9.1-9.16
Obesity in the U.S and Globally
As the reading for this week starts off, Obesity is stated to be notoriously high in the U.S. It’s such a pervasive epidemic that affects the young, poor, rich, rural, urban, and uneducated populations currently. The obesogenic environments that we have created, makes one susceptible to eating high calorie foods, being sedentary, and it also increases how much one eats. Especially in today’s youth, they are more prone to obesity by being surrounded by high fats and high calorie foods. There is also how much nutritional value they can get at schools, which can restrict the diet even more so. Processed foods and high fats are readily available in schools respectively. Not only is the U.S prone to this widespread health determinate, the term globesity has been give to show how this is a multinational affliction.
Effects of Obesity and Being Overweight
There are so many health effects by being overweight or obese, that it can affect one’s mental state, and many other chronic diseases. Health care costs are high due to the fact of being at an unhealthy weight. Depression, anxiety, and poor body image is also associated with this. The more severe consequences can be having sleep apnea, high blood pressure, increased chances of some forms of cancer.
Factors: Genes, Physiology, and Environment
When it comes to who is more at risk for obesity, there are actually some people who inherit genes that can cause lower satiety when it comes to being full from a meal. Even though this gene can make a person more vulnerable to being overweight, it can also be overridden by exercise and healthier life choices. There is also a person’s metabolism that can affect this too. Basal metabolic rate (BMR), is the bare minimum of what a person burns throughout the day to keep vital bodily functions up and running. Then there is the resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the energy that is burned along with the normal amount of standing, sitting, and food digestion. Exercise metabolic rate (EMR), is the energy expenditure through walking and physical activities. All of these different motions of metabolism can afflict the gaining of weight a person will attain, depending on what one does throughout their day. Usually the younger one is, the higher the BMR is and this assists in keeping weight off. After the age of 30 1-2% of BMR is slowed down, making it more difficult to keep the weight off. There is also the theory of a set point, which is when the body fights to keep it at a certain weight. This can be complicated if a person is physiologically overweight, and that thier body fights to keep it plateaued.
There are also hormones that can induce how much a person weighs. The hormone ghrelin is what controls satiety and appetite. Then there is leptin, which suppresses appetite. When this hormone is increased in the blood, it signals less food intake and promotes more energy. People who are obese have increased amounts of ghrelin and inoperable leptin receptors.
Environmental factors that are associated with weight gain are media outlets promoting high fats and fast food constantly. There is also how, as a society, we are always on the move and frozen pre-made meals are to compensate for this lifestyle. Misleading food labels are also a culprit to how unhealthy a person eats. While something seemingly healthy is promoted as such, there are hidden ingredients, such as high in sugars but low carbs.
Lifestyle
Economic and social factors also inhibit healthy eating too. People who like to eat, usually associate with those who are the same. This will enable the same patterns of unhealthy eating between two people. Socioeconomic status also makes it feasible to opt of cheaper foods, which are usually more fattening and high in calories. Then there are also people who work odd hours and come home late from work, which makes it that much easier to get something such as takeout. Not only do these types of lifestyles impede a healthy weight, but there is also medications, sleep deprivation, and certain toxins just in our environment alone.
Body Weight and Composition
Body mass index (BMI), is body weight relative to height and weight. The BMI gives an approximate of how much a person should weigh, depending on their height that is proportionate to their weight. This measurement doesn’t usually take into account how much lean muscle a person has versus essential fat a person needs as well. When using the terms overweight, this usually means the person is at least 10 percent above accepted weight. Obesity is 20 or more percent than the acceptable weight for an individual. Women should have a body fat percentage relative to 20-30 percent, while men should have 8-20 percent. When it comes to being underweight, men would have 3-7 fat percentage, while women with just 8-15 percent. Being extremely underweight can cause hair loss, fragile bones, and in women loss of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea).
