Rising Health because nowadays the most common health issue among young children is obesity. So much so that in recent years, it has reached epidemic levels. Obesity has proved to have adverse effects on both children’s physical well as mental health. According to health diseases experts in essay writing service UK, one in three children is overweight in the United States. A significant drawback to obesity is that it stays with the body till adulthood and old age unless impactful measures are not taken to get rid of it.
Shedding excess fat is indeed a daunting task and if not dealt with on time, it can give rise to other health-related non-communicable problems like diabetes and fatal cardiac diseases. Here are some of the facts and figures about obesity as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- About 1.9 Billion teenagers and adults were suffering from obesity in 2016. Among which 650 Million overweight people were adults.
- Of this 39% were male and 40% were females.
- Overall, approximately 14% of the entire world population was overweight in that year.
- There was a significant rise in obesity trends from 1975 to 2016, nearly tripling in the count.
Astoundingly, 38 million young children (under the age of 5) were captured by this disease in 2019. Earlier obesity was only prevalent in high-income developed countries like the United States but with time it took a toll on health trends of moderate and low-income countries like Kenya and Bangladesh. WHO reports reveal that the graph of obesity in young children has risen by a quarter percent since 2000 which is quite a rapid increase. Moreover, about half the overweight children in the world existed in Asia alone.
The Leading Causes of Obesity
Being overweight makes an individual vulnerable to a variety of health problems quite conveniently. Those who are obese, have higher chances of blood pressure imbalance, regular ailments, aching bones and poor blood lipid profile. Rising Health To reach conclusions about its prevention and treatment we must first learn about its causes.
Genetics
A rare but significant cause of obesity is genetic disorders in children. This reason is often discovered later in life. Apart from this, these malfunctioned genes can also pass down to children whose parents are obese. However, genetic disorders can be fixed with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. In some cases, people gain excess fat when their diet changes to a totally different one; for instance when people of the east follow a western diet. Even though the genes do not change with food intake, but the shift in the internal environment results in genes reacting a completely different way, causing obesity.
Processed Foods
According to an in-text citation based on facts, Rising Health and junk food always tastes better than healthy home food. What people, mostly children, tend to ignore is the fact that they are not ‘real’. In other words, they are just refined ingredients mixed with additional ingredients to enhance the taste. They are cheap and have a long-lasting shelf life which makes them a go-to food, particularly for the working class. The manufacturer’s main objective is to boost sales regardless of its deteriorating effects on population health. This is exactly why the promotion of these food products is contributing significantly to the rise of obesity.
Addictions
Sugar, when consumed, has the ability to release euphoric endorphins and dopamine, also known as happy hormones. But excess sweetened food in-take can act as wreaking havoc due to its addictive nature. Particularly the susceptible individuals can easily get addicted to sugar-rich foods and ultimately gain weight from all the carbs deposit.
Any kind of addiction is extremely harmful for the body and the brain. Being dependent on something for joy can make a person lose control and eventually attract some sort of harm to themselves.
Medications
Though it is rare, but certain medications can bring substantial changes to the body. A variety of pharmaceutical drugs have side effects such as gaining weight. For instance; those who take antidepressants are likely to gain weight as a side effect. Other types also include antipsychotics and diabetes medications. Such drugs either slower the metabolism of an individual or increase their appetite. Either way, it leads to obesity.
Food Availability and Less Activity
Rising health is a growing concern especially in this pandemic is the consumption of food in isolation. During these challenging times, when people are supposed to lock themselves in their homes to maintain social distancing, their lifestyle has been altered greatly. Since their total physical activity has been reduced, they naturally spend more time snacking and munching. Without realizing that they keep building on the heaps of fat in their bodies.
It is high time masses realize the long-term devastating effects of obesity and focus more on its prevention. Impactful measures will not only save populations from obesity but also help them adopt a healthier lifestyle, which is utmost importance for physical and mental well-being.
