Public Health Burden of Obesity

Question: Whose Potbelly is it anyway? Answer: Introduction Obesity is a leading concern among different countries that is affecting a large mass of population in every nation. The various unhealthy lifestyles are found to be the main reason that leads to a large amount of weight gain and ultimately leading to an obese situation. Any person having a Body mass index of about 25 to 29.9 is said to be overweight and that above 30 is said to be obese (1). Obesity is a choice that is taken by an individual where the individual finds himself in a comfortable zone. Similarly, in many cases it has been seen that many obese people often fail to understand the risk that they are undertaking by allowing themselves in these conditions. A very important role is played by the society in this arena that one is pondering into. The society on many instances must take an active part in organizing workshops, which can deliver good deal of knowledge about healthy tips, as well as better living habits (2). However again, a massive question arises is that a person who himself knows that he or she is obese but laziness has made her comfortable with the situation would be affected by any steps taken by the society. So an argumentative representation can be established here that is whether an individual wants to accept with confidence that the sign of obesity that is his potbelly is the reason of his own unhealthy living or is the reason of the socio- eco nomic ways of living (3). In many cases it has been noted that excessive comfort of life and ill habits of different types like indoor playing of video games, television and all necessities of lives just a click away on internet are indeed the reasons of making a person addicted to comfortable life and making lives of people more dangerous (4). A large number of diseases are often associated with obesity such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type II diabetes, and even cancer. However, a question arises that even if the society takes an active part in creating awareness about the various consequences will that anyway lead to a different attitude of a person going through the unhealthy lifestyle. In this area, one can easily ask a very simple argumentative question that what the society can exactly do to make changes in the lifestyle of the people if spreading awareness does not count. The society can never take steps as in cutting down the food limit to an obes e person after reaching a certain limit (5). They may also provide extra taxes to an obese person for eating a huge amount of food without maintain themselves. All these can only be stated because they can never be implemented in the society of a person due to legal, socio-economic, and ethical issues. Therefore the only way that an obese person may estimate the importance of the healthy living is mainly because for the safety of his own life and to make life a bliss. There are many instances where the individual is victimized of obesity that might occur due to various genetic factors (6). On that instance, the individual might have nothing to do other than rely on doctors medication. However, there are many instances where the individual himself chooses to live the unhealthy lifestyle for at that moment in life he feels his life to be safe and secured. He tends to forget the effects that may arise in the future due to his unhealthy habits resulting in a variety of adverse situation. Now society has very less role to play here for a person who himself chooses a life of insecurity and becomes vulnerable to uncertainty (7). Again, here rises an argumentative conclusion. Sometimes, it so happens that the society encourages a large number of risky activities or sports just based on severe entertainment. Many instances can be provided under such criterion such as mountaineering, bull fighting, river rafting, and many others. These are the risks taken b y people that provide entertainment for the viewers. In this case, the society itself sponsors in various ways to take enjoyment and fun from the entire risks. Then an obvious question can be raised here. In case of a person suffering from the abdominal obesity, he has various life risks that can lead to different types of hazardous impact on the life of the individual and might become the reason of his death. Then the concern becomes that why the society should have any problem in such instances when the individual is facing a risk with his life. This obviously raises a concern hat whether obesity is not an in thing that should not be liked by the society (8) In case of obese children, it happens such that since they do not have the maturity to design a healthy planning of the lives; parents and society seem to play a very big role. The children should however be warned by the society as well as that by the parents and schools of the harmful effects of obesity. They should be made known of the healthy ways that would prevent them from becoming obese. Keeping the activity of the society apart in this case, it is sometimes seen that parents forget their duties towards their children as they get blinded by their love and pamper them with food and activities that harm their lifestyles and leads to the development of bad habits that could not be changed easily when they grow up (9). Thereby, the parents should be made to understand that their very minute steps towards the healthy living of their wards could bestow a good future upon them. Similar such roles can also be expected from the society because the society can mould the living ways of young growing children for a better life and future (10). While describing the second topic of discussion of holding obesity as a very weak character, a lot of points can be brought to light that would give the entire scenario a new dimension. Often obese persons have been taken as a centre for entertainment. Irrespective of the qualities possessed by the obese people, they have been always neglected and their qualities have never been paid importance. An important question arises here and that is what exactly makes people decide about the habits that an obese person may have that might be positive. Through many centuries, obesity is always looked upon a matter of discussion, especially with a tint of negativity (11). Even in the present decade where world has moved quite fast, people ideas