Critical Thinking: Examining the Claims About Obesity as Disease

This essay critically examines the arguments surrounding obesity, exploring whether it should be classified as a disease or viewed as a side effect of other conditions or lifestyle choices. The author analyzes various claims, such as obesity being a side effect of drugs, a cause of impaired bodily functions, and a preventable risk factor. Evidence from studies and reports is presented to support these claims. The essay further evaluates ideas expressed in the case study, including the role of physical inactivity, decreased life expectancy, and the impact of sugary drinks. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of timely and appropriate treatment to prevent serious health complications associated with obesity. Desklib offers this essay and other study tools to assist students in understanding complex health issues.

Assignment 1 Critical
Thinking Skills

Contents
Is obesity a disease?...................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
Examination of claims using critical thinking skills................................................................................3
Evaluation of ideas expressed in the case study......................................................................................5
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................8

Is obesity a disease?
INTRODUCTION
Obesity can be defined as a complex health condition that involves an excessive amount
of body fat and is a medical problem that involves a high risk of various health problems such as
heart disease, a high blood pressure, diabetes etc. It can be said that obesity results from taking in
an excess number of calories than that which are burned by exercise (Gao and et.al., 2020).
Critical thinking can be defined as the process of conceptualizing as well as analyzing
information which is gathered from an experience or reflection. It can be said that critical
thinking is important because it helps in making effective as well as informed decisions. the
primary purpose of critical thinking is to make sure that people are able to think clearly about
what they should believe or do. Also, it can lead to a much more effective development of
evaluation as well as problem solving skills. As a result, there is an increase or improvement in
the academic performance of the students. Apart from this, one of the other purposes of critical
thinking is to understand the key points of an article. This is because there can be cases wherein
the key points of the article are not understood. But it can be said that a person with critical
thinking skills will be able to understand them (Jarmakiewicz-Czaja, Sokal and Filip, 2020). In
the given case study, the key points that the author has highlighted are that one of the causes for
obesity is the side effect of drug. Another key point is that obesity could be a genetic disorder
and it can be stated that the author has ensured that the different key points are highlighted so
that they are easy to understand by the readers. For example, the author has mentioned that like
other diseases, obesity impairs the normal functioning of the body and this can lead to a high risk
of developing different health risks (Seth and et.al., 2020). This is because the patients can
develop different health complications such as joint pains, abnormal regulation of food intake
etc. The author has provided various key points that will help the readers in developing an
effective understanding about the concept of obesity and the different health complications that
are related with the same. The case study has been developed in a structured as well as
systematic manner.

Examination of claims using critical thinking skills
There are different claims that the author has made in the case study like one of the
claims that have been made by the author is that obesity is a side effect and not a disease. And in
order to support the claim, evidence has also been provided that there are certain drugs like
antidepressants, medications for diabetes, steroids, beta blockers, anti-psychotic medications etc.
which can lead to obesity. Apart from this, another evidence that the author has provided is that a
lack of sleep can also cause obesity. The author has supported their claim by stating that obesity
can also be caused by a lack of temperature variation, consuming high-fructose corm syrup as
well as a lack of quitting smoking. There are different health related problems that are caused
because of obesity such as Crushing’s syndrome, arthritis etc. Thus, it can be said that the
evidence supports the claim that obesity is a side effect and not a disease.
One of the other claims that the author has made is that obesity impairs the functions of
the body. And in order to support this claim, the author has provided significant evidence such as
it has been stated that the fat tissues that are created by obesity overproduce leptin, which is a
molecule that controls the intake of calories and burning. And as per the viewpoint of the author,
the condition of obesity can cause the wear and tear of the hip as well as the hip joint (Shaunak
and et.al., 2021). This condition can further lead to a joint replacement surgery. The author has
provided a specific percentage that 33% of the joint replacement cases come from people who
are obese. Another evidence that has been provided by the author is that the intake of other food
products as well as energy mediators in the body, can lead to an abnormal regulation of the
energy expenditure as well as food intake. The condition of obesity can lead to different
impairments in the bodily functions.
There are various claims that are made by the author in the respective case study such as
obesity decreases the life expectancy of a person and can lead to death, just like other diseases.
And in order to support the claim, the evidence that the author has provided is that pre-mature
deaths have been calculated in the North America and it was found that the same could be
avoided if the obese people have normal BMI weights. People who have extreme obesity, have a
risk of shorter life span by 10 years. Whereas in adults, this can lead to a loss of life by up to 3
years. Another evidence that has been provided by the author is that the Surgeon General reports
an estimated deaths per year which is 300,000 in number and that reason can be attributed to

obesity. Lastly, one of the other evidences that is provided is that people who are obese, have a
50-100% risk of death because of all the causes.
One of the many other claims that the author has made, is that obesity is a preventable
risk factor for various other conditions and diseases and that it is not a disease. And as evidence,
the author has stated that just like smoking is preventable risk factor for lung cancer and drinking
is preventable for alcoholism and other health complications, obesity is also a preventable risk
factor for many serious health conditions such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure,
type 2 diabetes as well as stroke. One of the other evidences that have been provided is that
women who gain 20 or more pounds between the age of 20 years as well as midlife, the risk of
developing arthritis increases by 9-13%. It has also been stated that young adults who are obese
and contract Covid-19 are more likely to get hospitalized even if they are otherwise healthy.
Obesity is a result of eating too much, is another claim that has been made by the author
in the respective case study. As evidence, the author has specified the normal level of daily
calorie intake for both men as well as women. for instance, the people who are in the age groups
of 31-50 years, 1800 is the normal calorie intake for women whole it is 2000 for men. The body
continues with its regular function of converting excess calories into fat cells. One of the key
evidences that the author has provided in the case study is that the CDC has recommended that
reducing the consumption of sugar drinks such as sodas should be prevented and this can help in
reducing the obesity.
Evaluation of ideas expressed in the case study
The author has provided various ideas within the case study and one of them is that
obesity could be a result of physical inactiveness. As per the article, people in the contemporary
world, are involved in different activities that involves more time in being seated such as video
gaming, watching television, working on computers as well as exercising less. As per the view
point of Martínez-González et al., there is a positive relationship between obesity as well as
sedentary lifestyle (Martínez-González and et.al., 1999). The authors have stated that the results
of the study conclude that the lack of calorie burning during leisure time can be one of the
reasons for the widespread of obesity. Apart from this, it can also be stated that people who are

