Childhood and Adulthood Obesity

Running Head: Childhood and Adulthood Obesity 1
Childhood and adulthood obesity
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Childhood and Adulthood Obesity 2
Obesity is a complex chronic disorder comprising of genetic, cultural, psychological,
social, behavioral, physiologic, and metabolic factors. In different literature, various authors
define obesity as surplus deposition of fat in the body while others define it as an excess of fat in
specific locations. However, current evidence defines obesity using BMI (body mass index) or
WHR (waist/hip ratio) (Lenzi, Migliaccio, & Donini, 2015). From the Australian Bureau of
Statistics in 2011-2012, 63 percent of Australians were considered obese from their BMI
measurements (Healey, 2015). It was observed that the prevalence of males with obesity was
greater than that of females that is 42 percent against 35 percent. The occurrence has increased
from 64 percent to 70 percent between males, and 49 percent to 56 percent amongst female since
1995 in the National Nutrition Survey. Also, from Australian National Children’s Nutrition and
Physical Activity Survey 17 percent of girls and boys within 2-16 age brackets were categorized
as overweight with 6 percent obese (Aznar, Pigeot, & Ahrens, 2011). Additionally,
demographics including people from distinct ethnicity, geographical location and socio-
economically underprivileged in Australia have higher incidences of obesity compared with the
rest of the population. This paper explains two points that contribute to adulthood obesity.
The first point is the relationship between Genetic and environmental factors
which causes obesity. Variations in some genes may lead to weight increase and distribution of
excess fats in the body thus causing obesity. Polymorphisms in several genes which control
metabolism and appetite predispose to obesity in specific dietary conditions. In human
population genetic changes takes place too gradually to be accountable for the epidemic of
obesity (Bouchard, 2010). However, the difference in the way people react to similar
environment implies that genes usually have a role in obesity advancement. The genes are
concerned with providing the body with instructions on how to react to variations in the