractiveness, strength, and fertility by certain European cultures, western culture takes a negative stand on it. The obese are unattractive and negative stereotypes. They are a social stigma, targets of bullies, and shunned by peers. Above all, obesity is seen as a sign of lower socioeconomic status, more a medical condition in modern western culture. Ironically, the USA accounts for 64.5% of its population either overweight or obese.

The Times America has reported, “It’s not healthy to be obese, and if we keep going the way we are headed, the long-term medical costs may be more than we can bear” (Americas Obesity Crisis, 2004).

The problem of obesity is a worldwide issue that needs due attention. It has been medically proved that obesity could be fatal. What exactly is obesity? “The natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of human and other mammals is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality. It is viewed as a serious and growing health problem which gives birth to certain other diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis” (Obesity, 2008).

Visit: www win.niddk.gov/publications/health_risks.htm# sleep for more information on the relationship between sleep apnea and obesity.

BMI (body mass index) is a widely used method for estimating body fat. Calculated by dividing the subject’s weight by the square of his/her height, typically expressed either in metric or US “Customary” units, a frightening score could take away the cheer from every face.

The dreaded physical condition has umpteen reasons for its attack, the main being a sedentary lifestyle. The last quarter of the 20th century has witnessed a rapid acceleration of obesity in western society. Hence, it remains a persistent problem.

To arrive at a definite reason for a large number of obese in a nation, it would be sufficient to note the patterns of lifestyles of each individual. It would also suffice if the socio-economic conditions are taken into consideration. It would be wise to elaborate on the principal causes of this condition and arrive at a suitable solution to it.

The primary reason is we have seen earlier is an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and lack of activity. This causes the deposits of excess fat principally in the abdomen areas and hence enlargements of muscles concerned. Yet another reason could be the lower relative cost of foodstuffs. This enables people of all walks of life to take in food whether necessary or unnecessary. Increased marketing, accounts for the innumerable stock of junk food, preferred by children and adults alike. In two-income households, the clock never ticks in the kitchen, the occupants never bother to take care of their health. Food is often taken from restaurants where delicious and sumptuous food three or more times a day causes unhealthy eating habits.

Regular exercise and eating right are considered to be the best solution to the problem. Exercise requires energy (calories) stored as body fat. The body breaks down its fat stored to provide energy during prolonged aerobic exercise. Medical help ranging from pills to surgery is recommended in certain extreme cases of obesity. The probable reasons could be thyroid malfunction or other organ dysfunction.

It is the only problem that needs immediate remedy as the sufferers not only undergo physical torture but also mental anguish. In the years to come, a significant number of Americans could turn against themselves and the results could lead to disaster and deaths. I could sound embarrassing. But there is enough evidence to prove that the silent sufferers end up taking their own lives due to social pressures and inhospitable environment.

Concrete measures in this direction must be enforced by the government. Citizens should be given proper guidance. Measures to enhance awareness should be designed.

It is pathetic that America, the world’s most developed country has the ‘smallest fund of practical nutritional knowledge’ (Obesity in America).

To illustrate this point, Dr. Dean Ornish. M.D- Cardiologist said in an interview, “I’d love to be able to tell people that bacon and eggs are health food, but they are not.” “An easier way a fewer calorie is not just to change the amount of food but the type of food, because fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbohydrates have only 4. So when you eat less fat, you eat fewer calories without having to eat less food.” (Interview Dean Ornish, M. D, 2004).

Dr. Ornish’s book Eat More, Weigh Less is based on this concept.

His method has been scientifically proven because it is based on abundance rather than on deprivation.

“You can eat when you’re hungry, you can eat until you’re full, and you still lose weight and keep it off…..” (Ornish).

Dr.Ornish further claims that his diet has been proven to stop or reduce heart disease and has been backed up by scientific studies. His claim and findings cannot be written off as our ancestors led a healthy life as they fed on food coming directly from the land. Obesity wasn’t even a word.

With modern technology, change in American diet and lifestyle, eating fast food, microwave dinners, and a diet of packaged, processed, and refined foods, the American finds himself digging his own grave. People with determination and a will to survive have succeeded in being healthy again. Alas! The number of such people is only a handful. Inevitably, processed food, fast foods, meat products, high sugar, and high sodium food have to be substituted by whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

To substantiate the above statement, Nathan Sorensen, a leading dietician has outlined 10 important tips for a healthy eating habit.

  • Eat breakfast daily.
  • Plan your daily meals.
  • Pack a fruit snack for the commute.
  • Choose the smaller portion food entrée’s, if you eat out for lunch.
  • Eat a snack when you get home; tortillas with salsa.
  • Before grocery shopping, write a shopping list.
  • Plan and prepare fish and vegetable meals weekly.
  • Choose not to add fat to prepared foods.
  • Eat dinner every night before 7.30P.M.
  • Have a snack an hour or so before food. (Sorensen, 2008).

There have been innumerable articles, journals, and books written on this concern. Medical science has advanced to such an extent that it can provide a remedy to almost all ailments. Health is probably the only field wherein the individual has to equip himself before approaching his specialist on his predicament. The most important factor seems to be willpower and self- control. Yet another fact is a change in his lifestyle. The doctor is only a medium through which the individual can find a solution to his ailment, but the ultimate cure lies in the hands of the patient.

A nation can be adjudged the best by the quality of its products, its approach on the socio-economic and political fronts, individual expertise, and above all health. America stands ahead of all the nations in the world in all the above respects except, general health. This problem has assumed a gigantic proportion which requires total co-operation to the reduction of its size. By total co-operation, I mean the individual, the market, the government, and medical science sitting together to arrive at an amicable solution.

Americas Obesity Crisis . Time Online addition. 2004. Web.

Obesity . Wikipedia. 2008. Web.

Obesity Trends. ObesityinAmerica.org. 1991-2003. Web.

Obesity in America . Down to Earth. Natural Foods .2008. Web.

Ornish, Dean M. D.Interview Frontline. 2004. Web.

Sorensen, Nathan. Obesity in America. Food & Nutrition . 2008. Web.

To show the depth of the gravity of the situation, a survey was conducted and the results obtained was quite alarming. Nearly, 65% of adults in America are prone to obesity due to circumstances of the modern man’s life.

The percent obese graph listed below supports the view.

Age group 1991 1995 1998 2000 2001

18-29 7.1 10.1 12.1 13.5 14

30-39 11.3 14.4 16.9 20.2 20.5

40-49 15.8 17.9 21.2 22.9 24.7

50-59 16.1 21.6 23.8 25.6 26.1

60-69 14.7 19.4 21.3 22.9 25.3

>.70 11.4 12.1 14.6 15.5 17.1

An alarming upward trend is seen. (Obesity Trends, 1991-2003).

The US has the highest rate of obesity in the developed world. In 2004, the CDC reported that 66.3% of the adults in the US are overweight or obese. True but unbelievable, a stressful mentally and insufficient sleep could also result in obesity. Genetic reasons seem to be silent killers in this direction.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 1). Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution. https://ivypanda.com/essays/obesity-as-a-worldwide-problem-and-its-solution/

"Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution." IvyPanda , 1 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/obesity-as-a-worldwide-problem-and-its-solution/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution'. 1 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/obesity-as-a-worldwide-problem-and-its-solution/.

1. IvyPanda . "Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/obesity-as-a-worldwide-problem-and-its-solution/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/obesity-as-a-worldwide-problem-and-its-solution/.

  • Snack Tax as an Effective Food Policy
  • Snack Food Company's Product Marketing Research
  • Marketing Communication Plan For a New Snack Bar
  • How to Making a Healthy Snack
  • Snack Bar Café's Business Process Map
  • The Workout and Nutrition Relationship
  • Cat & Snack, an Anti-cafe in New York
  • Tim Hortons Company in the Canadian Coffee and Snack Shops Industry
  • Obese in the Society
  • Hershey’s Economy: Main Snack Manufacturer
  • Is Health Socially Constructed?
  • Bioterrorism and Health Care Delivery
  • Community Health. HIV/AIDS Prevention for the 50+
  • Critique of the Medicaid Expansion Program and Dual Eligible Policy in the State of Virginia
  • Models and Theories of Health Behavior

Library homepage

  • school Campus Bookshelves
  • menu_book Bookshelves
  • perm_media Learning Objects
  • login Login
  • how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
  • hub Instructor Commons
  • Download Page (PDF)
  • Download Full Book (PDF)
  • Periodic Table
  • Physics Constants
  • Scientific Calculator
  • Reference & Cite
  • Tools expand_more
  • Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

Medicine LibreTexts

7.5: Obesity Epidemic - Causes and Solutions

  • Last updated
  • Save as PDF
  • Page ID 39986

  • Alice Callahan, Heather Leonard, & Tamberly Powell
  • Lane Community College via OpenOregon

The figure shows three maps of the U.S. with states color-coded based on the percent of the their population estimated to be obese. In 1990, all of the states are a blue color, indicating 10-14 percent of their populations were obese. In 2000, many states are a darker blue color, indicating 15-19 percent obesity, and about half of a beige color, indicating 20 to 24 percent obesity. In 2010, there are still some beige states but no blue ones, and many are orange or red, indicating 25 to 30+ percent obesity.

