Relationship of Obesity and the Advancement of Technology

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
Intro:
For the last half of the 20th century we had seen the rapid development of technology, which had established the foundation for the identity of the 21st century which is the Digital Age. Slowly the remarkable inventions and innovations of that time, such as the television, radio, the computer, home appliances, the primitive cellphone, crude gaming devices and other technological breakthroughs developed and transformed to be the usual and simple materials that had become a part of a 21st century person’s daily life.
Though the advancement of technology brought allot of advantages and positive changes on the lives of every individual in this world it also had some negative impacts. As advanced technologies begin to take hold over the lives of the ordinary people problems also began to occur. Slowly without them being aware the People started to become very much dependent on technology. As a result even the simplest activities and the easiest tasks of day-to-day life begun to be done with the aid of modern technology.
Problem Identification:
Obesity, a condition once associated only to the rich and idle, in the past few years had suddenly become usual to the ordinary people. Obesity as described by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation which could lead to extreme health risks. According to the data kept by the WHO there is an increasing level of obesity worldwide. The occurrence of obesity since the 80’s had almost doubled by 2008. 10% of men and 14% of women in the global population is obese in the year 2008 while in the 1980’s there were 5% for men and 8% for women.
Aside from adult obesity there is also an alarming increase in the level of childhood obesity which at the present is one of the most common nutritional problems among children. An increasing rate of obese children also means an increasing rate of obese adults. Worldwide the highest prevalence of obesity and overweight can be found in the Regions of the Americas which are 26% for obesity and 62% for overweight in both sexes and lowest in the Region of South East Asia which are 3% and 14% for overweight in both sexes. Although South East Asia has the lowest rate of obesity, in the Philippines the prevalence of obesity-related diseases and childhood obesity has been rising at steep rate for the past few years. It had been doubling for the past few decades and according to the WHO more than 3 million children in the country is either obese or overweight. According to Sen. Angara of the Philippines, at the moment obesity is the new form of malnutrition for its various health risks that affects not only the developed nations but also the developing countries such as the Philippines.
Underlying Causes:
Worldwide the prime cause of obesity among children and adults is an unhealthy diet and the lack of physical activities or insufficient exercise. Though a lot of parents blame genetics as the reason but according to experts genetics has nothing to do with it. The new generation of children which are the Generation z, born between 1992 to the present is turning to a lazy generation of couch potatoes.
In the Philippine setting another cause in the increase of obesity is the change on the family set-up of the Filipinos. Before parents have allot of time to spend with their children but as a result of the changing socioeconomic conditions and as more needs and wants are created parents tend to look for more sources of income. If before only the father earns for the family now even the mother needs to earn. As a supplement to the time they should have spent with their children the parents give them gadgets, gaming devices and others that their kids wish and want.
The youth of the present or the Generation Z is highly exposed on the increasing number of new and advanced time and work saving devices particularly entertainment devices, computers, smart phones and other gadgets. This makes them more vulnerable to the negative effects of these modern technologies. One of which is sedentary lifestyle described as a form of lifestyle lacking the presence of physical activities in an individual’s life. What is happening is children of this generation is spending more of their time sitting, playing with virtual games on digital devices rather than experiencing actual physical games. Because of the lack of physical activities they tend to build up unused energy which is fat.
Consequences of Obesity:
According to the WHO obesity particularly childhood obesity is associated with higher chance of premature death and illnesses in adulthood. Illnesses such as Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, Coronary Heart Diseases, Musculoskeletal Disorders, High Blood Pressures, Abnormal Blood Fat, Metabolic Syndrome, Stroke and even certain types of cancer can be acquired at a younger age for obese children. A child who is obese is most likely to remain as obese in his or her adulthood. As a result more than 2.6 million people die each year because of obesity related health risks. If obesity won’t be addressed children of this generation may die younger than the previous generation.
Actions:
The World Health Organization is currently addressing the problem on obesity by providing recommendations and support to different organizations and programs with the aim to lessen the prevalence of obesity. The general recommendations of WHO is to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetable also with legumes, whole grains and nuts, as well as to limit the intake of energy through fat and the intake of sugar, and lastly to be physically active. The WHO also encourages the different governments, civil groups, NGO’s, Private organizations and other organizations to engage them in applying the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The OMG or “O My Gulay!” “ OMG!” Campaign of Sen. Edgardo Angara of the Philippines also aims to reduce the obesity rate in the Philippines by promoting the proper nourishment of children especially those at the primary level. The project aims to impart the importance and benefits of eating vegetables as a solution to malnutrition and obesity. By planting squash, string beans, eggplant, tomato, bitter gourd, and other crops, the children will have better access to nutritious foods.