and behaviors toward obesity have not changed. In any workplace, be it an office or a school or anywhere, an obese person may easily become the centre of bullying or discussion that tends to do no good to the person or those engaged into the act. A perce ption has always been planted into every generation that obesity has to be looked down upon as a weak character and anyone living with that trait becomes an easy prey of criticism and judgment. All of the good qualities are never looked and praised and his potbelly becomes the comedian of the evening. In this case, society can play an important part. In place of making fun of the obese man in midst of the entire workplace one may look over the opportunities that may help to provide him with more confidence so that he can at least excel in the qualities that he posses (12). Social awareness should be discussed thereby making people understand that obesity is a reason of physiological effects over unhealthy habits and should never be mingled with characterization of the person. Another topic that also acquires attention is the social stigma that often makes life of an obese person quite difficult to put through. The distinction that is often made between the obese persons who are often referred as fat and the thin people is who are referred to as fit. This is a very confused situation to discuss as the social stigma that prevails often confuses about the definitions of obese, fat, thin and fit people (13). In discussing the terms of beauty and ugly, which are itself relative terms often the obese people are designated as ugly and the thin people are designated as beauty (14). However, this does not solve the entire confusion and in turn raises a bigger concern. If Thinner people are beauty then what could be designated for fit people. In order to shed some more light on the issue, one may easily discover the facts that from history the idea of beauty was always accompanied by the idea of perfectly curved out thin figures of women that describe the epitome o f love and jealousy. No instances can be seen where a person will fall in love or lust with an obese woman. Since times immemorial this ideas have been strongly built by humanity as well as society in deciding the worth of a human being in the society. However, in the light of science this can never be held true. There should be no doubt that obese persons are very unhealthy and often leads a life with habits that would be harmful for nature. However, this can never be linked with ugliness. An argumentative idea can be represented here to prove the point. Models nowadays on the verge of being thin have become anorexic but they are still not criticized. Here lies the social stigma. From here, we can understand that society never considers fitness as the prior concern. It only judges the capacity and quality of the person on the basis of the weight. Therefore, it is really a big question that does society really need to be concerned about the potbelly structure (that a person will pos sess) or a skinny or size zero structure (that a woman can possess) (15). In order to create awareness the social stigma must first be removed from the society. Thus, the society has indeed to start a revolution that would make the obese persons not a centre for laughs and judgment but they should be provided confidence that would help them to look back on themselves with importance and gain energy for changing themselves and to lead a better life. The last topic of discussion includes assessing the fact that whether obesity is often referred as a burden to the people of the society and even to the family members. An obese person having the habit of eating too much food often becomes a factor of pressure on the earning member of the family because the financial stability gets affected (16). Moreover, the space required for the obese people in workplace or in a public and private conveyance becomes a matter of irritation to the fellow passengers (17). Similar many other instances can also be provided that would make obese people look as a burden to the society. All these are only discussed from a particular point of view. The other view may be projected as is it would be a crime to consider extra food or space to be a major issue because if the person is able to provide extra food or extra space for himself financially, the society should never interfere in the decisions. It can never be considered that being obese is a social c rime as long as that does not interrupt others lives in a harmful way by invading personal freedom. As a result, a large number of arguments can be based on the fact that possessing of a potbelly would be an individuals own concern rather than making it a stigma by the society. The limit of the society should only remain as far as the obese persons consent is concerned (18). Thus, from the entire argumentative essay, one can understand the various ethical dilemmas that remains associated with the topic of obesity. It is indeed a very sensitive issue requires expert handling and suggestions by the society so that aesthetic values that are associated should be treated properly. For the proper spread of awareness, society should play an important role in taking decisions of the alterations that has to be brought in the social life of each people to make them understand the importance of healthy living (19). Society should take the different steps that would be helpful enough for awaking the obese people of the health hazards that can remain associated with the obesity issues but at the same time should not act as stigma or a norm providing negativity to these people. It should always be remembered that besides medication there is yet another important governing factor called support and zeal that can (20)hange the time and perspectives of a human goal and m ake life lovable and healthy at the same. References: Hunter W. Nature Nurture: The Causes of Obesity. Simon and Schuster; 2015 Feb 3. Janssen I. The public health burden of obesity in Canada. Canadian journal of diabetes. 2013 Apr 30;37(2):90-6. Jurdana M, Petelin A, Bizjak M?, Bizjak M, Jakus T, PraÃ… ¾nikar ZJ. The role of Physical activity and dietary habits in preventing obesity in adulthood. Annales Kinesiologiae. 2013 Dec 20;4(1) Ramos Salas X, Forhan M, Sharma AM. Diffusing obesity myths. 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