Since the 1980s, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased dramatically. Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show rising obesity across the nation, state-by-state. 1

The methods used by the CDC to collect the data changed in 2011, so we can’t make direct comparisons between the periods before and after that change, but the trend has continued. Every year, more and more people in the U.S. are obese.

A map of the U.S. showing obesity prevalence color-coded by state. States are about evenly split between green (20-25% obesity), yellow (25-30% obesity), or red (30-35% obesity).

These trends are unmistakable, and they’re not just occurring in adults. Childhood obesity has seen similar increases over the last few decades—perhaps an even greater concern as the metabolic and health effects of carrying too much weight can be compounded over a person’s entire lifetime.

A line graph shows the prevalence of obesity trending upwards between the years 1999-2000 and 2015-2016 in both children and adults. In this time span, the prevalence of obesity in children increased from 13.9 to 18.5 percent. In adults, it increased from 30.5 to 39.6 percent.

While obesity is a problem across the United States, it affects some groups of people more than others. Based on 2015-2016 data, obesity rates are higher among Hispanic (47 percent) and Black adults (47 percent) compared with white adults (38 percent). Non-Hispanic Asians have the lowest obesity rate (13 percent). And overall, people who are college-educated and have a higher income are less likely to be obese. 2  These health disparities point to the importance of looking at social context when examining causes and solutions. Not everyone has the same opportunity for good health, or an equal ability to make changes to their circumstances, because of factors like poverty and longstanding inequities in how resources are invested in communities. These factors are called “ social determinants of health. ” 3

The obesity epidemic is also not unique to the United States. Obesity is rising around the globe, and in 2015, it was estimated to affect 2 billion people worldwide, making it one of the largest factors affecting poor health in most countries . 4 Globally, among children aged 5 to 19 years old, the rate of overweight increased from 10.3 percent in 2000 to 18.4 percent in 2018. Previously, overweight and obesity mainly affected high-income countries, but some of the most dramatic increases in childhood overweight over the last decade have been in low income countries, such as those in Africa and South Asia, corresponding to a greater availability of inexpensive, processed foods. 5

Despite the gravity of the problem, no country has yet been able to implement policies that have reversed the trend and brought about a decrease in obesity. This represents “one of the biggest population health failures of our time,” wrote an international group of researchers in the journal The Lancet in 2019. 6  The World Health Organization has set a target of stopping the rise of obesity by 2025. Doing so requires understanding what is causing the obesity epidemic; it is only when these causes are addressed that change can start to occur.

Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

If obesity was an infectious disease sweeping the globe, affecting billions of people’s health, longevity, and productivity, we surely would have addressed it by now. Researchers and pharmaceutical companies would have worked furiously to develop vaccines and medicines to prevent and cure this disease. But the causes of obesity are much more complex than a single bacteria or virus, and solving this problem means recognizing and addressing a multitude of factors that lead to weight gain in a population.

At its core, rising obesity is caused by a chronic shift towards positive energy balance—consuming more energy or calories than one expends each day, leading to an often gradual but persistent increase in body weight. People often assume that this is an individual problem, that those who weigh more simply need to change their behavior to eat less and exercise more, and if this doesn’t work, it must be because of a personal failing, such as a lack of self-control or motivation. While behavior patterns such as diet and exercise can certainly impact a person’s risk of developing obesity (as we’ll cover later in this chapter), the environments where we live also have a big impact on our behavior and can make it much harder to maintain energy balance.

Environment

Many of us live in what researchers and public health experts call “ obesogenic environments. ” That is, the ways in which our neighborhoods are built and our lives are structured influence our physical activity and food intake to encourage weight gain. 7 Human physiology and metabolism evolved in a world where obtaining enough food for survival required significant energy investment in hunting or gathering—very different from today’s world where more people earn their living in sedentary occupations. From household chores, to workplace productivity, to daily transportation, getting things done requires fewer calories than it did in past generations.

The image shows three photos. Left to right: a group of well-dressed Black women sit at a work conference table, with laptops in front of them; 4 vending machines sell snacks and soft drinks; and cars jamming a freeway.

Our jobs have become more and more sedentary, with fewer opportunities for non-exercise thermogenesis (NEAT) throughout the day. There’s less time in the school day for recess and physical activity, and fears about neighborhood safety limit kids’ ability to get out and play after the school day is over. Our towns and cities are built more for cars than for walking or biking. We can’t turn back the clock on human progress, and finding a way to stay healthy in obesogenic environments is a significant challenge.

Our environments can also impact our food choices. We’re surrounded by vending machines, fast food restaurants, coffeeshops, and convenience stores that offer quick and inexpensive access to calories. These foods are also heavily advertised, and especially when people are stretched thin by working long hours or multiple jobs, they can be a welcome convenience. However, they tend to be calorie-dense (and less nutrient-dense) and more heavily processed, with amounts of sugar, fat, and salt optimized to make us want to eat more, compared with home-cooked food. In addition, portion sizes at restaurants, especially fast food chains, have increased over the decades, and people are eating at restaurants more and cooking at home less.

Poverty and Food Insecurity

Living in poverty usually means living in a more obesogenic environment. Consider the fact that some of the poorest neighborhoods in the United States—with some of the highest rates of obesity—are often not safe or pleasant places to walk, play, or exercise. They may have busy traffic and polluted air, and they may lack sidewalks, green spaces, and playgrounds. A person living in this type of neighborhood will find it much more challenging to get adequate physical activity compared with someone living in a neighborhood where it’s safe to walk to school or work, play at a park, ride a bike, or go for a run.

In addition, poor neighborhoods often lack a grocery store where people can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and basic ingredients necessary for cooking at home. Such areas are called “ food deserts ”—where healthy foods simply aren’t available or easily accessible.

Another concept useful in discussions of obesity risk is “food insecurity.”  Food security  means “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” 8  Food insecurity  means an inability to consistently obtain adequate food. It may seem counter-intuitive, but in the United States, food insecurity is linked to obesity. That is, people who have difficulty obtaining enough food are more likely to become obese and to suffer from diabetes and hypertension. This is likely related to the fact that inexpensive foods tend to be high in calories but low in nutrients, and when these foods form the foundation of a person’s diet, they can cause both obesity and nutrient deficiencies. It’s estimated that 12 percent of U.S. households are food insecure, and food insecurity is higher among Black (22 percent) and Latino (18 percent) households. 3

What about genetics? While it’s true that our genes can influence our susceptibility to becoming obese, researchers say they can’t be a cause of the obesity epidemic. Genes take many generations to evolve, and the obesity epidemic has occurred over just the last 40 to 50 years—only a few generations. When our grandparents were children, they were much less likely to become obese than our own children. That’s not because their genes were different, but rather because they grew up in a different environment. However, it is true that a person’s genes can influence their susceptibility to becoming obese in this obesogenic environment, and obesity is more prevalent in some families. A person’s genetic make-up can make it more difficult to maintain energy balance in an obesogenic environment, because certain genes may make you feel more hungry or slow your energy expenditure. 2

Solutions to the Obesity Epidemic

Given the multiple causes of obesity, solving this problem will also require many solutions at different levels. Because obesity affects people over the lifespan and is difficult to reverse, the focus of many of these efforts is prevention, starting as early as the first years of life. We’ll discuss individual weight management strategies later in this chapter. Here, we’ll review some strategies happening in schools, communities, and at the state and federal levels.

Support Healthy Dietary Patterns

Interventions that support healthy dietary patterns, especially among people more vulnerable because of food insecurity or poverty, may reduce obesity. In some cases, studies have shown that they have an impact, and in other cases, it’s too soon to know. Here are some examples:

  • Implement and support better nutrition standards for childcare, schools, hospitals, and worksites. 9
  • Limit marketing of processed foods, especially ads targeted towards children.
  • Provide incentives for supermarkets or farmers markets to establish businesses in underserved areas. 9

Two photos from farmers' markets. On the left, people are shown selecting fresh fruits and vegetables in a busy marketplace, with tall buildings rising above the market stands. On the right, a closeup of a farmers' market stand, showing enticing fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and beets.

Figure 9.21. Farmers markets can expand healthy food options for neighborhoods and build connections between consumers and local farmers.

