Nathan Donaldson

English 2010/Carolyn Holloway

7/23/14

Obesity: The Facts That Might Help You See
What is Obesity?
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight, which means
weighing too much. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone, or water, as well as
from having too much fat. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has
accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health, leading to reduced life
expectancy and/or increased health problems. People are considered obese when their body
mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight by the square of the
person's height, exceeds 30 kg/m2.
What are the effects of Obesity?
Excessive body weight is associated with a variety of diseases such as: cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, cancer, osteoarthritis, asthma etc. In the
United States, obesity is estimated to cause 111,909 to 365,000 deaths per year. On average,
obesity reduces life expectancy by 6-7 years, depending on the severity. Not only does obesity
cause a direct threat, but it can increase the risk of many other physical and mental conditions:
diabetes mellitus type 2 was mentioned, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglyceride
levels, etc. These can be affected by other things as well but obesity can indirectly play a role in
these diseases. The chart below gives a list of diseases that can be affected by obesity. ("Fast
Food Marketing Ranking Tables")
Nathan Donaldson
English 2010/Carolyn Holloway
7/23/14

Medical Field Condition
Cardiology
Ischemic heart disease: angina and myocardial infarction
Congestive heart failure
High blood pressure
Abnormal cholesterol levels
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Endocrinology and Reproductive medicine
diabetes mellitus
polycystic ovarian syndrome
menstrual disorders
infertility
complications during pregnancy
birth defects
intrauterine fetal death
Neurology
stroke
meralgia paresthetica
migraines
carpal tunnel syndrome
dementia
idiopathic intracranial hypertension
multiple sclerosis
Psychiatry
depression in women
social stigmatization
Rheumatology and Orthopedics
gout
poor mobility
osteoarthritis
low back pain
Dermatology
stretch marks
acanthosis nigricans
lymphedema
cellulitis
hirsutism
intertrigo
Gastrointestinal
gastroesophageal reflux disease
fatty liver disease
Nathan Donaldson
English 2010/Carolyn Holloway
7/23/14

cholielithiasis (gallstones)
Oncology
breast, ovarian
esophageal, colorectal
liver, pancreatic
gallbladder, stomach
endometrial, cervical
prostate, kidney
non-Hodgkins lymphoma, multiple myeloma
Respirology
obstructive sleep apnea
obesity hypoventilation syndrome
asthma
increased complications during general anaesthesia
Urology and Nephrology
erectile dysfunction
urinary incontinence
chronic renal failure
hypogonadism
buried penis

What are the Symptoms of Obesity?
There are many ways in which a persons health in relation to their weight can be classified, but
the most widely used way to tell someones health is with the BMI (body mass index) method.
a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight
a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese
a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese
This system is not used to define whether or not your are obese (some people who are very
muscular have a high BMI) but it may be a very good indicator that you are overweight. A
Nathan Donaldson
English 2010/Carolyn Holloway
7/23/14

better measure of excess fat is waist circumference, and can be used as an additional measure
in people who are overweight. Typically, men with a waist size of 94cm and women with a waist
size of 80cm or more are likely to develop obesity related health problems. (NHS "Obesity")
How to Avoid Obesity
Following a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent being overweight and obese. Beginning these
healthy habits early is best. If youre a parent, try starting healthy lifestyles for your kids. The
main thing to do is to eat healthy and be physically active. But lets expand on that some more.
When watching what you are eating, keep in mind what energy you are taking in and what
energy is being put out. Follow a healthy eating plan, make healthy food choices, and keep your
familys calorie need in check. Try to avoid fast food and other restaurants. If you go out and
eat watch your portion sizes. Be active. Make personal time as well as family time to get out
and burn some energy. Find activities that everyone can enjoy. Ride bikes, go for walks, go
hiking, take part in various sports, etc. The earlier you break your kids of the habit of electronics
early the less likely they will stay indoors all the time. Same goes for adults; less TV and
computer and more outside time. Keep track of your weight, BMI, and size, as well as your
children.
How The World May Affect You
Nathan Donaldson
English 2010/Carolyn Holloway
7/23/14

No matter where we go we see advertisements. We are brainwashed every day and we dont
even realize it. We need to be aware of what effects company marketing has on our health and
overcome the obstacle mentally, which in turn helps us physically. In 2012 Mcdonalds spent
$971.8 million on advertising. All of which goes to TV, Radio, Outdoor(signs, billboards, etc.)
and internet ads. An estimated 581 advertisements were viewed by children 2-11 years old
each in 2012. That is just children! A teeny bit less is estimated for teens and adults. That is a lot
of advertisements seen and we dont even notice it. These are just advertisements seen on
television also. Social networking has also been something that is very big now also. Companies
fight for customer approval and spreading over social media with likes, shares, follows, views,
etc. We may be surrounded by all these advertisements but we need to keep in mind that they
have no power over us unless we let them. The difference can be seen with the difference in
percentage of obese Americans from 2005 to 2010. It will only increase unless something is
done about it.
Nathan Donaldson
English 2010/Carolyn Holloway
7/23/14


Find out how you can prevent being obese
Works Cited
"Sugary Drinks and Obesity Fact Sheet." . Harvard School of Public Health, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.
<http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-drinks-fact-sheet/>.

"How Can Overweight and Obesity Be Prevented?." . N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/prevention.html>.

"Fast Food Marketing Ranking Tables." . fastfoodmarketing.org, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014.
<http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/media/FastFoodFACTS_MarketingRankings.pdf>.

"Obesity." . NHS, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx>.

"Overweight and Obesity." . CDC, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html>.