Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Obesity - Essay Example Over the last centuries, research indicated that obesity was related to rich households where food was in plenty thus individuals could afford to overindulge. However, recent studies have shown a deviation from the traditional perspective where the findings indicate that households with higher risks of obesity were the poorest families in the United Kingdom (UK). This can be attributed to the fact that poor families are not in a position to afford adequate and nutritious diets. They instead tend to buy junk food, which is relatively cheaper and convenient because some nutritious diets require time to prepare and other accompaniments. This paper aims at discussing the title ‘In Western society, the poor are now for the first time in history, proportionately the most obese portion of the population’. Obesity generally translates to having too much body fat, which contributes to their being overweight. Obesity leads to reduced life expectancy because of the health risks it exposes people to like diabetes type 1 and 2, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Obesity is caused by the consumption of excessive high-energy food intake, lack of physical activity and through genetic susceptibility although this is rare phenomena. Lack of physical exercise and adequate diets are leading causes of obesity. Consumption of low quality diets rich in energy and sugar content lead to accumulation of fat in tissues and consequent weight gain (Murphy 22). Lack of physical activity that is encouraged by a sedentary lifestyle contributes to lack of exercise. All of these factors combined, result in reduced morbidity of an obese individual because their weight becomes too much to bear. Their legs become swollen due accumulation of water caused by stress subjected to them by the excess weight. Obesity is a leading killer condition in the world, but it does not kill directly, it is the health risks that being obese one expose to, that cause death. The sad fact is that it is a preventable and treatable condition, but it continues to kill millions of people every year all over the world. The most effective mode of preventing obesity is leading a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutritious diets and maintaining proper physical health through exercise. Treatment of obesity follows the same principles applied in prevention, which are the most effective, and user friendly. There are other methods, which are considered extreme by some people, and they include surgery to remove excess body fat. Liposuction is such a surgical procedure where excess fat if sucked from an individual’s abdomen. The best way to manage obesity is by dieting which means consuming food that is low on high energy and sugars, and instead increase intake of vegetables and fruits. Physical health is also a vital component of managing obesity. Earlier research studies indicated that obesity was a condition associated with the rich, people of affluence. During the middle ages in Eur ope, rich people were revered for being obese, and it was an accepted norm, which represented their stature. In countries like Japan and China, obesity was referred to as the disease of the opulent in society. In more recent times, research studies have established a changing trend in the prevalence of obesity among rich households. The trend has changed from rich families having individuals who are obese to poor families having people who are obese. This