  • Place nutrition and calorie content on restaurant and fast food menus to raise awareness of food choices. 9 Beginning in 2018, as part of the Affordable Care Act, chain restaurants with more than 20 locations were required to add calorie information to their menus, and some had already done so voluntarily. There isn’t yet enough research to say whether having this information improves customers’ choices; some studies show an effect and others don’t. 10 Many factors influence people’s decisions, and the type of restaurant, customer needs, and menu presentation all likely matter. For example, some studies show that health-conscious consumers choose lower calorie menu items when presented with nutrition information, but people with food insecurity may understandably choose higher calorie items to get more “bang for their buck”. 11 Research has also shown that adding interpretative images—like a stoplight image labeling menu choices as green or red as shorthand for high or low nutrient density—can help. And a 2018 study found that when calorie counts are on the left side of English-language menus, people order lower-calorie menu items. Putting calorie counts on the right side of the menu (as is more common) doesn’t have this effect, likely because the English language is read from left to right. 12 Some studies have also found that restaurants that implement menu labeling offer lower-calorie and more nutrient-dense options, indicating that menu labeling may push restaurants to look more closely at the food they serve. 10,13

A menu sign at a Nathan's hotdog stand displays calorie countrs

  • Increase access to food assistance programs and align them with nutrition recommendations. For example, in 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised the food packages for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to better align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new packages emphasized more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy and decreased the availability of juice. After this change, there was a decrease in the obesity rate of children in the WIC program. Similar progress may be made by increasing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to reduce food insecurity. Many farmers’ markets now accept SNAP benefits for the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables. 3
  • Tax sugary drinks, such as soda and sports drinks, which contribute significant empty calories to the U.S. diet and are associated with childhood obesity. Local taxes on soda and other sugary drinks are often controversial, and soda companies lobby to prevent them from passing. However, early research in U.S. cities with soda taxes show that they do work to decrease soda consumption. 3 In the U.S., soda has only been taxed at the local level, and the tax has been paid by consumers. The United Kingdom has taken a different approach: They started taxing soft drink manufacturers for the sugar content of the products they sell. Between 2015 and 2018, the average sugar content of soda sold in the U.K. dropped by 29 percent. 14

Support Greater Physical Activity

Increasing physical activity increases the energy expended during the day. This can help maintain energy balance, thus preventing weight gain. It may also help to shift a person into negative energy balance and facilitate weight loss if needed. But simply adding an exercise session—a run or a trip to the gym, say—often doesn’t shift energy balance (though it’s certainly good for health). Why? Exercise can increase hunger, and there’s only so many calories a person can burn in 30 or 60 minutes. That’s why it’s also important to look for opportunities for non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT); that is, find ways to increase movement throughout the day.

  • P rioritize physical education and recess time in schools. In addition to helping kids stay healthy, movement also helps them learn.  
  • Make neighborhoods safer and more accessible for walking, cycling, and playing.
  • When safe, encourage kids to walk or bike to school.
  • Build family and community activities around physical activity, such as trips to the park, walks together, and community walking and exercise groups.
  • Facilitate more movement in the workday by encouraging walking meetings, movement breaks, and treadmill desks.
  • Find ways to move that are enjoyable to you and fit your life. Yard work, walking your dog, playing tag with your kids, and going out dancing all count!

alt

VIDEO: “ James Levine: ‘I Came Alive as a Person’ “ by NOVA’s Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers, YouTube (April 24, 2014), 3:04 minutes. This short video explains some of the research on NEAT and efforts to increase it in our lives

VIDEO: “ The Weight of the Nation: Poverty and Obesity” by HBO Docs, YouTube (May 14, 2012), 24:05 minutes.

VIDEO: “ The Weight of the Nation: Healthy Foods and Obesity Prevention” by HBO Docs, YouTube (May 14, 2012), 31:11 minutes. These segments from the HBO documentary series, “The Weight of the Nation,” explore some of the causes and potential solutions for obesity.

References:

  • 1 CDC. (2019, September 12). New Adult Obesity Maps. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html
  • 2 CDC. (2019, January 31). Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
  • 3 Trust for America’s Health. (2019). The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America . Retrieved from https://www.tfah.org/report-details/stateofobesity2019/
  • 4 Swinburn, B. A., Kraak, V. I., Allender, S., Atkins, V. J., Baker, P. I., Bogard, J. R., … Dietz, W. H. (2019). The Global Syndemic of Obesity, Undernutrition, and Climate Change: The Lancet Commission report. The Lancet , 393 (10173), 791–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32822-8
  • 5 UNICEF. (2019). The State of the World’s Children 2019. Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing well in a changing world . New York.
  • 6 Jaacks, L. M., Vandevijvere, S., Pan, A., McGowan, C. J., Wallace, C., Imamura, F., … Ezzati, M. (2019). The obesity transition: Stages of the global epidemic. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology , 7 (3), 231–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30026-9
  • 7 Townshend, T., & Lake, A. (2017). Obesogenic environments: Current evidence of the built and food environments. Perspectives in Public Health , 137 (1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913916679860
  • 8 Pan, L., Sherry, B., Njai, R., & Blanck, H. M. (2012). Food Insecurity Is Associated with Obesity among US Adults in 12 States. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , 112 (9), 1403–1409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.06.011
  • 9 CDC. (2019, June 18). Community Efforts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. Retrieved October 30, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/community.html
  • 10 Bleich, S. N., Economos, C. D., Spiker, M. L., Vercammen, K. A., VanEpps, E. M., Block, J. P., … Roberto, C. A. (2017). A Systematic Review of Calorie Labeling and Modified Calorie Labeling Interventions: Impact on Consumer and Restaurant Behavior. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) , 25 (12), 2018–2044. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21940
  • 11 Berry, C., Burton, S., Howlett, E., & Newman, C. L. (2019). Understanding the Calorie Labeling Paradox in Chain Restaurants: Why Menu Calorie Labeling Alone May Not Affect Average Calories Ordered. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing , 38 (2), 192–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915619827013
  • 12 Dallas, S. K., Liu, P. J., & Ubel, P. A. (2019). Don’t Count Calorie Labeling Out: Calorie Counts on the Left Side of Menu Items Lead to Lower Calorie Food Choices. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29(1), 60–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1053
  • 13 Theis, D. R. Z., & Adams, J. (2019). Differences in energy and nutritional content of menu items served by popular UK chain restaurants with versus without voluntary menu labelling: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE , 14 (10), e0222773. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222773
  • 14 Public Health England. (2019). Sugar reduction: Report on progress between 2015 and 2018 . Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832182/Sugar_reduction__Yr2_progress_report.pdf

Image Credits

  • Figure 9.17. “Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults, BRFSS, 1990-2010” by Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 9.18. “Prevalence of self-reported obesity among U.S. adults in 2011 and 2018” by Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 9.19. “Trends in obesity prevalence” by National Center for Health Statistics is in the Public Domain
  • Figure 9.20. Elements of obesogenic environment: “wocintech” by WOCinTech Cha is licensed under CC BY 2.0 ; “Perfect timing” by Tamara Menzi , Unsplash is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “Vending machines” by Purchase College Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
  • Figure 9.21. Farmers markets. “group of people standing near vegetables” by Megan Markham is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “Veggies at Corvallis Farmers Market” by Friends of Family Farmers is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
  • Figure 9.22. Menu labeling. “Ballpark Calorie Counting” by Kevin Harber is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
  • Figure 9.23. Increasing physical activity. “Early bird” by Jorge Vasconez is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “boy running to the future” by Rafaela Biazi is in the Public Domain, CC0 ; “people riding bicycles inside bicycle lane beside skyscraper” by Steinar Engeland is in the Public Domain, CC0
  • About Project
  • Testimonials

Business Management Ideas

The Wisdom Post

Essay on Obesity

List of essays on obesity, essay on obesity – short essay (essay 1 – 150 words), essay on obesity (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on obesity – written in english (essay 3 – 300 words), essay on obesity – for school students (class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 standard) (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on obesity – for college students (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on obesity – with causes and treatment (essay 6 – 600 words), essay on obesity – for science students (essay 7 – 750 words), essay on obesity – long essay for medical students (essay 8 – 1000 words).

Obesity is a chronic health condition in which the body fat reaches abnormal level. Obesity occurs when we consume much more amount of food than our body really needs on a daily basis. In other words, when the intake of calories is greater than the calories we burn out, it gives rise to obesity.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Standard), college, science and medical students.

Introduction:

Obesity means being excessively fat. A person would be said to be obese if his or her body mass index is beyond 30. Such a person has a body fat rate that is disproportionate to his body mass.

Obesity and the Body Mass Index:

The body mass index is calculated considering the weight and height of a person. Thus, it is a scientific way of determining the appropriate weight of any person. When the body mass index of a person indicates that he or she is obese, it exposes the person to make health risk.

