Definitions
When we talk about being overweight what we mean is that someone has excessive fat stored in his or her body than what is healthy for them. In other words, he or she is an obese person (Stroebe, 2008).For a kid being overweight means getting ridiculed all the time about being fat or being nicknamed fatty as he is unable to keep up with others in the playground. On the other hand, for an adult, it can lead to severe health problems and other illnesses in the long run.
How to determine that one is overweight or obese
Just like no two flowers are the same; in the same way, everyone is different from each other. Some people are rounder than others while some here thin because that body frame runs in the family. There is no perfect weight that suits everyone. However, a couple of measures can be used to determine whether one is obese or not. For instance, the calculation can be done for the ideal weight for a particular person based on his or her height and whether that person is a male or a female. According to Apovian and Lenders 2006, for a female of height 5’6, her ideal body weight ought to be 120 pounds while for a male of the same height the ideal weight would range between 130-140 pounds. Another way to assess whether someone is overweight is to use a BMI also known as a Body Mass Index. BMI uses height and weight to calculate a number. BMI indicates the extent of body fat someone has. BMI is just an estimate as muscle weighs more than fat and hence a muscular person can have a high BMI, without being overweight and vice versa.
Causes being overweight and obese
Obesity is caused by several factors such as people eating far more calories than their bodies require or can burn. Calories come in the form of food and drinks leading to the body storing the excess in the form of increased body fat. Secondly, people nowadays, in modern times do not get enough physical exercise that the body requires to function properly; all they do is sit in front of computers and televisions all day long. This again causes weight increases in a person. Other causes of being overweight or obese include driving to work and everywhere else instead of walking or using a bike, eating oily and fatty foods like hamburgers and fries all the time instead of home-cooked meals, and sitting in cars or desks more often than taking time to stretch one’s body (Wallach & lan, 2005).
Problems associated
Being obese or overweight leads a person to become ill at an early age and makes him a target for other diseases and health problems. Caldwell and Kimball 2001 mentioned the problems that are associated with obesity and overweight include; difficulty in sleeping peacefully and a heavy body making it harder for a person to breathe leading to overworking lungs. Secondly, a person feels tired all the time, and his or her body continuously aches or pains. Other problems include getting diabetes of type 2 which is very dangerous and makes you dependant on pills to survive. Obesity can also lead to cholesterol problems and emotional problems such as a person feeling embarrassed, sad, or angry all the time.
Ways to prevent weight gain
It is very important to prevent weight gain because once you have gained weight then it is very difficult to lose weight and it always leaves its after-effects on the body. Weight can be controlled by taking morning and evening walks rather than becoming couch potatoes. Secondly one should eat more green and leafy vegetables and proteins rather than fatty and oily foods all the time. Another way to stay in shape is to use the gym for at least an hour each day (Wallach& Ian, 2005). One should prefer walking to nearer destinations rather than taking the car. Taking a lot of fast food should be avoided as it is the major cause of obesity and it should be taken only once a week, this would help to prevent weight gain. Having fruits instead of desserts would also help to avoid taking a lot of sugar and fruit sugar keep the sugar level of the blood to normal.
References
Apovian, C., & Lenders, C. (2006). A clinical guide for management of overweight and obese children and adults (Crc series in modern nutrition science). New York: CRC.
Caldwell, W., & Kimball, C. (2001). Obesity sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about diseases and other problems associated with obesity, and including facts about risk factors, prevention. Canada: Omnigraphics, Inc.
Stroebe, W. (2008). Dieting, overweight, and obesity: Self-regulation in a food-rich environment. America: American Psychological Association.
Wallach, J., & lan, M. (2005). Hell’s kitchen: Causes, prevention and cure of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. London: Wellness Publication.