Introduction
Obesity is one of the major health hazards that most the developed countries and some developing countries face today. It is such an issue that deserves public attraction and serious debate because the reasons and consequences of this issue are closely related to the modern lifestyle. In this essay, I am going to explain what exactly the problem is and the solutions based on various researches made by experts in the field of health. It also describes how obesity becomes an economic problem. Criticisms against the suggested solutions also have been included in this, based on the standards of critical thinking.
The problem
In the olden days, the fat body shape was considered as a sign of good health condition and wealth. But the term obesity is introduced because the weighed body is considered as the result or consequence of certain diseases. Obesity increases the risks of very serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis. It has become a major global health problem of our time affecting people irrespective of sex, age and region. Many developing countries are victims of obesity. But, people in developed countries are major victims of this health hazard. “Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight – at least 300 million of them clinically obese – and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Often coexisting in developing countries with under-nutrition, obesity is a complex condition, with serious social and psychological dimensions, affecting virtually all ages and socioeconomic groups.” (Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: Obesity and overweight, 2009, para.2).
Obesity is just not a problem that affects the health of people but it also has lots of other consequences that can make serious economic problems. The cost of treatment for obesity and related diseases is huge. Because of unfavorable body structure they cannot work long hours. After retirement, most obese people would be idle and live as a burden for other family members. As obesity can reduce mobility, they need to seek the help of some others when they become sick.
Obesity would leave a bad impression on people. It causes discrimination, especially among young people. Because of their bad body image and problems in mobility, there are chances for obese people to get depressed mentally. Young girls are main victims of obesity in this way.” It also leads to psychological problems such as low depression, self-esteem, and eating disorders. Loss of self-esteem is one of the major effects of having several other ramifications. Loss of self-esteem is a very serious and complex problem as its effect is very deep-rooted and may push an individual into severe depression.” (Bad effects of obesity, 2009, para.2).
Various solutions for obesity and the approach to the issue
The health promotion behaviors and practices include changing food habits such as taking food with less fat content and more fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, milk or food with a specific combination of nutrients is being used. Physical activities like swimming, walking, jogging, climbing steps instead of using the elevator and doing household works is another solution. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is also used in defense of overweight. Numerous factors coincide with the development of obesity such as genetic factors, lack of exercise, improper diet, medical and psychiatric illness, economic growth, modernization, urbanization, globalization of food markets, eating disorders, etc. Therefore, the two solutions discussed above may not be apt with all persons who are affected by obesity. Therefore, some other solutions should be developed.
There are a number of solutions for the treatment of overweight persons. There are natural medicines for the treatment of obesity. Naturally developed treatments are one way that gets popularity. Ayurveda is an example of one of the systems that evolved in Indian culture. Developing good habits and positive thoughts are also effective for the treatment of the disease.
Doing physical exercise is found to be successful in the prevention of obesity. “Physical activity and exercise help burn calories. The number of calories burned depends on the type, duration, and intensity of the activity. It also depends on the weight of the person.” (Obesity (Weight loss) (Cont.), 2009, para.2). Therefore, physical exercise is the best option to deal with obesity.
So the problems of obesity are closely related to lifestyle. Because food habits, exercise, etc. are determined by the way people live. Finally, all roots of obesity reach in different defects of lifestyle. So when we find a solution for obesity it becomes the suggestion to change life style. It is not an easy task to find ways to make changes in lifestyle as different cultural and economic aspects should be taken into consideration.
The way I reached the solution
Role of clarity
The clarity of the solution is very clear in this paper since this paper discusses the reasons and the various solutions that are used worldwide. It is very clear that the modern lifestyle is the main reason for obesity, especially in developed countries. Other than fast food habits, lack of exercise and of overuse of vehicles also have been mentioned as a reason for increasing obesity. I reached such a conclusion because I have observed many obese people. Most of them didn’t have the habit of doing exercise or revision any kinds of physical activities. Some obese people were not that addicted to the modern lifestyle. But they can’t do any kind of physical activities as they were always engaged in their profession or studies. But it is not clear how to reduce the use of a vehicle as the professionals and students need to depend upon them to be on time in offices and schools. It is impossible to stop the implementation of technology and invention in daily life. So the exercise in people’s life is reduced day by day as technology improves.