Stopping Obesity:

There are two major ways to get the body mass index of a person to a moderate rate. The first is to maintain a strict diet. The second is to engage in regular physical exercise. These two approaches are aimed at reducing the amount of fat in the body.

Conclusion:

Obesity can lead to sudden death, heart attack, diabetes and may unwanted illnesses. Stop it by making healthy choices.

Obesity has become a big concern for the youth of today’s generation. Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which an individual gains excessive body fat. When the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person is over 30, he/ she is termed as obese.

Obesity can be a genetic problem or a disorder that is caused due to unhealthy lifestyle habits of a person. Physical inactivity and the environment in which an individual lives, are also the factors that leads to obesity. It is also seen that when some individuals are in stress or depression, they start cultivating unhealthy eating habits which eventually leads to obesity. Medications like steroids is yet another reason for obesity.

Obesity has several serious health issues associated with it. Some of the impacts of obesity are diabetes, increase of cholesterol level, high blood pressure, etc. Social impacts of obesity includes loss of confidence in an individual, lowering of self-esteem, etc.

The risks of obesity needs to be prevented. This can be done by adopting healthy eating habits, doing some physical exercise regularly, avoiding stress, etc. Individuals should work on weight reduction in order to avoid obesity.

Obesity is indeed a health concern and needs to be prioritized. The management of obesity revolves around healthy eating habits and physical activity. Obesity, if not controlled in its initial stage can cause many severe health issues. So it is wiser to exercise daily and maintain a healthy lifestyle rather than being the victim of obesity.

Obesity can be defined as the clinical condition where accumulation of excessive fat takes place in the adipose tissue leading to worsening of health condition. Usually, the fat is deposited around the trunk and also the waist of the body or even around the periphery.

Obesity is actually a disease that has been spreading far and wide. It is preventable and certain measures are to be taken to curb it to a greater extend. Both in the developing and developed countries, obesity has been growing far and wide affecting the young and the old equally.

The alarming increase in obesity has resulted in stimulated death rate and health issues among the people. There are several methods adopted to lose weight and they include different diet types, physical activity and certain changes in the current lifestyle. Many of the companies are into minting money with the concept of inviting people to fight obesity.

In patients associated with increased risk factor related to obesity, there are certain drug therapies and other procedures adopted to lose weight. There are certain cost effective ways introduced by several companies to enable clinic-based weight loss programs.

Obesity can lead to premature death and even cause Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Cardiovascular diseases have also become the part and parcel of obese people. It includes stroke, hypertension, gall bladder disease, coronary heart disease and even cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer and colon cancer. Other less severe arising due to obesity includes osteoarthritis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and even infertility.

Hence, serious measures are to be taken to fight against this dreadful phenomenon that is spreading its wings far and wide. Giving proper education on benefits of staying fit and mindful eating is as important as curbing this issue. Utmost importance must be given to healthy eating habits right from the small age so that they follow the same until the end of their life.

Obesity is majorly a lifestyle disease attributed to the extra accumulation of fat in the body leading to negative health effects on a person. Ironically, although prevalent at a large scale in many countries, including India, it is one of the most neglect health problems. It is more often ignored even if told by the doctor that the person is obese. Only when people start acquiring other health issues such as heart disease, blood pressure or diabetes, they start taking the problem of obesity seriously.

Obesity Statistics in India:

As per a report, India happens to figure as the third country in the world with the most obese people. This should be a troubling fact for India. However, we are yet to see concrete measures being adopted by the people to remain fit.

Causes of Obesity:

Sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, junk food, medications and some diseases such as hypothyroidism are considered as the factors which lead to obesity. Even children seem to be glued to televisions, laptops and video games which have taken away the urge for physical activities from them. Adding to this, the consumption of junk food has further aggravated the growing problem of obesity in children.

In the case of adults, most of the professions of today make use of computers which again makes people sit for long hours in one place. Also, the hectic lifestyle of today makes it difficult for people to spare time for physical activities and people usually remain stressed most of the times. All this has contributed significantly to the rise of obesity in India.

Obesity and BMI:

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measure which allows a person to calculate how to fit he or she is. In other words, the BMI tells you if you are obese or not. BMI is calculated by dividing the weight of a person in kg with the square of his / her height in metres. The number thus obtained is called the BMI. A BMI of less than 25 is considered optimal. However, if a person has a BMI over 30 he/she is termed as obese.

What is a matter of concern is that with growing urbanisation there has been a rapid increase of obese people in India? It is of utmost importance to consider this health issue a serious threat to the future of our country as a healthy body is important for a healthy soul. We should all be mindful of what we eat and what effect it has on our body. It is our utmost duty to educate not just ourselves but others as well about this serious health hazard.

Obesity can be defined as a condition (medical) that is the accumulation of body fat to an extent that the excess fat begins to have a lot of negative effects on the health of the individual. Obesity is determined by examining the body mass index (BMI) of the person. The BMI is gotten by dividing the weight of the person in kilogram by the height of the person squared.

When the BMI of a person is more than 30, the person is classified as being obese, when the BMI falls between 25 and 30, the person is said to be overweight. In a few countries in East Asia, lower values for the BMI are used. Obesity has been proven to influence the likelihood and risk of many conditions and disease, most especially diabetes of type 2, cardiovascular diseases, sleeplessness that is obstructive, depression, osteoarthritis and some cancer types.

In most cases, obesity is caused through a combination of genetic susceptibility, a lack of or inadequate physical activity, excessive intake of food. Some cases of obesity are primarily caused by mental disorder, medications, endocrine disorders or genes. There is no medical data to support the fact that people suffering from obesity eat very little but gain a lot of weight because of slower metabolism. It has been discovered that an obese person usually expends much more energy than other people as a result of the required energy that is needed to maintain a body mass that is increased.

It is very possible to prevent obesity with a combination of personal choices and social changes. The major treatments are exercising and a change in diet. We can improve the quality of our diet by reducing our consumption of foods that are energy-dense like those that are high in sugars or fat and by trying to increase our dietary fibre intake.

We can also accompany the appropriate diet with the use of medications to help in reducing appetite and decreasing the absorption of fat. If medication, exercise and diet are not yielding any positive results, surgery or gastric balloon can also be carried out to decrease the volume of the stomach and also reduce the intestines’ length which leads to the feel of the person get full early or a reduction in the ability to get and absorb different nutrients from a food.

Obesity is the leading cause of ill-health and death all over the world that is preventable. The rate of obesity in children and adults has drastically increased. In 2015, a whopping 12 percent of adults which is about 600 million and about 100 million children all around the world were found to be obese.

It has also been discovered that women are more obese than men. A lot of government and private institutions and bodies have stated that obesity is top of the list of the most difficult and serious problems of public health that we have in the world today. In the world we live today, there is a lot of stigmatisation of obese people.

We all know how troubling the problem of obesity truly is. It is mainly a form of a medical condition wherein the body tends to accumulate excessive fat which in turn has negative repercussions on the health of an individual.

Given the current lifestyle and dietary style, it has become more common than ever. More and more people are being diagnosed with obesity. Such is its prevalence that it has been termed as an epidemic in the USA. Those who suffer from obesity are at a much higher risk of diabetes, heart diseases and even cancer.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of obesity, it is important to learn what the key causes of obesity are. In a layman term, if your calorie consumption exceeds what you burn because of daily activities and exercises, it is likely to lead to obesity. It is caused over a prolonged period of time when your calorie intake keeps exceeding the calories burned.

Here are some of the key causes which are known to be the driving factors for obesity.

If your diet tends to be rich in fat and contains massive calorie intake, you are all set to suffer from obesity.

Sedentary Lifestyle:

With most people sticking to their desk jobs and living a sedentary lifestyle, the body tends to get obese easily.

Of course, the genetic framework has a lot to do with obesity. If your parents are obese, the chance of you being obese is quite high.

The weight which women gain during their pregnancy can be very hard to shed and this is often one of the top causes of obesity.

Sleep Cycle:

If you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep, it can have an impact on the hormones which might trigger hunger signals. Overall, these linked events tend to make you obese.

Hormonal Disorder:

There are several hormonal changes which are known to be direct causes of obesity. The imbalance of the thyroid stimulating hormone, for instance, is one of the key factors when it comes to obesity.

Now that we know the key causes, let us look at the possible ways by which you can handle it.

Treatment for Obesity:

As strange as it may sound, the treatment for obesity is really simple. All you need to do is follow the right diet and back it with an adequate amount of exercise. If you can succeed in doing so, it will give you the perfect head-start into your journey of getting in shape and bidding goodbye to obesity.

There are a lot of different kinds and styles of diet plans for obesity which are available. You can choose the one which you deem fit. We recommend not opting for crash dieting as it is known to have several repercussions and can make your body terribly weak.

