Causes of Obesity
Causes of Obesity
In general mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.
—Benjamin Franklin,
American scientist, publisher, and diplomat There is a simple equation that explains how a person’s body maintains its weight. To maintain a steady body weight, the amount of energy a person takes in (the number of calories he or she eats) must equal the amount of energy the person uses (how many calories he or she burns). To lose weight, a person must shift the balance of the energy equation so that the amount of energy coming in is less than the amount of energy going out .
This can be achieved by reducing the amount of energy taken in (that is, eating fewer calories), increasing the amount of energy used (for example, by exercising), or by combining the two strategies ((diet and exercise). Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, the energy taken in is far greater than the energy used.
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OBESITY: WEIGHT LOSS GOALS
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OBESITY: WEIGHT LOSS GOALS
News Acomplia Zimulti
There is strong evidence that weight loss in overweight and obese individuals decreases their risk of diseases, such as heart conditions and diabetes. The general goals of weight loss and management are to reduce body weight, prevent further weight gain, and maintain a lower body weight over the long term. The initial goal of weight loss in an obese person should be to lose 10% of total body weight, which is manageable for most obese individuals. Once achieved, the 10% weight loss is often easy to maintain. For example, a 300-pound (136-kg) The Obesity Epidemic 17 person should initially strive to lose 30 pounds (66 kg). This weight loss should occur over approximately six months.
The target should be lose ½ to 2 lbs (0.2 to 1 kg) per week to
achieve the initial weight loss goal over six months. Studies have proven that this seemingly small amount of weight loss can have a substantial effect on lowering the risk of developing or worsening diabetes and heart disease. After six months, tactics to maintain weight loss should be put into place. If more weight loss is needed, another attempt at weight reduction can be made. Adults should work to attain a BMI lower than 25 kg/m2. Any additional decrease in BMI, however, will reduce the overall health risks. It is best for individuals to consult their doctor or health-care professional before embarking on any weight loss plan.
SOCIAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY
SOCIAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY
SOCIAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY
Anyone who has watched an episode of Friends or The OC has seen the glorified ideal of being thin; the characters are extremely thin and ultimately many people who watch the show are inclined to want to lose weight, even if they do so in harmful ways. Unrealistic and unhealthy ideals of thinness are presented everywhere in the media—particularly in movies, television, and magazines.
These images compel many people to try tactics (both conventional and unconventional) to lose weight, firm up, and match these ideals. In large part because of the “thinner is better” message put forth by the media, obese individuals experience social and emotional stress because of their weight. In the United States, Canada, and other Westernized societies, there are powerful messages that people should be thin and that overweight individuals have poor self-control.
Negative attitudes toward obese people may lead to discrimination in employment or college acceptance, even though this kind of discrimination is illegal. Some obese people, particularly adolescents, may experience an increased incidence of depression and emotional stress. Teens may also have a poor self-image and feelings of isolation, as well as directed messages of negativity from peers.
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The Obesity Epidemic
The Obesity Epidemic
Hello. My name is Gina, I’m 17 years old, and I weigh 340 pounds (155 kg). I’ve been overweight since I was 12 years old. I used
to go to school, but I dropped out because people make fun of me. I have missed my entire time in high school because of
being obese. I suffer from depression, anxiety, and a fear of leaving my house. I hate my body so much it’s insane. I wish I could lose all this weight in a heartbeat, but I know it is not possible. All I am able to do is sit around in the house all day. When I do go out, I can’t bring myself to get out of the car.
I joined a gym, but I don’t know what good that’s going to do; I am too embarrassed even to go. I feel so guilty for letting myself get so big. I wish I could just live an ordinary teenage life and have cute boys look at me and not pick on me. I wish I could go out and enjoy life instead of being afraid all the time. I wish I could simply go to a store and buy sexy clothing, bell-bottoms, tank tops, and a bikini, but I can’t because they don’t make that kind of clothing in my size.
I know I’m not the only obese person in the world, but being a teenager and watching all these other skinny teenage girls makes me feel like I am the only [[obese] one. I feel like such a freak. I wish I could change, but it’s so hard. I really need some support right now. I wish all these pretty, skinny, in-shape people could just respect me, but that will never happen because of the way I look.
(Story adapted from an excerpt on the American Obesity
Association Website, http://pythontail.org)
The Use and Abuse of Drugs
The Use and Abuse of Drugs
The issues associated with drug use and abuse in contemporary society are vexing subjects, fraught with political agendas and ideals that often obscure essential information that teens need to know to have intelligent discussions about how to best deal with the problems associated with drug use and abuse.
Drugs: The Straight Facts aims to provide this essential information through straightforward explanations of how an individual drug or group of drugs works in both therapeutic and non-therapeutic conditions; with historical information about the use and abuse of specific drugs; with discussion of drug policies in the USA ; and with an ample list of further reading.
From the start, the series uses the word “drug” to describe psychoactive substances that are used for medicinal or nonmedicinal purposes.
