The Epidemic of the XX Century
“This might be the first generation where kids are dying at a younger age than their parents and it is related primarily to the obesity problem” (Brainyquote). These words of Judy Davis, an Australian actress, clearly express the global epidemic, whose name is obesity. Once the problem of mainly rich countries, it is becoming a true social scourge and health issue for the world community. Therefore, the aim of this work is to draw the young generation’s attention to this enormous problem and raise their awareness of the causes and prevention methods of obesity. It is not a distant foe anymore and it concerns everyone even if they do not suffer from this disease. As for the term “disease”, it is not an exaggeration as regards obesity. In 2013 the American Medical Association voted to classify it as a disease, which made 90 million Americans, both adults and children, deemed to have a medical condition which needs treatment (Prevention). It goes without saying that knowledgeable medical assistance is vitally important in this case. However, prevention is the best cure. That is why this work is to make modern students think twice about their way of life, nutrition and health behavior in general. It is appropriate for school and university health classes as it contains both modern research data and practical recommendations on how to prevent and fight obesity. Hopefully, this information will be useful not only for the students themselves but for their future children too because knowledge and responsibility make good parents. And such parents are able to make a difference and reverse the current situation.
There are a few causes of overweight and obesity. Among them there is lack of energy balance, an inactive lifestyle, environmental pollution, genes and family history, emotional factors, smoking, age, lack of sleep, certain medicines, some hormone problems and pregnancy (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Some of these factors are interconnected and reinforced by other ones. For instance, an inactive lifestyle, which is usually the result of sedentary work, lack of active leisure activities and physical exercise, leads to lack of energy balance. It means one does not burn calories which they get from food and drinks. It is well known that many modern people opt for fast food very often, preferring high-calorie hamburgers and French fries to home-cooked food. Therefore, their diet becomes unbalanced and energy in, which is the calories one gets from food, is more than energy out, which is the one the body uses. If a person regularly overeats, it inevitably leads to weight gain and, therefore, obesity. However, maintaining a healthy weight range is important for minimizing the risk of many lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, some cancers and diabetes of the second type (Nutritionaustralia,org).
Although this information is widely publicized and most people seem to realize how dangerous lack of energy balance is, not everyone is ready to change their lifestyle and way of thinking. Psychologists insist that …