The key here is to stick to a balanced diet which can help you retain the essential nutrients, minerals, and, vitamins and shed the unwanted fat and carbs.

Just like the diet, there are several workout plans for obesity which are available. It is upon you to find out which of the workout plan seems to be apt for you. Choose cardio exercises and dance routines like Zumba to shed the unwanted body weight. Yoga is yet another method to get rid of obesity.

So, follow a blend of these and you will be able to deal with the trouble of obesity in no time. We believe that following these tips will help you get rid of obesity and stay in shape.

Obesity and overweight is a top health concern in the world due to the impact it has on the lives of individuals. Obesity is defined as a condition in which an individual has excessive body fat and is measured using the body mass index (BMI) such that, when an individual’s BMI is above 30, he or she is termed obese. The BMI is calculated using body weight and height and it is different for all individuals.

Obesity has been determined as a risk factor for many diseases. It results from dietary habits, genetics, and lifestyle habits including physical inactivity. Obesity can be prevented so that individuals do not end up having serious complications and health problems. Chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart diseases and relate to obesity in terms of causes and complications.

Factors Influencing Obesity:

Obesity is not only as a result of lifestyle habits as most people put it. There are other important factors that influence obesity. Genetics is one of those factors. A person could be born with genes that predispose them to obesity and they will also have difficulty in losing weight because it is an inborn factor.

The environment also influences obesity because the diet is similar in certain environs. In certain environments, like school, the food available is fast foods and the chances of getting healthy foods is very low, leading to obesity. Also, physical inactivity is an environmental factor for obesity because some places have no fields or tracks where people can jog or maybe the place is very unsafe and people rarely go out to exercise.

Mental health affects the eating habits of individuals. There is a habit of stress eating when a person is depressed and it could result in overweight or obesity if the person remains unhealthy for long period of time.

The overall health of individuals also matter. If a person is unwell and is prescribed with steroids, they may end up being obese. Steroidal medications enable weight gain as a side effect.

Complications of Obesity:

Obesity is a health concern because its complications are severe. Significant social and health problems are experienced by obese people. Socially, they will be bullied and their self-esteem will be low as they will perceive themselves as unworthy.

Chronic illnesses like diabetes results from obesity. Diabetes type 2 has been directly linked to obesity. This condition involves the increased blood sugars in the body and body cells are not responding to insulin as they should. The insulin in the body could also be inadequate due to decreased production. High blood sugar concentrations result in symptoms like frequent hunger, thirst and urination. The symptoms of complicated stages of diabetes type 2 include loss of vision, renal failure and heart failure and eventually death. The importance of having a normal BMI is the ability of the body to control blood sugars.

Another complication is the heightened blood pressures. Obesity has been defined as excessive body fat. The body fat accumulates in blood vessels making them narrow. Narrow blood vessels cause the blood pressures to rise. Increased blood pressure causes the heart to start failing in its physiological functions. Heart failure is the end result in this condition of increased blood pressures.

There is a significant increase in cholesterol in blood of people who are obese. High blood cholesterol levels causes the deposition of fats in various parts of the body and organs. Deposition of fats in the heart and blood vessels result in heart diseases. There are other conditions that result from hypercholesterolemia.

Other chronic illnesses like cancer can also arise from obesity because inflammation of body cells and tissues occurs in order to store fats in obese people. This could result in abnormal growths and alteration of cell morphology. The abnormal growths could be cancerous.

Management of Obesity:

For the people at risk of developing obesity, prevention methods can be implemented. Prevention included a healthy diet and physical activity. The diet and physical activity patterns should be regular and realizable to avoid strains that could result in complications.

Some risk factors for obesity are non-modifiable for example genetics. When a person in genetically predisposed, the lifestyle modifications may be have help.

For the individuals who are already obese, they can work on weight reduction through healthy diets and physical exercises.

In conclusion, obesity is indeed a major health concern because the health complications are very serious. Factors influencing obesity are both modifiable and non-modifiable. The management of obesity revolves around diet and physical activity and so it is important to remain fit.

In olden days, obesity used to affect only adults. However, in the present time, obesity has become a worldwide problem that hits the kids as well. Let’s find out the most prevalent causes of obesity.

Factors Causing Obesity:

Obesity can be due to genetic factors. If a person’s family has a history of obesity, chances are high that he/ she would also be affected by obesity, sooner or later in life.

The second reason is having a poor lifestyle. Now, there are a variety of factors that fall under the category of poor lifestyle. An excessive diet, i.e., eating more than you need is a definite way to attain the stage of obesity. Needless to say, the extra calories are changed into fat and cause obesity.

Junk foods, fried foods, refined foods with high fats and sugar are also responsible for causing obesity in both adults and kids. Lack of physical activity prevents the burning of extra calories, again, leading us all to the path of obesity.

But sometimes, there may also be some indirect causes of obesity. The secondary reasons could be related to our mental and psychological health. Depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional troubles are well-known factors of obesity.

Physical ailments such as hypothyroidism, ovarian cysts, and diabetes often complicate the physical condition and play a massive role in abnormal weight gain.

Moreover, certain medications, such as steroids, antidepressants, and contraceptive pills, have been seen interfering with the metabolic activities of the body. As a result, the long-term use of such drugs can cause obesity. Adding to that, regular consumption of alcohol and smoking are also connected to the condition of obesity.

Harmful Effects of Obesity:

On the surface, obesity may look like a single problem. But, in reality, it is the mother of several major health issues. Obesity simply means excessive fat depositing into our body including the arteries. The drastic consequence of such high cholesterol levels shows up in the form of heart attacks and other life-threatening cardiac troubles.

The fat deposition also hampers the elasticity of the arteries. That means obesity can cause havoc in our body by altering the blood pressure to an abnormal range. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Obesity is known to create an endless list of problems.

In extreme cases, this disorder gives birth to acute diseases like diabetes and cancer. The weight gain due to obesity puts a lot of pressure on the bones of the body, especially of the legs. This, in turn, makes our bones weak and disturbs their smooth movement. A person suffering from obesity also has higher chances of developing infertility issues and sleep troubles.

Many obese people are seen to be struggling with breathing problems too. In the chronic form, the condition can grow into asthma. The psychological effects of obesity are another serious topic. You can say that obesity and depression form a loop. The more a person is obese, the worse is his/ her depression stage.

How to Control and Treat Obesity:

The simplest and most effective way, to begin with, is changing our diet. There are two factors to consider in the diet plan. First is what and what not to eat. Second is how much to eat.

If you really want to get rid of obesity, include more and more green vegetables in your diet. Spinach, beans, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc., have enough vitamins and minerals and quite low calories. Other healthier options are mushrooms, pumpkin, beetroots, and sweet potatoes, etc.

Opt for fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits, and berries. Oranges, grapes, pomegranate, pineapple, cherries, strawberries, lime, and cranberries are good for the body. They have low sugar content and are also helpful in strengthening our immune system. Eating the whole fruits is a more preferable way in comparison to gulping the fruit juices. Fruits, when eaten whole, have more fibers and less sugar.

Consuming a big bowl of salad is also great for dealing with the obesity problem. A salad that includes fibrous foods such as carrots, radish, lettuce, tomatoes, works better at satiating the hunger pangs without the risk of weight gain.

A high protein diet of eggs, fish, lean meats, etc., is an excellent choice to get rid of obesity. Take enough of omega fatty acids. Remember to drink plenty of water. Keeping yourself hydrated is a smart way to avoid overeating. Water also helps in removing the toxins and excess fat from the body.

As much as possible, avoid fats, sugars, refined flours, and oily foods to keep the weight in control. Control your portion size. Replace the three heavy meals with small and frequent meals during the day. Snacking on sugarless smoothies, dry fruits, etc., is much recommended.

Regular exercise plays an indispensable role in tackling the obesity problem. Whenever possible, walk to the market, take stairs instead of a lift. Physical activity can be in any other form. It could be a favorite hobby like swimming, cycling, lawn tennis, or light jogging.

Meditation and yoga are quite powerful practices to drive away the stress, depression and thus, obesity. But in more serious cases, meeting a physician is the most appropriate strategy. Sometimes, the right medicines and surgical procedures are necessary to control the health condition.

Obesity is spreading like an epidemic, haunting both the adults and the kids. Although genetic factors and other physical ailments play a role, the problem is mostly caused by a reckless lifestyle.

By changing our way of living, we can surely take control of our health. In other words, it would be possible to eliminate the condition of obesity from our lives completely by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Health , Obesity

Get FREE Work-at-Home Job Leads Delivered Weekly!

solution for obesity essay

Join more than 50,000 subscribers receiving regular updates! Plus, get a FREE copy of How to Make Money Blogging!

