Simply put, obesity can be defined as a condition in which a person has too much body fat. It is not an issue that has recently appeared in modern times, but has been around since the ancient Egyptians, even having records of treatment dating back to the Hippocratic era. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 35% of adults in the United States are obese. Alarmingly enough, it was reported in the early 2000s that 16-18% of children and teens in the United States are also obese (Kathleen, Keller). The World Health Organization estimates that there are about 1.6 billion obese adults in the world. These numbers have been on the rise over the world, but predominantly in the United States. Out of the 50 states,
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The motherboard of our body, so to speak, is the brain. It controls every organ and process from homeostasis to our feelings and emotions. In Western culture, people idolize and follow celebrities who are thin and fit. Stereotypes are made about people who are considered “fat” and associate them with laziness. These assumptions can cause people with obesity to develop a low self-esteem and social isolation. According to Everyday Health, a person that is obese is 25% more likely to develop depression compared to a person who has a healthy weight. Furthermore, obesity can affect the circulatory system. Currently in the United States, the leading cause of death is from heart disease, even among people who are not considered obese (American Heart Association). After years of consuming foods bursting with saturated fats and sugar, a person's arteries located in the heart start to become hardened with cholesterol plaque causing angina or a heart attack. Once it reaches its maximum threshold, a section of the artery can rupture, forming a blood clot. A blood clot of even the smallest diameter has the ability to travel to the brain and deplete it from oxygen, triggering a stroke. But the health problems associated with obesity do not stop with the brain and heart. Instead, they continue on with the lungs. Obesity increased the percentage of fat, predominantly around the neck and the abdomen. During sleep, the airway passage may be obstructed from the surplus amount of fat, making it hard to breathe. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing several times every night and is a life-long condition that can only be managed with changes in lifestyle or certain sleeping devices. Even when a person is not sleeping, doing simple everyday things such as walking up and down stairs can turn out to be exceedingly exhaustive. Not only does this surplus of fat affect
The motherboard of our body, so to speak, is the brain. It controls every organ and process from homeostasis to our feelings and emotions. In Western culture, people idolize and follow celebrities who are thin and fit. Stereotypes are made about people who are considered “fat” and associate them with laziness. These assumptions can cause people with obesity to develop a low self-esteem and social isolation. According to Everyday Health, a person that is obese is 25% more likely to develop depression compared to a person who has a healthy weight. Furthermore, obesity can affect the circulatory system. Currently in the United States, the leading cause of death is from heart disease, even among people who are not considered obese (American Heart Association). After years of consuming foods bursting with saturated fats and sugar, a person's arteries located in the heart start to become hardened with cholesterol plaque causing angina or a heart attack. Once it reaches its maximum threshold, a section of the artery can rupture, forming a blood clot. A blood clot of even the smallest diameter has the ability to travel to the brain and deplete it from oxygen, triggering a stroke. But the health problems associated with obesity do not stop with the brain and heart. Instead, they continue on with the lungs. Obesity increased the percentage of fat, predominantly around the neck and the abdomen. During sleep, the airway passage may be obstructed from the surplus amount of fat, making it hard to breathe. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing several times every night and is a life-long condition that can only be managed with changes in lifestyle or certain sleeping devices. Even when a person is not sleeping, doing simple everyday things such as walking up and down stairs can turn out to be exceedingly exhaustive. Not only does this surplus of fat affect