Obesity is defined by most people simply as a person who is fat. That definition holds a little bit of the actual truthful definition of the word. In reality, obesity is the result of excess proportion of total body fat and is usually calculated using the body mass index formula. A person is overweight once his BMI falls between 25 and 29.9 while obesity kicks in once the BMI goes over 30.
Since obesity is caused by sedentary lifestyles that do not allow for exercise, this reason is most often pointed to as the common cause of the disease. However, there are other factors that contribute to obesity. For instance, as a person ages, the body metabolism changes and so the body needs lesser food to complete the same rudimentary activities of a person. Gender issues aside, women also tend to weight more than men since men are more physical beings and therefore have a more constant calorie burn. A woman’s body also undergoes more chemical changes and thus make them prone to more weight gain as they age and the chemical make up of the body changes. Other factors that contribute to obesity also include genetics, environmental and psychological factors, illness and medication.
In the United States, obesity affects majority of the children. Recent surveys by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that there has been a plateu in regards to the rate of the disease growth among children between the years 2003 – 2006.
Based on the study, in the combined years of 2003—2006, 16.3% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were obese, at or above the 95th percentile of the 2000 BMI-for-age growth charts.
The scientific community, although at odds when it comes to how people can actually lose weight effectively, all agree that the best way to combat obesity among children and adults is by encouraging more physical activities such as exercise and sports. By having regular activities that bring up the heart rate to a fat burning level, we actually burn off excess calories and implement effective weight loss. The body is composed mostly of water and muscle. Most of the weight that is visible to the human eye is actually water retention and by sweating it out during exercise, we lose water weight. Eventually, this weight is brought down to a normal level and exercise then begins to work on tightening our muscles. This tightening or resizing of the muscles cause weight loss because the muscles are shrunk down to its proper and normal size that it lost during the obesity stage.
It is a known fact that people will try the most outragous diet in order to lose weight. Some also put their weight loss faith in old wives tales and beliefs such as smoking helps a person to lose weight. The reason that smoking seems to help a person lose weight is because the activity ruins the taste buds of a person. Since smoking changes the taste of the food to something bad, people lose interest in eating and thus suppresses the appetite of a person. In reality, when a person quits smoking, there will be some sort of weight gain. But appetite suppression through smoking is highly unhealthy because of the way smoking affects the overall health of the person. Destroying his lungs and sapping him of energy that can better be used and built up in strength during fitness training for weight loss.
Obesity and smoking for weight loss can be considered to be problems that go hand in hand. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that these 2 activities are better understood by the people and that the government creates programs that will help to control and alleviate the situation. Therefore, I propose that a bill sponsored in congress advocating Anti Obesity and Smoking program.
Under this program, there will be a continous obesity and weight loss education program introduced in Physical education and health classes From gradeschool to high school. Topics that can be covered by the program are the importance of proper nutrition and the good effects of exercise on the body. Anti smoking campaigns may also be introduced as part of the anti obesity program in order to discourage smoking as part of a weight loss program by making the after effects of smoking known to the youth before they pick up the habit. For adults, the program can encourage proper weight loss by allowing those in need of weight loss help to consult with dieticians and physicans at government hospitals who can help them formulate a weight loss program that will be most effective for them.
The program can also encourage a healthier lifestyle by negotiating with fitness clubs regarding giving new over 30 BMI clients 1 month free membership in order to entice the person to lose the weight and stay healthy. A person can lose enough weight within a month to be encouraged enough to stick with his program. We should also encourage the local YMCA and YWCA’s to promote free aerobic exercise programs to their local communities at least 3 times a week since aerobic exercise is the most effective way to break a sweat, lose the calories, and flush out the toxins within the body.
In the end, obesity is actually a lifestyle choice that can be controlled and overcome by the person provided he is serious about doing so. We can help them get over their weight problem safely and effectively but the final decision about safe weight loss will still depend upon the person himself.
Work Cited
Albert, Sara. 5 Weight Loss Myths. Web.
Campbell, Reece, & Simon. 2007. Essential Biology with Physiology. 2nd edn. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings Publishing.
Chang, Louise. 2006. Exercise And Weight Loss. Web.
Center For Disease Control And Prevention. 2008. Overweight And Obesity. Web.
Gelfand, Jonathan L. 2008. Obesity. Web.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. 2000. Booklet 3: A Guide To Remaining Smoke Free. Web.