Message from Sophia!

solution for obesity essay

Like this post? Don’t forget to share it!

Here are a few recommended articles for you to read next:

  • Essay on Cleanliness
  • Essay on Cancer
  • Essay on AIDS
  • Essay on Health and Fitness

No comments yet.

Leave a reply click here to cancel reply..

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Billionaires

  • Donald Trump
  • Warren Buffett
  • Email Address
  • Free Stock Photos
  • Keyword Research Tools
  • URL Shortener Tools
  • WordPress Theme

Book Summaries

  • How To Win Friends
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad
  • The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
  • The Luck Factor
  • The Millionaire Fastlane
  • The ONE Thing
  • Think and Grow Rich
  • 100 Million Dollar Business
  • Business Ideas

Digital Marketing

  • Mobile Addiction
  • Social Media Addiction
  • Computer Addiction
  • Drug Addiction
  • Internet Addiction
  • TV Addiction
  • Healthy Habits
  • Morning Rituals
  • Wake up Early
  • Cholesterol
  • Reducing Cholesterol
  • Fat Loss Diet Plan
  • Reducing Hair Fall
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Weight Loss

Internet Marketing

  • Email Marketing

Law of Attraction

  • Subconscious Mind
  • Vision Board
  • Visualization

Law of Vibration

  • Professional Life

Motivational Speakers

  • Bob Proctor
  • Robert Kiyosaki
  • Vivek Bindra
  • Inner Peace

Productivity

  • Not To-do List
  • Project Management Software
  • Negative Energies

Relationship

  • Getting Back Your Ex

Self-help 21 and 14 Days Course

Self-improvement.

  • Body Language
  • Complainers
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Personality

Social Media

  • Project Management
  • Anik Singal
  • Baba Ramdev
  • Dwayne Johnson
  • Jackie Chan
  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Narendra Modi
  • Nikola Tesla
  • Sachin Tendulkar
  • Sandeep Maheshwari
  • Shaqir Hussyin

Website Development

Wisdom post, worlds most.

  • Expensive Cars

Our Portals: Gulf Canada USA Italy Gulf UK

Privacy Overview

Web Analytics

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Study Today

Largest Compilation of Structured Essays and Exams

Essay on Obesity : Causes, Effects, Prevention & Solution

February 25, 2018 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

We all have heard a very common phrase- “ Health is wealth ”. Well, health is the most important asset and wealth that we have in our life.

A proper health will help us be confident and successful and we can perform our assigned tasks with full dedication.

There are severe disturbances in one’s eating behavior that causes eating disorders. The common ones are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

One is about turning overweight and fat while the other talks about choosing to stay thin. Along with these two, it is important to know what obesity is all about.

Table of Contents

What is obesity?

Obesity is not called an eating disorder. In general, obesity does not include proper eating patterns or habits. Irregular eating patterns ultimately contribute to the cause of eating disorders, not obesity.

Anorexia nervosa is the scientific name given to the disorder in which a person is afraid of gaining weight and turning fat.

They may be underweight by nature, but the phobia of gaining unnecessary weight pushes them into a stress zone.

Generally women are known to be suffering heavily from such phobias and in most cases; it may not be a serious issue.

On account of this disorder, people tend to show specific signs of anxiety. People may suffer from two types of anorexia nervosa.

One is binge eating or purging or we can also call it over-eating and the other is the restrictive type wherein people feed very limited meals to themselves.

In binge eating or purging, the person consumes large quantity of food compared to normal intakes.

On the other hand, people who restrict themselves to limited quantities of food, people consider many factors like calorie intake, the carbohydrate intake factor etc. They control the intake of calories as well.

In bulimia nervosa, the person does not have any control over binge eating. Binge eating is involved in both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

The difference between the two is that in anorexia nervosa the person is underweight while in bulimia nervosa the person has a normal weight or is overweight.

Binge eating is also one very common eating disorder. People who suffer from this disorder generally think a lot about their shape and weight.

Causes of obesity

In the modern world there is easy supply and availability of food and people do not have too many difficulties to get food.

With easy availability of food, people fail to distinguish between what is healthy and what is not.

They fail to glance through what food suits their body type and what does not. Consumption of excess food gets stored as fat in our bodies.

Increased fat makes our body look bulky, without proper shape and leads to excess storage of lipids in muscles. This has become a major cause for all health problems in the world today.

Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI) which is calculated by taking the relative ratio of a person’s weight and height.

By calculating the BMI, we can easily conclude whether a person is underweight, normal or overweight.

Effects of obesity on health

Due to obesity, a person’s life is at risk along with many other associated health issues.

There could be health complications ranging from cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol issues, heart diseases, hypertension and arthritis.

Nowadays these diseases are termed under the name ‘lifestyle diseases, because directly or indirectly they are caused by the type of lifestyle we lead.

Whether we have a sedentary or active lifestyle goes a long way in deciding the extent of these diseases in our body.

Blood pressure (Hypertension) and diabetes are like very common ailments in people these days.

Obesity may be caused due to genetic factors too. Body hormones are also responsible for weight regulation. Family history and socio-cultural influences also play a significant role in attaining obesity.

Sometimes it is in the family genes due to which a person does not gain weight no matter how much they eat.

Fast food joints are present all over cities and at every corner of the street. We are also influenced by the food shown to us through advertisements.

The food is advertised in such a way that will tempt us to consume it. We will not think whether the food is healthy or not.

The type of food we eat is also affected by our culture. We consume foods which are commonly consumed in our culture and our region.

Family also plays an important role in the choice of foods. The families which always prefer healthy food remain fit. But those who consume high calorie foods have higher chances of getting obesity.

Solution of obesity

Obesity can be treated by suitable lifestyle modifications, proper medication and bariatric surgery.

Modifications in our lifestyle have a lot of positive effect but it may take some time to adapt to new lifestyle changes.

Good changes in diet teamed with regular exercise and proper amount of calorie intake will control and prevent obesity.

But it is not very easy to achieve this as shown through advertisements.  A good determination and a positive state of mind will help achieve good results at a faster rate.

Some people prefer medications to treat obesity. This can be carried out by taking medications which will either absorb the nutrients or reduce the eating.

Bariatric surgery is the most efficient treatment for obesity. The storage capacity of the stomach becomes less.

But a decision for the same should be taken after expert doctor consultations and the risks associated should definitely be discussed.

Prevention of obesity

As obesity has become a major problem in the world, people these days teach their children about side effects of obesity from their childhood itself.

It is a lifelong ailment. It should be treated once you know your body is gaining additional weight. If the child suffers from obesity from childhood itself, it may become dangerous for the child during adulthood.

So, proper knowledge must be given at the right time. There should be proper eating habits and also regular physical exercises.

Eating disorders can be treated through proper consultations and doctor advises. But people suffering from these disorders will be conflicted with many ideas and thoughts regarding their health.

They may hesitate visiting a doctor to get treated. Even though there is treatment for these disorders, people should try to stay away from improper lifestyle and irregular and imbalanced food eating habits.

At present, people have easy access to internet and they should make good use of it. They can easily read from blogs about nutritious and balanced food items that are good for the body. They will keep a person healthy.

Proper food intake along with exercises and a positive state of mind are essential elements to remain fit. If the person only prefers eating and there is no physical activity in the body, then the body becomes lazy.

This will further give rise to many health problems which may turn into huge complications in due course of time. Thus, it is better to prevent them than to cure them when one becomes a victim of lifestyle diseases.

Our mind, body and soul will be in a balanced state when we are hale and hearty.

There are many ways to maintain a proper health. Some of them are- exercise, eating nutritious food, maintaining a balanced diet, regular intake of water and staying happy.

Our society is developing at a very fast pace due to which no one has proper time to consume the right food. This is the reason why people adapt to eating of junk food, fast food which is totally unhealthy.

If a person does not maintain proper health, there are chances they will develop heart problems, obesity, too much loss or gain in weight and many other common diseases and ailments.

In order to avoid this, one should choose and prefer to have a healthy life.

Only with a healthy life, one can gain anything in life.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top Trending Essays in March 2021

  • Essay on Pollution
  • Essay on my School
  • Summer Season
  • My favourite teacher
  • World heritage day quotes
  • my family speech
  • importance of trees essay
  • autobiography of a pen
  • honesty is the best policy essay
  • essay on building a great india
  • my favourite book essay
  • essay on caa
  • my favourite player
  • autobiography of a river
  • farewell speech for class 10 by class 9
  • essay my favourite teacher 200 words
  • internet influence on kids essay
  • my favourite cartoon character

Brilliantly

Content & links.

