A Feature Article on Obesity: Trends and Causes in Developed Countries

This feature article examines the significant increase in obesity rates within developed countries over the past three decades. It defines obesity based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and highlights its association with various health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The article explores the contributing factors to this rise, such as genetics, high-fat and carbohydrate diets, processed foods, and lack of physical exercise. It emphasizes the role of lifestyle changes, including dietary modifications and increased physical activity, in preventing and managing obesity. The report references several studies and articles to support its claims, discussing the impact of obesity across different age groups and socio-economic classes and considering it as a preventable health issue. The article also discusses the mental health implications of obesity and suggests solutions such as nutritious diets and lifestyle modifications to improve overall health and quality of life.

Feature
Article about
Obesity

Contents
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................2
How Developed Countries’ Obesity Rates See ‘Startling’ Increase Over The Past 3 Decades. .2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4
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MAIN BODY
How Developed Countries’ Obesity Rates See ‘Startling’ Increase Over The Past 3 Decades
Obesity is one of the most common medical condition in which the excessive body weight
can have negative impact on the health outcome of an individual. A person can be said as obese
when he or she have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 30. It is a disease which has been
considered as epidemic. The reason is because it has huge relation with the poor mental health
conditions and also have the ability to reduce down the quality of life. Obesity is also considered
as one of the major cause for diabetes, heart diseases, stroke and even cancer. Over the past three
decades there has been dramatic rise in cases related to obesity. It has been analysed that in
developed country since 1975, the number of cases related to obesity has been increased by
47.1%. In Australia the cases related to obesity has been increased by 27.9% to 31.3%
(Whiteman, 2014). There are various reasons because of which people are suffering from
obesity. One of the main factor which is giving rise to obesity is genetics and heredity. The shape
and size of the body can be dependent on it (Djalalinia et.al., 2015).
There are also other factors which can give rise to obesity like people in developed
countries are been involved in consuming food which has high amount of fat and carbohydrates.
They are also been engaged in having food which is highly processed. Moreover, the ubiquitous
accessibility to these types of foods has influenced people to change normative eating
behaviours, from cooking their own meals and having only 3 meals a day to passive overeating
by snacking, eating in restaurants and only buying store-foods (Lewin, 2019). It has also been
analysed that so many companies are been involved in making products which consists of high
amount of sugar (Nanmi et.al., 2004). This is one of the main factor that so many people in
developed country arte been suffering from obesity. They have also been involved in facing
various other types if chronic disease because of being overweight. It has also been analysed that
most of the people in developed countries are also suffering from obesity and being ill as they do
not have been involved in doing physical exercise. They have also been not involved in taking
the nutritious food which is making them more fat. Obesity is also one of the leading factor
which can lead to the mental health disease. People in developed country have been involved in
consuming the processed food such as bread, candy, refined sugar. The unhealthy food
consuming habit is the one of the main reason that people are being overweight. In order to
reduce the weight they can be involved in taking nutritious diet. They can also engaged in
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consuming food which consists of lots of fibre. This will assist them in reducing down the
weight and being healthy and also physically fit.
Obesity: A Preventable Disease
It has also been analysed that obesity has affected all the ages and socio-economic group.
Health care professional says that this disease can be prevented. If the people are obese they also
develop various other problems such as high blood pressure, heart stroke and diabetes. All these
diseases can reduce the quality of life and is also one of the major factor for death and illness.
There has been 47.1% rise in obesity in children and around 27.5% in adults. The number has
been grown tremendously just in three decades. Mostly people who are suffering from the
obesity lives in developed country (Hruby & Frank, 2015). Obesity is also been considered as
one of the major cause for cancer. It can be prevented and controlled. There are various ways by
which obesity can be controlled. One of the most preferable way that patient can be involved in
doing the physical exercise such as yoga, aerobics. This will assist them in reducing down the
weight and also they will not be able to catch any further disease. It has also been analysed that
these measures will also help the people living in developed country to increase their quality of
life. There mental health will also be improved because of it. It has also been analysed that
obesity can also be cured by having dietary measured and people can also involve in taking the
life style modifications (Monbiot, 2018). It has been analysed that the people who are been
involved in consuming liquor on regular basis are at more risk of developing the problem of
obesity. So by changing it they can be engaged in being more healthy. This change in life style
pattern can also assist them in enhancing their quality of life. They will also not be able to face
any type of further disease related problem in future.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Djalalinia, S, Qorbani, M, Peykari, N & Kelishadi, R, 2015, Health Impacts of Obesity, Pakistan
Journey of Medical Sciences, viewed 10 July 2020,
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4386197/>.
Lewin, E 2019, ‘We can call this an epidemic’: Obesity rates double in 10 years, RACGP,
viewed 12 July 2020, <https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/we-can-really-call-
this-an-epidemic-obesity-rate>.
Hruby, A & Frank, H, 2015, The Epidemiology of Obesity: A Big Picture, HHS Public Access,
viewed 18 July 2020, <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859313/>.
Whiteman, H 2014, Worldwide obesity rates see 'startling' increase over past 3 decades, Medical
News Today, viewed 16 July 2020,
<https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277450>.
Obesity and overweight 2020, World Health Organisation, viewed 14 July 2020,
<https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight>.
Nanmi, S, Boini, K, Koka, S & Chinnala, K 2004, Obesity: An overview on its current
perspectives and treatment options, BMC: Part of Springer Nature, viewed 19 July 2020,
<https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-3-3>.
When Being Overweight Is a Health Problem n.d., Kidshealth.org, viewed 19 July 2020,
<https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/obesity.html>.
Monbiot, G 2018, We’re in a new age of obesity. How did it happen? You’d be surprised, The
Guardian, viewed 24 July 2020,
<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/15/age-of-obesity-shaming-
overweight-people>.
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