Included in this broad category are substances that are legal or illegal. It is worth noting that humans have used many of these substances for hundreds, if not thousands of years. For example, traces of marijuana and cocaine have been found in Egyptian mummies; the use of peyote and Amanita fungi has long been a component of religious ceremonies worldwide; and alcohol production and consumption have been an integral part of many human cultures’ social and religious ceremonies.
Healthy Ways to Lose Weight and Maintain Weight Loss
Healthy Ways to Lose Weight and Maintain Weight Loss
The focus of this site to this point has been using drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, as an aid to losing weight. Before drugs are used, however, other steps must be taken to begin the weight loss process. The first is to assess a patient’s weight by calculating his or her BMI and measuring his or her waist circumference (as described in Chapter 1). After determining these values, the next step is to figure out the safest methods for that person to achieve weight loss. Finally, strategies for maintaining weight loss over a long time must be established. Obesity is a lifelong disease and successful treatment involves a lifetime of weight control.
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Effective weight control involves many techniques including diet modification, physical activity, and behavior therapy. Generally, doctors and health-care providers recommend that a person looking to lose weight attempt these strategies before considering drug therapy and surgery. Treatment strategies should encourage weight loss and long-term weight control.
There are several ways to begin the weight loss process. Modifying diet and increasing physical activity can influence obesityrelated risk factors (when weight affects the heart, for example).
Recommended changes in diet not only modify how many calories someone takes in, but also reduce fat, cholesterol, and sodium found in the person’s diet.How much a person exercises is important because it not only helps with weight loss, but also weight maintenance. In addition, exercise can prevent and sometimes even reverse some of the damage done when a person has developed weight-related health problems (for example, high blood pressure). Weight loss should also take into account the needs of the patient. Overall, treatment of overweight and obesity is a commitment that must be taken seriously by both the patient and the health-care professional.
HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DIET PILL ABUSE
HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DIET PILL ABUSE
There are health concerns associated with the overuse or abuse of any drug. Abuse can occur with any over-the-counter or prescription drug, including weight loss products. Some of those health concerns are discussed here.
Laxatives and Diuretics
Many people abuse laxatives and diuretics in an effort to control weight. Laxatives work by stimulating nerve endings in the bowel, prompting the release of water from the colon. The idea is that laxatives help food pass more quickly through the body, before calories can be absorbed. The only way that laxatives help you lose weight, however, is by ridding your body of the weight of the water that is lost. This is often referred to as “water weight,” and it is weight that comes right back as soon as you start to drink.
Abuse of laxatives can lead to a number of health problems, including imbalances in the levels of minerals (electrolytes) in the body, which can lead to dehydration, tremors, weakness, blurry vision, and kidney damage. Laxatives can also change the way nerve endings in the colon work, which can cause the laxative abuser to need more laxatives to have a bowel movement.Other problems with the digestive system that can result from laxative abuse include an increased risk of colon infection (resulting from a loss of the protective cover that lines the colon), rectal pain, gas, and severe constipation. Finally, laxative abuse may lead to both cancerous and noncancerous tumors in the bowel.
Diet Pill Abuse
Diet Pill Abuse
This book has examined how diet pills work and which herbal and prescription products are most commonly used for weight loss.
Disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and body dysmorphic syndrome may lead someone to abuse both over-the-counter and prescription diet pills. There are health and legal ramifications of diet pill abuse that are ignored or not even realized when abuse is taking place.
STATISTICS REGARDING EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders can be broken down into four categories: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and other disorders (such as body dysmorphic syndrome). Approximately 1% of female adolescents have anorexia; the mortality rate for anorexia in this age and gender group is higher than for any other psychological disorder, including depression. People with anorexia have different ages of onset of this disease. Thirty-three percent of anorexia patients develop (show signs of) anorexia when they are 11–15 years old; 43% of anorexia sufferers show signs of anorexia when they are 16–20 years of age. Reports show that approximately 4% of women aged 18–22 are bulimic. Females comprise approximately 90% of all anorexia and bulimia cases. Overall, approximately 70 million people worldwide have an eating disorder. Most people who have an eating disorders suffer from the illness for 6 to 10 years.
Diet Pill Abuse ANOREXIA
Anorexia is an eating disorder that mainly affects adolescents (most often, girls). People with this disorder have an intense fear of gaining weight and therefore limit the food they eat. Typically, a person with anorexia has an extremely low body weight and a strong refusal to maintain a normal, healthy body weight.
The body image of a person with anorexia is usually highly distorted— he or she lives in extreme fear of becoming fat, and is usually unable to recognize that he or she is thin, even dangerously underweight
Many times, people with eating disorders do not see a “true” image of themselves. When looking into a mirror, these people only see a large, fat stomach and heavy thighs. In reality, they could be so thin that they look like a walking skeleton; only in their heads are they fat.
Anorexia is a way of using food to feel “in control” when dealing with a tough situation. For example, someone may be overwhelmed by his or her parents’ divorce, a situation that he or she has no control over. Thus, by starving themselves, people with anorexia feel as though they are exerting control over their lives. There is no single cause of anorexia, and, in fact, the condition may be caused by a number of factors. This disorder often runs in families.