Verified by Sur.ly

Essay for Students

  • Essay for Class 1 to 5 Students

Scholarships for Students

  • Class 1 Students Scholarship
  • Class 2 Students Scholarship
  • Class 3 Students Scholarship
  • Class 4 Students Scholarship
  • Class 5 students Scholarship
  • Class 6 Students Scholarship
  • Class 7 students Scholarship
  • Class 8 Students Scholarship
  • Class 9 Students Scholarship
  • Class 10 Students Scholarship
  • Class 11 Students Scholarship
  • Class 12 Students Scholarship

STAY CONNECTED

  • About Study Today
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Scholarships

  • Apj Abdul Kalam Scholarship
  • Ashirwad Scholarship
  • Bihar Scholarship
  • Canara Bank Scholarship
  • Colgate Scholarship
  • Dr Ambedkar Scholarship
  • E District Scholarship
  • Epass Karnataka Scholarship
  • Fair And Lovely Scholarship
  • Floridas John Mckay Scholarship
  • Inspire Scholarship
  • Jio Scholarship
  • Karnataka Minority Scholarship
  • Lic Scholarship
  • Maulana Azad Scholarship
  • Medhavi Scholarship
  • Minority Scholarship
  • Moma Scholarship
  • Mp Scholarship
  • Muslim Minority Scholarship
  • Nsp Scholarship
  • Oasis Scholarship
  • Obc Scholarship
  • Odisha Scholarship
  • Pfms Scholarship
  • Post Matric Scholarship
  • Pre Matric Scholarship
  • Prerana Scholarship
  • Prime Minister Scholarship
  • Rajasthan Scholarship
  • Santoor Scholarship
  • Sitaram Jindal Scholarship
  • Ssp Scholarship
  • Swami Vivekananda Scholarship
  • Ts Epass Scholarship
  • Up Scholarship
  • Vidhyasaarathi Scholarship
  • Wbmdfc Scholarship
  • West Bengal Minority Scholarship
  • Click Here Now!!

Mobile Number

Have you Burn Crackers this Diwali ? Yes No

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Obesity — Exploring Solutions for Fighting the Obesity Epidemic

test_template

Exploring Solutions for Fighting The Obesity Epidemic

  • Categories: Eating Disorders Obesity

About this sample

close

Words: 619 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 619 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Preventive measures and early intervention, promoting balanced diets and nutritional awareness, encouraging active lifestyles, policy interventions and regulation, access to healthcare and support.

Image of Alex Wood

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Nursing & Health

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1026 words

4 pages / 2024 words

2 pages / 799 words

4 pages / 1677 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Obesity

Government of Canada. (2006). The Health Risks of Obesity. Health Canada.Government of Canada. (2018). Obesity in Canada: A Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada. Public Health Agency of Canada.Government of Canada. [...]

Cornelsen, L., Green, R., Dangour, A., & Smith, R. (2014). Why fat taxes won't make us thin. Journal of public health, 37(1), 18-23.Doshi, V. (2016, July 20).Tax on Junk food in Kerala leaves Indians with a bitter taste. The [...]

Oliver, J. (2010, February). Teach every child about food. TED. Retrieved from Publishers.

World Health Organization. (2018). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect

Obesity and Depression today are one of the biggest issues that our societies are facing. These two problems are looked differently upon by the masses however they both share common links and connections between in which both [...]

It is well known today that the obesity epidemic is claiming more and more victims each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes “that nearly 1 in 5 school age children and young people (6 to 19 years) in the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

solution for obesity essay

Logo

Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution

Students are often asked to write an essay on Obesity Cause And Solution in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution

What is obesity.

Obesity is when a person has too much body fat. It’s not just about looking big; it’s a health issue. Doctors can tell if someone is obese by measuring their body mass index (BMI). A high BMI means a higher risk of getting sick from obesity.

Causes of Obesity

Obesity happens for many reasons. Eating too much, especially junk food, is a big cause. Not moving enough, like sitting all day, also leads to weight gain. Sometimes, it’s in the family, and other times, it’s because of emotional stress.

Finding Solutions

To fight obesity, eat healthy food like fruits and vegetables. Exercise is important too; playing sports or even walking helps. Limiting screen time and not eating too much candy and fast food can also make a big difference.

250 Words Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution

What causes obesity.

Obesity is when a person has too much body fat. It can happen for many reasons. Eating too much food, especially junk food like chips, soda, and sweets, is a big cause. These foods have lots of calories, which is like fuel for the body, but if you don’t burn it off with activities, it turns into fat. Not moving around enough is another reason. If you sit all day and don’t play or exercise, your body can’t use up the food you eat.

Genes and Health Issues

Sometimes, it’s not just about food or exercise. Your family’s genes can make you more likely to get heavy. Some kids have health problems that make gaining weight easy and losing it hard. It’s important to know if your weight is because of these issues.

What Can We Do About It?

First, eat healthy. Choose fruits, veggies, and lean meats like chicken or fish. Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Second, be active. Play sports, dance, or just go for a walk. It’s fun and good for you.

Getting Help

If you’re worried about your weight, talk to a grown-up. Doctors and nutritionists can give good advice. They can help you make a plan to eat better and move more. It’s not about being skinny; it’s about being healthy. Remember, change takes time, so be patient and keep trying.

500 Words Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution

Understanding obesity.

Obesity is a health condition where a person has a lot of extra body fat. It’s like carrying around a heavy backpack all the time, which can make it hard to do everyday activities and can lead to health problems.

Why Do People Become Obese?

People become obese for many reasons. One big reason is eating too much food that has a lot of calories. Calories are like fuel for our bodies, but if we get more than we need, our bodies store it as fat. Foods like candy, cakes, and fast food are high in calories.

Not moving around enough is another reason. Our bodies are made to move, but if we sit around a lot and don’t exercise, we don’t burn off the extra calories, which can lead to weight gain.

Sometimes, it’s not just about food and exercise. Things like not getting enough sleep, feeling stressed, or having a health condition can make it easier to gain weight. Also, if your family members are obese, you might be more likely to become obese too.

Health Problems from Obesity

Carrying too much weight can cause health issues. It can make it hard to breathe, walk, or play sports. It can also lead to serious problems like diabetes, heart disease, and joint pain. These issues can make life tough and less enjoyable.

Finding Solutions to Obesity

To fight obesity, we need to focus on eating better and moving more. Eating better means choosing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats instead of high-calorie junk food. It’s like picking a team of superheroes for your body that will help you stay healthy and strong.

Moving more can be fun. It’s not just about doing push-ups or running. You can dance, play sports, ride a bike, or even just walk more. The goal is to be active for at least an hour every day.

Help from Family and Friends

Dealing with obesity is easier when you have support. Families can help by cooking healthy meals and finding fun ways to be active together. Friends can encourage each other to make good choices and stick to them.

The Role of Schools and Communities

Schools and communities play a big part too. Schools can provide healthy meals and make sure kids get time to play and move during the day. Communities can create safe places to play and offer programs that teach about healthy living.

Obesity is a big problem, but it’s one we can solve. By eating right, staying active, getting support, and working together, we can help everyone live healthier and happier lives. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes, so let’s start now and make a difference!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Obesity Among Students
  • Essay on Nutrition And Exercise
  • Essay on Nursing As A Career

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More From Forbes

Pounds and profits: addressing obesity’s $400 billion impact on companies.

  • Share to Facebook
  • Share to Twitter
  • Share to Linkedin

Obesity and excess weight isn't just affecting society, it's affecting businesses.

As time progresses onward, the paradox deepens. Despite remarkable medical, scientific, and technological strides, societal health is struggling. The United States, in particular, faces a huge challenge: according to CDC data , 42% of the population is expected to be obese by 2030.

Obesity and chronic health struggles aren’t solely personal struggles; they pose far-reaching societal and economic implications. A recent report from the World Obesity Federation paints a troubling picture: by 2035, over half of the global population is expected to either be overweight or obese, with the economic tool surpassing $4 trillion, nearly 3% of the worldwide GDP. These figures further underscore the urgent need for action, especially for CEOs.

The Economic Impact on Businesses

In 2023 alone, the economic toll of obesity and excess weight on U.S. businesses and employees amounted to a staggering $425.5 billion, as revealed by GlobalData’s report , “Assessing the Economic Impact of Obesity on Employers: Identifying Paths Toward Work Force Health and Well-Being.”

Perhaps surprising to a few, a significant portion of these costs weren’t from direct medical, disability, and worker compensation costs. Instead, a substantial portion of the expenses stemmed from presenteeism. Not as frequently discussed, presenteeism, costing $160.3 billion, where employees show up for work but perform well below their capacity for many reasons, far exceeds absenteeism ($82.3 billion). Presenteeism costs businesses, on average, 10 times more compared to absenteeism.