Mindful Eating-Improving Eating Habits
When speaking of calories, for every 3500 consumed more than one’s body needs, a pound is gained. This would essentially be just storage fat to a person’s body, when it isn’t expended through exercise or other forms of physical activity. The importance of inquiring some form exercise is integral for weight management. This can keep metabolic processes active. Also becoming mindful of triggers to inappropriate eating habits are essential for a healthy weight. Eating in front of T.V is one of the most prominent of bad eating habits. This can give a person a reason for mindless eating and overeating as well. When a person is trying to change a habit like this, it’s helpful to keep a log of triggers that induce these habits. Having smart snacks such as carrots or celery sticks are best for when one needs a snack when trying to satiate hunger. There is also, really paying attention to when one is really hungry or just experiencing boredom or emotional situations. Having foods high in fiber and protein are great for staving off hunger, so one doesn’t just eat impulsively.
Diet Programs
When following a diet program, it is best to find one that can fit into one’s lifestyle to be successful. An example of a successful diet plans would be the Mediterranean, Weight Watchers, and the MIND diet. All of these have been recorded as successful in losing weight, and not depriving oneself to the point of relapse to junk food. To be successful in weight loss, there is also having support network to help along, and having a set plan to follow that’s realistic to attain these goals.
Weight-Loss, Body Image, and Eating Disorders
When losing weight, typically people go to just dieting and exercising. In some cases though surgery is necessary. People who are extremely overweight, have diabetes, or hypertension are candidates for certain surgeries. Gastric bypass is when 70 percent of the stomach is cut away, resulting in a person to eat less. There is also gastric bonding, where a band partitions off part of the stomach, resulting in a person feeling full more quickly. With all these types of surgeries, there are also risks of blood clots, infection, and reduced immune system.
Body image is how one perceives one’s self in either a positive way or negative way. A positive image, consists of accepting one’s body as it is and not having their emotions influenced by that perception. A negative image is a discomfort of the shape of a person’s body or distortion of that image to extremes. This can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders. Social media, roles models, and society as a whole, are strong influences on body image currently.
An eating disorder is having severe thoughts or behaviors in relation to food. Anorexia nervosa is a chronic disorder that includes extreme food restriction and life-threatening weight loss. Body image is usually contorted and there is usually an extreme fear to eat normally. People with this disorder, are most likely suffering from depression, anxiety, and some symptoms of OCD. There is also bulimia nervosa which consists of purging calories through vomiting. Both of these are extremely dangerous and can cause hair loss, low electrolytes, and even fatality. There is also exercise disorders too; Muscle Dysmorphia and The Female Athlete Triad. Muscle Dysmorphia pertains mainly towards men, and is a distorted view of insufficient lean muscle. The symptoms are usually comparing to others and thinking they’re not muscular, when indeed they are. The female athlete triad consists of a form of eating disorder,negative body image, and compulsive exercising. Usually females that are involved in athletic activities and are in high competitive sports are affected.
Health Reflection
My health aspect has definitely been successful as far as completing two yoga sessions and other forms of exercise this week. I have been doing at least one hour of cardio each day to jump start some weight loss. Usually I’ve been more concerned with my anxiety and stress levels, but I’ve also realized I have gained a little bit in two years. I think in prior years, I may have had an exercise disorder of some sort. I was already thin as it was at that point, and I felt compelled to workout for at least two hours a day, 5 days a week. If I happened to miss one day, I would feel extreme anxiety and some guilt for not going. When reading this week’s chapter, I realized that some of what was gone over are things I have been guilty of; I was at one put depriving myself of certain foods. If I had maybe one slice of pizza in that week of working out, I would feel I ruined my whole week and there was no redeeming myself.
Now after reading this chapter and prior ones, I look at all the triggers and thoughts behind these compulsions and obsessions when it comes to working out and eating right. I know my body image was distorted back then and sometimes still is. I just have to remember and point out to myself that perfection is not realistic, but being healthy and having a healthy weight is. I also take into the fact of my BMI describing myself as overweight for my height and weight. I’m about 165 but I also have a lot lean muscle on me from working out recently. I try not to pay attention to much to the scale, but more so to how my old clothes are actually beginning to fit again.
Resources
Donatelle, R. J. (2019). My health. New York: Pearson.
Kim's Health Journey 