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Jesse Anderson
Sean M. George
English 1010D.03
10 September 2015
The Why of Obesity
Obesity has been a problem in the world for a long time and for the most part it has not
gotten the attention that it rightfully deserves. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention showed that more than one third of adults and 17% of children and teens were
obese (Renouard). Those numbers are pretty scary to hear and think about, mostly because the
way that obesity affects people all of the time. There are a lot of people to be affected by obesity.
The way people view obesity has changed over the years. It started out as the thought that
obesity was the fault of the person that was obese and no one else. Now, the whole stigma has
changed a little. In an article that I found in the Deseret News, it let us know how experts have
changed how they look at obesity. Some experts believe the term obesity is now more similar to
the term cancer, in that cancer covers numerous conditions when abnormal cells divide
uncontrollably (Renouard). From this quote we read that obesity is more than just a youre not
exercising enough to be skinny, so thats your own fault. In this essay I will be expanding on
some of the facts of obesity and information. The things I will be discussing are, what are the
causes of obesity, how does income affect chances of obesity, and finally how to prevent obesity.
The first thing that will be discussed are what are the causes of obesity. Obesity is kind of
a complex thing that is not very well understood. In research done by the University of Utah
they talk a little about the causes of obesity.

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In many ways, obesity is a puzzling disease. How the body regulates weight and
body fat is not well understood. On one hand, the cause appears to be simple in
that if a person consumes more calories than he or she expends as energy, then he
or she will gain weight. However, the risk factors that determine obesity can be a
complex combination of genetics, socioeconomic factors, metabolic factors, and
lifestyle choices, as well as other factors. Some endocrine disorders, diseases, and
medications may also exert a powerful influence on an individual's weight (Health
Information).
From this research we see that the causes of obesity seem like they should be simple, as in if you
eat more then you use youre going to gain weight, and eventually become obese. However, this
is not the case.
Obesity is caused by much more than just eating too much. Research done by Cheylnne
Renouard shows that obesity is caused by a lot of different things rather than just to much food
and not enough exercise, Like cancer, obesity is not a single disease but can be several diseases
tied together by the symptom of excess body fat (Renouard). In some other research done by the
University of Utah, they say that most researchers think that its not one specific gene that causes
obesity but, The majority of current and future research aims to better understand the interaction
between these gene variations and our ever-changing environment in the development of
obesity (Health Information).
With all the research that theyve done, there is still a lot of unknowns with the causes of
obesity. This leads me to my next topic of discussion, which is the trends of the lifestyles within
people that are obese. This could be a number of different things, examples from income of
household, level of education, or age.
The first trend in obesity I would like to discuss is the type of income a household has. It
is interesting because the trend goes different ways from men to woman. Men who have lower
income are less likely to be obese, while woman that come from lower income areas tend to be

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more obese. But, it is apparent that the amount of income does play a role in the rate of obesity.
In McGeeneys article it shows this Lack of access to grocery stores alone is not related to
higher obesity rates -- rather, it is more a lack of income (McGeeney). It is interesting to see the
connection with income. But, it is also interesting that with men there is no connection with
education and obesity but there is with women. Research done by the CDA shows this, There is
no significant relationship between obesity and education among men. Among women, however,
there is a trendthose with college degrees are less likely to have obesity compared with less
educated women (Adult). The women that get an education are more likely to not be obese than
those that dont get an education, it is very interesting to see that trend.
Another thing that was found was the trend in age. Its not only income that has an affect
on obesity, but also the age group. The CDA found some research that shows Obesity is higher
among middle age adults, 40-59 years old (39.5%) than among younger adults, age 20-39
(30.3%) or adults over 60 or above (35.4%) adults(Adult). So, just like with the cause of
obesity, there are too many factors that tie in to lead it back to one thing that sets it apart from the
rest. For example, with race, the CDA found this study Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest
age-adjusted rates of obesity (47.8%) followed by Hispanics (42.5%), non-Hispanic whites
(32.6%), and non-Hispanic Asians (10.8%)(Adult). As you can see there are to many
dependents to name just one, so we have to change a lot of things in order to change the disease.
This ties into the last topic that will be discussing, and that is prevention of obesity and how to
combat it.
It is now time to discuss the How in how to stop obesity. From what weve learned
prior, its not just an exercise more, and all the problems will go away thing. This is a problem
with a disease, so its going to take some work. It is going to have to start with the treatment

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plan. Robert Kiener wrote an article and this is what he stated, Many have never been trained to
deal with obesity and often view people with obesity as lazy. He and others argue that, doctors
should be instructed to treat obesity in cascading steps, beginning with noninvasive care such as
nutrition education, then up through medication and bariatric surgery to restrict the amount of
food the stomach can hold (Kiener). With the help from doctors they can get nutrition experts
and surgeries in order to combat obesity but, it should start in the home with preventative
measures.
One thing is for sure about obesity, you can take steps to prevent it, whether they be big
or small. The University of Utah came up with a list of things to do to prevent obesity in youth,
and it can be applied to older people too,

Gradually work to change family eating habits and activity levels rather than focusing on

a child's weight.
Be a role model. Parents who eat healthy foods and participate in physical activity set an

example so that a child is more likely to do the same.

Encourage physical activity.
Reduce "screen" time in front of the television and computer to less than two hours daily.
Encourage children to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
Keep the refrigerator stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables

instead of soft drinks and snacks high in sugar and fat.

Serve at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Encourage children to drink water rather than beverages with added sugar, such as soft
drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juice drinks.

All of these are things you can do everyday in order to be healthier, and to have an overall
healthier lifestyle which is where it all begins.
In closing, obesity has been a problem for a long time, and only recently has it been
viewed in a different light other than eat less exercise more. As we have learned, it is a lot more

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than that. Obesity is a disease that isnt just one thing, but multiple things that cause excess fat.
Even though it is a disease, there are still trends that go along with it. Such as, how it is more
common in low income areas or among middle aged men. Just because we have this information,
doesnt mean its just going to go away. There are still a lot of unknowns, but with doctors help a
lot of it can be combated and we all can take our own steps of preventative measures every day
to help be healthy. So, next time your in line at the grocery store think about what youre buying.

Works Cited
Adult Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.
Health Information - University of Utah Health Care - Salt Lake City, Utah." - - Health
Information - University of Utah Health Care - Salt Lake City, Utah. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.
Kiener, Robert. "Obesity." CQ Researcher 11 June 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

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McGeeney, Kyley, and Elizabeth Mendes. "Income, Not "Food Deserts," More To Blame For
U.S. Obesity." Gallup Poll Briefing (2013): 3. TOPICsearch. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.
Renouard, Cheyenne. "Experts: Obesity Not a Single Disease, More Likely a Combination of
Diseases." DeseretNews.com. 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.