The annual economic cost per obese worker was $6,472, while for those with excess weight was $1,244. For every 10,000 employees, the cost to employers and employees of obesity and excess weight ranges from $19.4 million in the professional & business services sector to $36.7 million in the government sector. The current model and approach to employee well-being is falling short, mainly due to a failure to adopt one crucial habit:

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show

U s dollar collapse bank of america issues shocking 1 trillion every 100 days warning amid huge bitcoin ethereum xrp and crypto price boom to rival gold, ios 17 4 release date apple reveals stark warning about new iphone update, thinking in systems.

The standard, run-of-the-mill approach to addressing obesity and related health issues in the workplace often falls short due to its narrow focus on individual behaviors. CEOs and decision-makers must embrace a systemic mindset to institute meaningful change, recognizing the multifaceted, interconnected factors influencing employee health.

For example, workplace stress, mental health, and financial well-being are closely intertwined. Finances at 73%, as opposed to work itself at 49%, was the number one cause of stress and anxiety for employees, according to Perdue University. Unmitigated and chronic stress can affect every system in our body, including suppressing our immune system and increasing the risk of coronary disease .

Businesses must implement comprehensive wellness programs that address these multifactorial root causes. This approach entails cultivating a supportive work culture that prioritizes work-life harmony , offering resources for stress management, financial wellness education, various mental health tools and support, eliminating barriers to quality weight management care, and providing environments conducive to healthier choices.

The economic toll of obesity on businesses and society at large is undeniable. However, even minor improvements in employee well-being can offer significant benefits. For example, as shared in the GlobalData report, a mere 5% weight loss could lead to 22% of workers with obesity no longer meeting the criteria for obesity.

With all this said, this isn’t just about improving the bottom line: it’s about fulfilling an obligation as a leader to empower and position your employees to show up as the best version of themselves, professionally and personally.

Julian Hayes II

  • Editorial Standards
  • Reprints & Permissions

IMAGES

  1. Obesity Essay

    solution for obesity essay

  2. (PDF) Economics and Obesity: Costing the Problem or Evaluating Solutions?

    solution for obesity essay

  3. Childhood Obesity: Causes and Solutions

    solution for obesity essay

  4. (PDF) Obesity and Health Essay:

    solution for obesity essay

  5. Problem Solution Essay 1407.docx

    solution for obesity essay

  6. essay examples: childhood obesity essay

    solution for obesity essay

COMMENTS

  1. Solutions to Obesity: Problem and Solution Essay

    Eating a healthy lifestyle is the main thing to help lose weight. It says that to lose weight it's 80% diet and 20% gym. Along with going to the gym and eating healthy, it is important to drink a lot of water. Water will flush the system of all toxins that could add to weight gain.

  2. PDF Problem / Solution Essay

    Problem / Solution Essay - Obesity. of processed and convenience foods and our dependence on the car have led to an. to one third of the (WHO, 2015).This is significant as obesity and poor fitness lead to a decrease in life and it is therefore important for individuals and governments to work together to tackle diet and fitness.

  3. Obesity: causes, consequences, treatments, and challenges

    Obesity has become a global epidemic and is one of today's most public health problems worldwide. Obesity poses a major risk for a variety of serious diseases including diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer (Bluher, 2019).Obesity is mainly caused by imbalanced energy intake and expenditure due to a ...

  4. Obesity Epidemic: Causes and Solutions

    Between 1999 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity in both children and adults has risen steadily. While obesity is a problem across the United States, it affects some groups of people more than others. Based on 2015-2016 data, obesity rates are higher among Hispanic (47 percent) and Black adults (47 percent) compared with white adults (38 percent).

  5. What Can Be Done

    What Can Be Done. Print. Obesity is a complex disease with many contributing factors. Neighborhood design, access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages, and access to safe and convenient places for physical activity can all impact obesity. Racial and ethnic disparities in obesity underscore the need to address social determinants of health ...

  6. How to prevent obesity: Healthy eating and more

    proteins such as lean meats, beans, soy products, eggs, and nuts. dairy, including low fat or fat-free dairy products or fortified soy beverages and yogurt as alternatives. grains, at least half ...

  7. IELTS essay about obesity and its causes and solutions

    Sample essay. Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of overweight people in the world. This can be attributed to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. Obesity is a major health problem. It is a risk factor for diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

  8. Obesity: Problem, Solution, or Both?

    Obesity is the consequence, the marker for the problem, much in the way that smoke is the marker for a house fire. Often enough, obesity is even the solution—to problems that are buried in time and further protected by shame, by secrecy, and by social taboos against exploring certain areas of human experience.

  9. A systematic literature review on obesity ...

    The present study conducted a systematic literature review to examine obesity research and machine learning techniques for the prevention and treatment of obesity from 2010 to 2020. Accordingly, 93 papers are identified from the review articles as primary studies from an initial pool of over 700 papers addressing obesity.

  10. Childhood Obesity: Solutions that Fit the Problem

    Through a combination of research and hands-on community involvement, UCLA and partners are helping our children find the solutions that fit their unique challenges. Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice . A healthy appetite for water-rich, fiber-rich produce plays a crucial role in curbing food cravings and reducing obesity in children.

  11. How to Write an Obesity Essay

    Obesity and BMI (body mass index) are both tools of measurement that are used by doctors to assess body fat according to the height, age, and gender of a person. If the BMI is between 25 to 29.9, that means the person has excess weight and body fat. If the BMI exceeds 30, that means the person is obese. Obesity is a condition that increases the ...

  12. Problem-solution essays

    Problem-solution essays are a common essay type, especially for short essays such as subject exams or IELTS.The page gives information on what they are, how to structure this type of essay, and gives an example problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and fitness levels. What are problem-solution essays?

  13. Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution Essay

    In 2004, the CDC reported that 66.3% of the adults in the US are overweight or obese. True but unbelievable, a stressful mentally and insufficient sleep could also result in obesity. Genetic reasons seem to be silent killers in this direction. This essay, "Obesity as a Worldwide Problem and Its Solution" is published exclusively on IvyPanda's ...

  14. Obesity in America: [Essay Example], 704 words GradesFixer

    Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. In America, the prevalence of obesity has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, with currently around 42% of the population being classified as obese. Addressing this issue is significant as it has far-reaching impacts on both individual and societal levels.

  15. 7.5: Obesity Epidemic

    Obesity is rising around the globe, and in 2015, it was estimated to affect 2 billion people worldwide, making it one of the largest factors affecting poor health in most countries .4 Globally, among children aged 5 to 19 years old, the rate of overweight increased from 10.3 percent in 2000 to 18.4 percent in 2018.

  16. Essay on Obesity: 8 Selected Essays on Obesity

    Essay on obesity! Find high quality essays on 'Obesity' especially written for school, college, science and medical students. These essays will also guide you to learn about the causes, factors, treatment, management and complications related to obesity. Obesity is a chronic health condition in which the body fat reaches abnormal level.

  17. Causes and Solutions of Obesity Free Essay Example

    There are many causes of obesity, and genes play a small role in how it can affect a person in the future. "Science shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Genes can directly cause obesity in disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome". (Etiology, n.d.p.1).

  18. Causes and Effects of Obesity: [Essay Example], 1145 words

    Obesity is a growing concern in many parts of the world, with rates on the rise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has more than doubled globally since 1980. This essay will examine the causes of obesity, including dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and genetic factors, and explore the significant effects it has on individuals and society as a whole.

  19. Essay on Obesity : Causes, Effects, Prevention & Solution

    Essay on Obesity. Obesity is not called an eating disorder. In general, obesity does not include proper eating patterns or habits. ... But those who consume high calorie foods have higher chances of getting obesity. Solution of obesity. Obesity can be treated by suitable lifestyle modifications, proper medication and bariatric surgery.

  20. Exploring Solutions for Fighting The Obesity Epidemic

    The global rise in obesity has reached alarming levels, presenting a significant public health challenge. This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of obesity and examines a range of solutions to address this complex issue. By exploring preventive measures, lifestyle changes, and policy interventions, we can collectively work toward creating a healthier society.

  21. Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution

    500 Words Essay on Obesity Cause And Solution Understanding Obesity. Obesity is a health condition where a person has a lot of extra body fat. It's like carrying around a heavy backpack all the time, which can make it hard to do everyday activities and can lead to health problems.

  22. Solutions To Obesity Essay

    Obesity is a real problem because it can cause numerous health problems such as high blood/cholesterol, sleep apnea, low joint mobility, and higher risks of a heart attack, stroke and cancer. It can unknowingly "seep" into a household. Obesity is one of the highest causes of death in the United States.

  23. Pounds And Profits: Addressing Obesity's $400 Billion Impact ...

    The annual economic cost per obese worker was $6,472, while for those with excess weight was $1,244. For every 10,000 employees, the cost to employers and employees of obesity and excess weight ...