Nutrition is essential in people’s lives as it provides energy and defines the balanced, healthy condition of a human being. The deficiency or disproportion of macronutrients or microelements can lead to malnutrition. The latter represents a lack of one or several nutrients, which causes various diseases and serious health issues. The disbalances can be due to both dieting and overeating as these conditions are leading to disproportions in received nutrients. According to the World Health Organization report on malnutrition (2021), 1.9 million adults are either overweight or obese, and 462 million adults are underweight. Deficient in micronutrients and overweight individuals are more spread in developed countries, and serious lack of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is mostly met in countries with poor access to food. In this assignment, obesity will be disclosed as a form of malnutrition and its effects on the human body will be discussed.
Obesity is a condition when, due to various reasons, the body has abnormal fat tissue accumulation that may further impair health. The indicator of overweight and obesity is body mass index (BMI) calculated as a person’s weight divided by the square of height. If the BMI is higher than 25, the human is considered overweight. If the BMI is higher than 30, then one has obesity. Obesity is considered a malnutrition because the extended consumption of nutrients can still lead to the lack macro- and microelements. Additionally, a variety of serious disorders develop because of obesity. All health personnel warn about the higher risk of having diabetes mellitus, chronic heart disease, heart stroke, atherosclerosis, apnea, and varicose vein disease if a man does not take action to fight obesity.
There are various physiological effects of the disproportionate intake of food on the human body. Mostly, the reason for gaining weight is a higher intake of foods compared to the person’s activity. In other words, the calories consumed predominate the calories expended throughout the day. Currently, researchers in the nutrition field state that the quality of the diet also impacts weight gain and loss. The carbohydrate-insulin model underlines that hormone level and the feeling of hunger increase when a person intakes a lot of processed carbohydrates and starchy foods (Shukla, 2021; Camacho & Ruppel, 2017). Indeed, the high peaks of glucose and insulin in the blood after consuming fast foods and simple carbohydrates nourish a human for a shorter period. Complex carbohydrates and proteins, on the contrary, are metabolized longer and do not cause quick elevations of hormone levels.
Poor, disproportional food intake can lead to such malnutrition as obesity. It must be considered that the lack of some essential micro- or macronutrients can end in further weight gain and the development of other concomitant disorders. The deficiency of microelements can lead to incorrect dietary choices, cravings, and insufficient access to high-calorie foods. The latter can also bring changes in the absorption, distribution, and excretion of nutrients (Kobylińska et al., 2022). Thus, the metabolism of food can become altered because of systemic inflammation caused by obesity (Kobylińska et al., 2022). Fat tissue is a complicated structure that produces hormones itself and has various receptors at the top of adipocytes, fat cells. These receptors and hormones take part in the human body’s functioning leading to the development of diseases, lowered tolerance to insulin (the key factor of diabetes mellitus type 2 pathogenesis), and higher consumption of foods.
Individuals with obesity are recommended to avoid high-calorie intake, processed carbohydrates, and saturated fatty acids. The carbohydrates are sometimes overconsumed by people trying to lose weight and buying foods with fat-free labels. However, such products usually have an increased number of carbohydrates that balance the lowered fat proportions. The goods that are recommended to consume are proteins, unsaturated fats (contained in fish, nuts, vegetable oil), and complex carbohydrates (grains and vegetables). These foods help the human body combat obesity and the habit of constant overeating. Low-energy-dense products can decrease energy intake by enhancing satiation and satiety through psychological and physiological mechanisms (Smethers & Rolls, 2018). This leads to finishing a meal earlier, extending the time until the next food intake, and reducing the amount of consumption at the next meal.
Nutritional recommendations are motivating people with obesity to eat balanced foods with macro- and micronutrients. This can prevent malnutrition, cravings, increased appetite, and the development of serious diseases. The health conditions that follow overweight and obese individuals are significantly deteriorating human quality of life and further worsen their well-being. The recommendations also warn people of the unhealthiness of high salt intake and its effects on the human body. Potassium ties water molecules, causes edemas, and increased blood volumes. The latter leads to increased blood pressure and peripheral edema of tissues which results in the deteriorated human condition, mobility, and emotional state.
Therefore, malnutrition involves not only the lack of nutrients and weight loss. Overweight and obesity are serious disorders affecting a substantial part of the current population. The easy access to foods, lack of time for making food home, and flavor intensifiers in fast food restaurants form people’s choices and lead them to consumption of simple and similar foods and malnutrition. The increased fat accumulation rises hunger, lowers tolerance to insulin, and impacts the human’s emotional and psychological condition. To tackle this circle of despair, the person has to make an effort to choose healthier products, be more active daily, and become generally healthier.
References
Camacho, S., & Ruppel, A. (2017). Is the calorie concept a real solution to the obesity epidemic?Global Health Action, 10(1), 1289650. Web.
Kobylińska, M., Antosik, K., Decyk, A., & Kurowska, K. (2022). Malnutrition in obesity: Is it possible? Obesity Facts, 15(1), 19–25. Web.
Shukla, D. (2021). Obesity and weight loss: Why overall calorie intake may not be so important.MedicalNewsToday. Web.
Smethers, A. D., & Rolls, B. J. (2018). Dietary management of obesity: Cornerstones of healthy eating patterns.The Medical Clinics of North America, 102(1), 107–124. Web.
World Health Organization. (2021). Malnutrition. Web.