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Modern people consumed higher calories than the human body can digest and cope with . Where are all this calories come from ? FOOD ! While people eating more than their body needs then obesity is becoming more common .
Body Mass Index ( BMI ),which relates your weight to your height, when its shows index of 20-25 generally defined as healthy. But when its indicated more than 30, in simple definition to say it - OBESE .
Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century . Obviously obesity is life-threatening. Obese people are more likely than others to develop health problems such as gallbladder disease, cardiovascular and certain cancers. They are also at greater risk if they udergo surgery.
Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century . Obviously obesity is life-threatening. Obese people are more likely than others to develop health problems such as gallbladder disease, cardiovascular and certain cancers. They are also at greater risk if they udergo surgery.
The USA is the most obese nation in the entire world. Statictic that carried out by the World Watch Institue in Washington, DC, shows in the United States 23% of adults are obese, 55% are overweight and 20% of children are overweight or obese. UK is the fast catching up, for every 5 women and for every 6 men, at least 1 for each category are obese, with 45% of men and 33% of women being overweight. Obesity is also increasing among children and teenagers. In February 2002, a published research showed that 4 obese British teenagers had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a form of the disease that occurs when fat and muscle cells lose their sensitivity to insulin. Previously, it had been known only in obese adults and in obese from ethnic minorities, who are known to be at increased risk for genetic reasons.
While genetic influences are important to understanding obesity, they cannot explain the current dramatic increase seen within specific countries or globally.Though it is accepted that calorie consumption in excess of calorie expenditure leads to obesity on an individual basis, the cause of the shifts in these two factors on the societal scale is much debated. There are a number of theories as to the cause but most believe it is a combination of various factors.
The correlation between social class and BMI varies globally. A review in 1989 found that in developed countries women of a high social class were less likely to be obese. No significant differences were seen among men of different social classes. In the developing world, women, men, and children from high social classes had greater rates of obesity. An update of this review carried out in 2007 found the same relationships, but they were weaker. The decrease in strength of correlation was felt to be due to the effects of globalization.
Many explanations have been put forth for associations between BMI and social class. It is thought that in developed countries, the wealthy are able to afford more nutritious food, they are under greater social pressure to remain slim, and have more opportunities along with greater expectations for physical fitness. In undeveloped countries the ability to afford food, high energy expenditure with physical labor, and cultural values favoring a larger body size are believed to contribute to the observed patterns. Attitudes toward body mass held by people in one's life may also play a role in obesity. A correlation in BMI changes over time has been found between friends, siblings, and spouses.Smoking has a significant effect on an individual's weight. Those who quit smoking gain an average of 4.4 kilograms (9.7 lb) for men and 5.0 kilograms (11.0 lb) for women over ten years. Changing rates of smoking however have had little effect on the overall rates of obesity. In the United States the number of children a person has is related to their risk of obesity. A woman's risk increases by 7% per child, while a man's risk increases by 4% per child. This could be partly explained by the fact that having dependent children decreases physical activity in Western parents. In the developing world urbanization is playing a role in increasing rate of obesity. In China overall rates of obesity are below 5% however in some cities rates of obesity are greater than 20%.
Many explanations have been put forth for associations between BMI and social class. It is thought that in developed countries, the wealthy are able to afford more nutritious food, they are under greater social pressure to remain slim, and have more opportunities along with greater expectations for physical fitness. In undeveloped countries the ability to afford food, high energy expenditure with physical labor, and cultural values favoring a larger body size are believed to contribute to the observed patterns. Attitudes toward body mass held by people in one's life may also play a role in obesity. A correlation in BMI changes over time has been found between friends, siblings, and spouses.Smoking has a significant effect on an individual's weight. Those who quit smoking gain an average of 4.4 kilograms (9.7 lb) for men and 5.0 kilograms (11.0 lb) for women over ten years. Changing rates of smoking however have had little effect on the overall rates of obesity. In the United States the number of children a person has is related to their risk of obesity. A woman's risk increases by 7% per child, while a man's risk increases by 4% per child. This could be partly explained by the fact that having dependent children decreases physical activity in Western parents. In the developing world urbanization is playing a role in increasing rate of obesity. In China overall rates of obesity are below 5% however in some cities rates of obesity are greater than 20%.
Body Weight And Obesity
Most people step on the bathroom scales to check that they are not putting on weight. But the weight of the body only give you some part of the whole situation, in terms of health, body composition are the most vital part. To picture it clearly, let make an example of 2 men of the same height who each have almost the same weight: let say 80kg, since muscle tissue is heavier than fat, one could be plump and have high percentage of body fat, while the other one could be lean . In order to measure how much fat and muscle in the person's total weight, several methods can be apply :
- Underwater Weighing
- Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry ( DEXA )
- Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
- Skinfold Measurements
The first 2 methods are the equiptment normally found only in research laboratories or hospitals . Bioelectrical Impedance and Skinfold Measurements, they are less accurate but more accessible and usually used by health clubs and fitness centres .
Body Fat
Loughborough University had done the research in 1992 showed that the risk of ill health is related closely to the percentage of body fat. Its learned that percentage for women who carries at least risk was 18-25% and for 13-18% for men . It is also known that the distribution of your body fat is as important as the total amount of fat which determined partly by genetics and partly by the hormones influence.
- Men : Deposit fat around the abdomen and internal organs ( heart & kidney ) and between the shoulder blades that leads to 'apple' body shape ( normally associated with overweight man ) . This distribution pattern of fat cause much bigger risk of heart disease.
- Women : Accumulation of fat around the hips,thighs, breast and upper arm that give a 'pear' body shape ( due to higher levels of oestrogen for women ). The fat deposits are less mobile and less easy to shift, but carry a lower health risk. But after the menopause, oestrogen levels decline and fat is more likely to be deposited around the abdomen which increase the risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, May 02, 2009
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OBESITY
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