Obesity
Obesity looming into a disease Bigger means better. However, this saying is not always accepted as true. Take obesity as an example. The bigger you are, there is nothing better you get. Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. A person is considered overweight if his/her body mass index is between 25 and 29.9; a person is considered obese if his/ her BMI is over 30 (“What is obesity?”, 2013). People are ignoring the fact that obesity is now considered as a pandemic. Because of this, obesity is now becoming a chronic disease due to genetic component, environmental factors and physical activity. Some people are born with a higher risk of being overweight. The obesity gene can run in families. First reason could be due to the genes passed by from one generation to another. For instance, if your biological mother is heavy as an adult, there is a 75% chance that you will be heavy as well (“Obesity”, p6). Another reason could be too much intermarriage, which is an act wherein there is marriage between close blood relatives. Leptin, a hormone that has a part in controlling the body’s weight has a defect when a person comes from a family with much intermarriage (“Scientist find genetic cause of obesity “, 1998).
Meanwhile, environmental factors greatly affect society. If a group of friends has poor diet and live sedentary lifestyle, it can also affect others as well whether their relationship with them is strong or not. As stated in Cameron (as cited in Christakis, 2007), “What we see here is that one person’s obesity can influence numerous others to whom he or she is connected both directly and indirectly”. If someone gains weight, chances are that friends, siblings, and spouses would gain weight, as well. Likewise, in the beliefs of children socio-economic notions is that being fat means you are economically stable while being thin means that you are poor
Meanwhile, environmental factors greatly affect society. If a group of friends has poor diet and live sedentary lifestyle, it can also affect others as well whether their relationship with them is strong or not. As stated in Cameron (as cited in Christakis, 2007), “What we see here is that one person’s obesity can influence numerous others to whom he or she is connected both directly and indirectly”. If someone gains weight, chances are that friends, siblings, and spouses would gain weight, as well. Likewise, in the beliefs of children socio-economic notions is that being fat means you are economically stable while being thin means that you are poor
References: Cameron, C.(2007). Obesity is contagious. Retrieved last September 7, 2013 from:http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/07/obesity-is-contagious/ Moyer, C.(2013, August 26). Fresh produce program gains momentum in weight-loss fight. Retrieved September 7, 2013, from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/public-health/articles-on-public-health.page WebMD.(2013). Obesity. Retrieved September 7, 2013, from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-obesity (n.a.).(1998, June 13). Scientist find genetic cause of obesity. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p133 (n.a.).(2003). Obesity. Newsweek, -v.142; no. 6: p.36-43 (n.a.).(2000, September 9). Obesity is a chronic disease. IFM, p.16