Role of accuracy
The solutions of the reasoning are accurate in the way that it is dealt with in this paper. It has discussed all the ways of treatment of obesity in the world. The main methods are controlled in the diet and doing physical exercise. This paper presents significant information about the problem in a detailed way. But I have also seen people who couldn’t treat obesity just by controlling diet or doing exercises. In those cases, the help of a physician becomes inevitable.
Role of precision
The precision of solutions is described very comprehensively because all possible solutions are given in this paper. The problem of obesity has a social impact on the affected. There are many kinds of assumptions pertaining to the prevalence of obesity among people. People who eat less and people who have willpower also can get inflicted with obesity because of some other factors like genetic factors, social factors, etc. It is natural that people will always tend to have a modern lifestyle. Fast food, alcohol, overuse of vehicles, etc. are parts of the main features of the modern lifestyle.
Role of relevance
An enormous increase in the weight of people can make so many negative impacts on society. Control in diet, regular exercise, etc. are widely recognized solutions for obesity. So, any discussion on obesity without mentioning these points would be irrelevant. The need of opting for natural medicine hasn’t undergone much discussion while there is a number of surgeries are available to treat obesity.
Role of depth
This paper shows the depth of the problem of obesity analyzing many of the studies and their results. Control in the diet and increase in exercise can help to reduce obesity. The addiction to TV and computer has a great role in lowering exercise. The role of computers and TV in life is increasing day by day and so do the depth of obesity. But there are not many predictions on how the problem would be in the future.
Role of the breadth
It has been discussed how the problem of obesity affects different areas of life. The trouble obesity makes in the life of professionals is huge and so does the economic impact. The high-cost treatment is shown as another major reason for the economic problems made by the issue. But there is no suggestion of cheaper treatment for the problem.
Role of logic
It has been explained well how lack of exercise and control in the diet causes obesity. Support of various studies justifies the argument that fast food habits can increase the intensity of obesity. The increase in exercise and control in the diet can reduce obesity at least to some extent. The arguments have been included based on reliable study results. But researches are still going on related to the topic. New reasons are found for obesity in the recent researches other than food fast food habit and lack of exercise. But all these reasons are not widely recognized. Still, it can be included in an essay that covers the different sides of obesity.
Role of significance
The essay has attempted to give a picture of the present depth of the issue. Obesity and related diseases are increasing day by day, especially in well-developed countries. Obesity is such an issue that can make serious trouble in the life of victims. It is just not a health issue that changes the appearance of people but also can become a serious economic problem in the future as the cost of treatment for this disease is very high. But there isn’t any kind of attempts to predict the intensity of the problem in the future.
Role of fairness
It has been discussed how obesity can lose the self-esteem of people. As the main reasons for obesity are lack of exercise and uncontrolled diet the solutions are based on the increase in physical activities and monitoring of diet. Natural medicines are suggested as the treatment for obesity.
The value-related perspectives help to control the prevalence of the problem due to obesity. The community envisages the desired eating patterns, health-related concerns, and the activities that are supposed to be carried out by the individuals. At the same time, there are social constraints for a person to do or not to do in accordance with the perspectives of the community. These values necessarily help to live a healthy life in the community. There are cultural and ethical outlooks towards obesity and no society demands people to be obese.
This paper has given a perspective with regard to the problem and it has followed the way of describing the problem, concepts, purpose, interpretation of the data and assumptions. The solution for obesity is clear and accurate because, despite a number of solutions for obesity, two methods are emphasized here. Intake of nutritious food and regular physical exercise are the best practices for controlling obesity. At the same time, these solutions are not that clear in highlighting the basic assumptions of society with regard to obesity.
Conclusion
What is discussed above is about the problems related to obesity and its solutions. Prevention is the best way to tackle any health hazard. For that, an ultimate change in lifestyle is inevitable for modern society.
Reference List
Bad effects of obesity. (2009). ArticleDoctor.com. Web.
Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: Obesity and overweight. (2009). World Health Organization. Web.
Obesity (Weight loss)(Cont.). (2009). MedicineNet.com. Web.