Obesity Epidemic

By: Maeve Sullivan

Background
● Our generation / those before us have begun eating more -
exercising less
● Ancestors bodies were structured to deal with starvation (fat
plays key role in this area)
↦ As we began eating more and lifestyle changed our bodies
system remained the same and would hold on to excess fat
having been used to constant starvation
● Numbers have tripled since 1975!
● 34% of adults and 15-20% of children in US are obese
● Food marketing has largely contributed to the increase in cases
● People fail to educate themselves regarding the health of their
body and tend to assign little to no importance in that respect
Factors that have led to the rise in cases
● Restaurant dining and takeout
↦ Found that people consume 200-300 more calories when eating out
● High Fructose Corn Syrup corn syrup consumption
↦ Increased exponentially over past years due to it being used in more foods
● Vending machines
↦ Prevalent in the child epidemic in that kids can readily access it throughout the school day
● Food marketing and franchising
↦ False advertising and the sales of harmful foods for profit
● Lack of education surrounding the difference between proper nutrition and dieting
↦ People confuse nutrition with dieting and end up starving themselves and then develop a poor eating cycle
● Bigger portions
↦ Few people eat based on portion size but rather their intuition which can lead to over-eating
● Lack of exercise and physical activity
↦ Many factors contribute to this but within the past few decades the larger half of the population lacks any
activity as it is “normal”
Food and the Digestive System
● Fat ( triglycerides ) are broken down and travel through
bloodstream
● Either burned or stored for later
● The fat that is stored is kept in cells ( adipocytes ) → found in
high numbers in abdominal region
● If not burned, it remains in the body for later usage
↦ Those who don’t burn calories aren’t in need of using fat
storage for energy

TWO TYPES OF FAT

● Visceral → found around the organs
● Subcutaneous → the fat we can hold and squeeze on our body
What causes Obesity?
● Excessive fat accumulation
↦ Occurs when an imbalance appears
between caloric intake vs. output
● People becoming increasingly less
active
↦ Result of work, lifestyle, urbanization,
mentality
● Genetics evolve too slowly to
have direct correlation with
obesity
● Family / hereditary
predispositions
Risks associated with Obesity
● Cardiovascular diseases
● Diabetes
● Musculoskeletal disorders ( osteoarthritis )
● Certain cancers ( breast, ovarian, prostate )
● High blood pressure
● Stroke
● Sleep apnea and breathing problems
● Body pain and physical troubles
● Gallbladder disease
● Coronary heart disease
Preventatives and Treatment
● Consult and work with dietitian for a proper meal plan /
fitness plan
● Weight loss medicines
● Weight loss programs
● Bariatric Surgery
● Therapy
↦ this sickness can have severe mental consequences
How to maintain a healthy lifestyle
● Maintain a healthy balance of food to fitness
↦ Chose nourishing whole foods more often than processed
● Exercise 30 minutes+ at least 5x a week
● Through trial and error find what works best for your
body
↦ No one recipe that works for each person
● Prioritize mental health
↦ Manage stress and other unhealthy factors
● SLEEP
● Don’t smoke and control alcohol
consumption
Bibliography
Da Poian, A. T. (n.d.). Nutrient Utilization in Humans: Metabolism Pathways. Retrieved from
https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/nutrient-utilization-in-humans-metabolism-pathways-
14234029/

Kornberg, H. (2020, March 13). Metabolism. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/metabolism
The science of weight loss. (2020, March 14). Retrieved from
https://www.theidiet.com/science-weight-loss/

Younkin, L. (n.d.). Can Losing Weight Slow Your Metabolism? Retrieved from
http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290811/can-losing-weight-slow-your-metabolism/

Your Digestive System & How it Works. (2017, December 1). Retrieved from
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works
.
Bibliography (con’t)
Obesity and overweight. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

Richardet, A. (2017, February 07). Where does your body store fat? Retrieved May 29, 2020, from
https://theslimco.com/blog/where-does-your-body-store-fat/

CDC. (2020, April 10). Overweight & Obesity. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

CDC. (2018, January 19). Behavior, environment, and genetic factors all have a role in causing people to be
overweight and obese. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from
https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/index.htm

Harvard. (2016, April 11). Genes Are Not Destiny. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/genes-and-obesity/
Bibliography (con’t)

McAllister, E., Dhurandhar, N., Keith, S., Aronne, L., Barger, J., Baskin, M., . . . Allison, D. (2009,
November). Ten putative contributors to the obesity epidemic. Retrieved June 07, 2020, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2932668/

Retrieved June 07, 2020, from https://www.google.com/search?q=obesity

Retrieved June 07, 2020, from https://www.google.com/search?q=obesity

Retrieved June 07, 2020, from https://www.google.com/search?q=obesity

Retrieved June 07, 2020, from https://www.google.com/search?q=obesity