Obesity-Don't be so quick to Judge
As you probably already know, obesity is a huge health problem here in the U.S-more than a third of adults are obese- meaning they have a BMI of over 30 and 20% more body fat than normal. (A normal BMI is 18.5-24.9). My main duties as a research assistant are to recruit, screen, enroll, and assess participants for a weight loss study. We recruit patients from health centers who meet certain criteria, the main one being that they have a BMI that falls in the 30-45 (obese) range.
There are many people that view obesity as a problem of laziness or a lack of self control in diet and exercise. To be honest in the past I have had those same thoughts. However I have learned- especially from interacting with many people dealing with obesity- that other factors such as the social determinants of health greatly influence obesity so we shouldn't be so quick to judge.
To a certain extent we as individuals can control what we eat, how much we eat, and how active we are. However many different lifestyle circumstances such as poor socioeconomic status can lead to a domino effect of other problems that can influence the onset of obesity. Many of the patients I interact with every day are a part of the underserved and underinsured or uninsured population of the state. Most of these patients have the desire to lose weight and improve their health, but do not have the time or resources to do so on their own. Generally speaking, eating healthy is more expensive than eating unhealthy, especially without the resources and information to do so in an inexpensive way, Gym memberships can be costly, and not everyone may live in an environment where they can do outside activities because of weather, safety, or accessibility. Additionally people may not have the physical space or equipment to maintain their fitness at home. These are just some of the many hurdles that can hinder obesity prevention and weight loss.
So next time you see overweight or obese people, don't be so quick to judge them. Yes it could be laziness or a lack of control when it comes to making the necessary changes, but it also could be a lack of time, financial resources, or even a biological imbalance or gene that is influencing that individuals circumstance.
I believe that in order to successfully alleviate this health issue in the long run we need to stop viewing obesity as a body image problem-this just creates a negative environment that promotes name calling and social embarrassment for those dealing with this health problem. This issue is rooted in the media which transgresses into the health industry. Although it is very important that obesity is communicated as a problem in our society, it needs to be treated specifically as a health problem and not as an aesthetic one. This study does this by focusing on how obesity can cause other health problems such as diabetes and hypertension. Instead of implementing drastic diet changes and intense exercise regimens, it focuses on small changes in diet and mild exercise with the insights of health coaches to ultimately lead to gradual changes in weight loss that can be maintained.
I am of course no health expert (give me 10 years people!), but I guess the best way to sum up this post is by saying that there is not just one cause of obesity and there is not just one way to solve it.
Until next time,
Vanessa
There are many people that view obesity as a problem of laziness or a lack of self control in diet and exercise. To be honest in the past I have had those same thoughts. However I have learned- especially from interacting with many people dealing with obesity- that other factors such as the social determinants of health greatly influence obesity so we shouldn't be so quick to judge.
To a certain extent we as individuals can control what we eat, how much we eat, and how active we are. However many different lifestyle circumstances such as poor socioeconomic status can lead to a domino effect of other problems that can influence the onset of obesity. Many of the patients I interact with every day are a part of the underserved and underinsured or uninsured population of the state. Most of these patients have the desire to lose weight and improve their health, but do not have the time or resources to do so on their own. Generally speaking, eating healthy is more expensive than eating unhealthy, especially without the resources and information to do so in an inexpensive way, Gym memberships can be costly, and not everyone may live in an environment where they can do outside activities because of weather, safety, or accessibility. Additionally people may not have the physical space or equipment to maintain their fitness at home. These are just some of the many hurdles that can hinder obesity prevention and weight loss.
So next time you see overweight or obese people, don't be so quick to judge them. Yes it could be laziness or a lack of control when it comes to making the necessary changes, but it also could be a lack of time, financial resources, or even a biological imbalance or gene that is influencing that individuals circumstance.
I believe that in order to successfully alleviate this health issue in the long run we need to stop viewing obesity as a body image problem-this just creates a negative environment that promotes name calling and social embarrassment for those dealing with this health problem. This issue is rooted in the media which transgresses into the health industry. Although it is very important that obesity is communicated as a problem in our society, it needs to be treated specifically as a health problem and not as an aesthetic one. This study does this by focusing on how obesity can cause other health problems such as diabetes and hypertension. Instead of implementing drastic diet changes and intense exercise regimens, it focuses on small changes in diet and mild exercise with the insights of health coaches to ultimately lead to gradual changes in weight loss that can be maintained.
I am of course no health expert (give me 10 years people!), but I guess the best way to sum up this post is by saying that there is not just one cause of obesity and there is not just one way to solve it.
Until next time,
Vanessa
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