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Disease
The world is racked with disease, but in many ones society, lifestyle, diet, and culture
play key roles in the progression of the disease overall. In its simplest definition disease is
merely a disruption of a structure or function in the body that causes the body to respond
abnormally. The body experiences homeostasis which regulates and controls the functions and
structures of the body to work in accordance with one another. The environment of the body is
held in equilibrium by the adjustment and regulation of homeostatic regulation. Under normal
circumstances the body would be regulating its internal temperature, regulating the secretion rate
of hormones, etc. An example of the equilibrium that the body is in is the regulation of calcium
in the body. The body does require a certain extent of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to
organs, as a result the body under homeostasis regulates the production of erythrocytes by
secreting erythropoietin which acts like a stimulant. By regulating the blood the body is trying to
return back to homeostasis in order to have the body balanced. Diseases target certain functions
or structures which causes a chain reaction in the body because of how intertwined organs and
structures in the body are with one another. The body becomes unbalanced which causes it to
stray from homeostasis which can have deadly effects on the welfare and health of the body. The
range of diseases has only increased over the years and it seems as though it will only continue to
do ; therefore, we must take preventive measures to ensure our health.
Diseases have always been prevalent in society, but over the last few
years a large portion of people in our society, America, suffer from preventable diseases such as
cardiovascular or obesity related ailments. More than 60% of the American population suffer
from obesity, 18% of them are children, which is eons higher than it has ever been in the history

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of the nation(Weight of the Nation). This rising epidemic has had serious consequences on the
health of the country. Obesity in itself is the condition in which an individual is severely
overweight. The reason obesity can be classified as a disease is that it does indeed cause the body
to stray from homeostasis; due to the fact that it can lead to high blood pressure and/or
cardiovascular related ailments. Obesity can be caused from a multitude of factors which can
include having a genetic disposition to being more prone to gaining weight or it results from the
environment that is present for said individuals(Weight of the Nation). The ailment aspect of
obesity is that due to the large weight gain the body is forced to readjust like in the amount of
blood being pumped due to the increased mass added on. The heart also has the chance of being
affected by the weight gain due to the fact that it is strained more by the necessity to have to
pump at a faster and harder rate to circulate enough blood to the body. Overall obesity in itself is
a preventable disease for a majority of individuals and the largest reason for its spread is the
unhealthy and gluttonous lifestyle many individuals live under.
The cardiovascular disease aspect, as mentioned before, is not only attributed by obesity,
although both can go hand in hand, cardiovascular disease can also be caused by genetic
deficiencies in the body that have compromised the cardiovascular system. In some cases the
bodies predisposition to form blood clots can go haywire in some cases causing clots to form in
the thigh ,thrombosis, which then can travel to the heart or lungs leading to complications such
as heart attacks. Diseases concerning the heart are especially harmful to the body due to the fact
that the heart pumps the blood to the rest of the body and without blood any all functions of the
body would be compromised placing the body away from homeostasis. The most prominent
causes of cardiovascular diseases in this period of time in our society are linked to obesity;thus,
that makes a majority of the cardiovascular related cases preventable to a certain extent. The

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incorporation of exercise and good nutrition can alleviate obesity and other diseases associated
with it ,cardiovascular ailments, to a larger degree. Another disease that is present in society and
has the possibility of affecting me is anemia. There a multitude of different causes for anemia
whether its caused from sickle cell, which causes red blood cells to be destroyed, or it results
from iron deficiency. In my case, if I do not monitor my diet, I can suffer from iron deficiency
anemia. Iron serves as a key component in aiding bone to generate hemoglobin and if it is
lacking bone is unable to produce enough hemoglobin to supply the body causing fatigue.
Although it is not as prevalent as diseases such as obesity and cardiac related diseases, it is still
common in our society. The disease can be prevented through proper nutrition in the case of iron
deficiency, but for sickle cell anemia it can only be treated.
I,like many others, am susceptible to suffering from obesity and cardiovascular disease
and as reflected by my dietary habits run the risk of getting them. However, through conscious
effort on my part I am able to steer far enough away from going down that path, because I try
limit the amount of processed foods I consume and I exercise. Through preventative measures I
keep myself a large distance away from these ailments, but in some cases people are unable to
accomplish such tasks. A main contributor to the obesity epidemic is the rise of the fast food
industry with its inexpensive food options (Supersize Me). Individuals and families that are on
the lower end of the economic spectrum run a higher risk of being overweight, due to the fact
that healthier food options are pricier in comparison to cheap fast food alternatives. They have
the tendency to choose the cheaper alternative, even if it is unhealthier, out of necessity;thus,
ones economic status does hold weight in the issue because they cannot afford to take
preventative measures. Another contributor to families being unable to take prevent measures
can be attributed to cultural food practices. In some cultures, the intake of high fatty foods is

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extremely high, and it is much harder as a culture to switch to healthier alternatives in place of
said fatty cultural foods. However that is not to say that one should not take preventive measures
due to ones culture and its eating habits. As a family unit or individual one should stake
initiative to prevent diseases like obesity from permeating their lives. Aside from the nutritional
aspect the lack of exercise prevalent in society also plays a large role in the declining health of
the nation. The rising wave technology, like the IPad, has led to many children and adults to
substitute going outside and exercising with staying in an playing on electronics(Palmer). Even if
one appears to be healthy on the outside without proper exercise and nutrition people can still
suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; thus individuals
who are consumed with devices like IPads and do little physical activity are unhealthy. In order
to fully protect oneself and prevent the onslaught of disease there must be a balance between
healthy nutrition and exercise.
A much too large portion of the nation is suffering from preventable diseases that in most
cases can be prevented by something as simple as eating healthy and exercising. However there
are exceptions to the case because many of these individuals are hindered by economic restraints
making it difficult to take initiative. The body works under homeostasis, but when it is disrupted
by disease, the body can suffer serious consequences. Rather than standing by and allowing
diseases that can be prevented from racking our society, we should arm ourselves with
preventative measures to help restore the health of the nation.

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Works Cited
Hoffman, John, and Dan Chaykin. The Weight of the Nation. New York: HBO Home Box Office,
2012.
Palmer, Sue. Why the iPad is a far bigger threat to our children than anyone realises: Ten years
ago, psychologist SUE PALMER predicted the toxic effects of social media. Now she
sees a worrying new danger... DailyMail. N.p., 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3420064/Why-iPad-far-bigger-threatchildren-realises-Ten-years-ago-psychologist-SUE-PALMER-predicted-toxic-effectssocial-media-sees-worrying-new-danger.html>.
Spurlock, Morgan. Super Size Me. New York, N.Y: Hart Sharp Video, 2004.