Obesity

In 2008, around a quarter of adults in England were classified as obese and one-in-seven children were also overweight. But what is obesity? It is when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and gender, and is considered obese if they have a 'body mass index' (BMI) of 30 or greater. Since our modern lifestyle is much less physically orientated than it was in the past due to the creation of vehicles for transport and the rise in office type careers, it means that it is quite easy to become overweight, and in extreme cases, obese. This can make the person who is overweight life hard as we also live in a very 'fatist' world, in which people often discriminate against those based on their weight.

The real issue with obesity is that it can and will cause a wide range of health problems, such as 'type 2 diabetes' and cardiovascular disease. As well as the vulnerablity to illnesses, obesity can also significantly shorten one's life expectancy by 6-7 years if the person who is obese is over 40 years old. This will also apply to children who also suffers from obesity.

So, now we know how bad obesity is and how easy it is to be sucked in by it thanks to our 21st century lifestyle filled with technology to make our lives easier. But how do we treat obesity? The treatments include the obvious act of decreasing your food intake, which can be hard for those who have become accustomed to eatting large portions. Another method is to exercise regularly, for around 30 minutes per day for atealst 5 days a week and increasing it as one's fitness improves, whether it a brisk walk around a park, or pumping iron via weights or the new hype, Nintendo Wii's 'Wii Fit' which focuses on cardio exercises and yoga (Look at the joy on that girls face to the left!). This change in lifestyle can be difficult at first but does not seem to require alot of effort, escpecially the 30 minute workout a day deal. The main factor of defeating obesity though, is one's will power and determination. These treatments are not miracle workers, they won't improve one's health overnight as it requires constant input over a long period, but the result is worth it.

This isn't to say that people who are obese are also lazy, which is the image of the overweight stereotype as they slump into their coach watching television while snacking on a mega sized bag of doritos. Some have biological disadvantages when it comes to weight loss due to their metabolism, but surely if they had the sufficient determination, nothing can stand in their way to slimming down no matter what method they choose to commit themselves to.

More information on obesity can be found in the links provided below:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/obesity

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/child_obesity.html

http://www.fatism.org/