not physically active, are at a higher risk of developing diabetes as well as other serious health
conditions such as stroke, heart disease as well as a high blood pressure.
Another idea that has been included in the case study by the author is that obesity can
decrease the overall life expectancy of a person and just like other diseases, causes death (Tapp
and et.al., 2020). In the case study, it has been mentioned that people who are extremely obese
have a risk of shorter life span by 10 years (Kacířová and et.al., 2020). As per the study that was
conducted by NIH, the results highlighted that there is need for developing interventions that are
more effective towards controlling the growing problem of extreme obesity among people. It can
also be stated that adults who suffer with extreme obesity, are at a risk of dying at an early age
because of various causes such as heart disease or diabetes (NIH study finds extreme obesity may
shorten life expectancy up to 14 years, 2021). It is important to develop as well as implement
interventions or measures that would be helpful in reducing the overall effect as well as health
complications that are caused because of obesity.
One of the other ideas that the author has included in the case study is that it is
recommended by the CDC that by reducing the consumption of sugar drinks such as sodas as
well as foods that are of high-energy tendency, should be prevented in order to reduce obesity. It
can be stated that obesity is one of the causes for the decline in the overall life expectancy of the
people. It has been reviewed that the intake of sweetened drinks as well as beverages, may be
one of the major causes for obesity as well as overweight (Ng and et.al., 2021). This is because
they contain a higher level of sugar content, especially carbonated drinks and this can lead to an
incomplete compensation for the total energy. A higher level of sugar puts the heart at risk which
is one of the concerning factors that can have a negative impact on the overall performance as
well as functioning of the body.
One of the other ideas that have been put forward by the author is that obesity is the result
of sedentary lifestyles. It can be stated that sedentary lifestyle is one of the major reasons for the
increase in the level of obesity among people. This is because it can lead to an increase in the
rates of mortality, increased risk of cancer, high blood pressure as well as various disorders
related to lipid content in the body. It can be said that this is one of the reasons that the people
should implement the different measures to make sure that there is an increase in the awareness
among the people (Rossi and et.al., 2021). Also, by doing so, the people who are dealing with the

issue of obesity will be able to lead healthier as well as safer lifestyles. Therefore, these were
some of the different points that should be implemented for the same. Obesity has become one of
the major concerns for the people across different age groups and hence, this is one of the
increasing concerns for their family members (Ryder and et.al., 2020). Therefore, by
implementing the most appropriate interventions, the people can ensure that there is an increase
in the overall productivity as well as efficiency of the individuals to a great extent.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that obesity can lead to be a serious health
condition for people if it is not treated at the right time and in an appropriate manner. Ineffective
treatment of obesity can lead to an increase in the health complications as well as the
development of various diseases such a s heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure level, type 2
diabetes as well as cancer. And it is important to make sure that appropriate as well as effective
interventions are implemented so that the condition can be controlled and people can live
healthier lives. My opinion on the topic is that in order to eliminate obesity, people on different
age groups should be encouraged to eliminate any possibility of obesity.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Gao, F. and et.al., 2020. Obesity is a risk factor for greater COVID-19 severity. Diabetes care,
43(7), pp.e72-e74.
Jarmakiewicz-Czaja, S., Sokal, A. and Filip, R., 2020. What Was First, Obesity or Inflammatory
Bowel Disease? What Does the Gut Microbiota Have to Do with It?. Nutrients, 12(10),
p.3073.
Kacířová, M. and et.al., 2020. Inflammation: major denominator of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and
Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology?. Clinical Science, 134(5), pp.547-570.
Martínez-González, M.Á. and et.al., 1999. Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle and obesity in
the European Union. International journal of obesity, 23(11), pp.1192-1201.
Ng, A.C. and et.al., 2021. Diabesity: the combined burden of obesity and diabetes on heart
disease and the role of imaging. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 18(4), pp.291-304.
Rossi, A.P. and et.al., 2021. Obesity as a risk factor for unfavourable outcomes in critically ill
patients affected by Covid 19. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases,
31(3), pp.762-768.
Ryder, J.R. and et.al., 2020. Thirty‐Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events in Adolescents
with Severe Obesity. Obesity, 28(3), pp.616-623.
Seth, A. and et.al., 2020. Severe obesity is associated with liver disease severity in pediatric non‐
alcoholic fatty liver disease. Pediatric obesity, 15(2), p.e12581.
Shaunak, M. and et.al., 2021. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and childhood obesity. Archives
of disease in childhood, 106(1), pp.3-8.
Tapp, C. and et.al., 2020. Is obesity treated like a contagious disease?. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 50(4), pp.205-212.
Online
NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years. 2021. [Online].
Available through:< https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-
extreme-obesity-may-shorten-life-expectancy-14-years >.