Name: Nguyen Thu Ha Class: E8

READING ASSIGNMENT Chapter 7: Health

Obesity has assumed proportions of a global scourge in developed countries where its spread has been quite alarming. Obesity is largely attributable to the fast food culture and sedentary lifestyle. Obesity is found to cause serious health problems such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, and even cancer. Obesity has been slotted as a chronic disease as it is found to cause serious medical conditions in more than 25% of the population almost all over the world. It has also been found to be responsible for numerous early deaths every year in many places. Obesity is considered even more damaging than smoking or drinking, as it affects almost all of the major body organs, including the heart, lungs, muscles, and bones. Researchers have linked obesity to almost 30 medical conditions that can be avoided by reducing the body weight. Physical health problems such as increased blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, and asthma are all amplified as a result of obesity. It also leads to psychological problems such as low depression, self-esteem, and eating disorders. Loss of self-esteem is one of the major effects of having several other ramifications. Loss of self-esteem is a very serious and complex problem as its effect is very deep routed and may push an individual into severe depression. It is seen that there are several social problems such as teasing and discrimination that have to be borne by obese individuals especially in young people and children. The alienation faced in childhood typically leaves a lasting impact on the psyche of the people, and is manifested in several ways. It also creates problems of exhaustion for the people leading to absenteeism from work. There are several factors seen in children that are a pointer to obesity in later life and can be easily spotted by a health expert. These

children's issues include poor growth in height, developmental delays, dysmorphic features, and hypogonadism. It is possible to treat these people early from these symptoms and hence prevent the problem of obesity. Obesity restricts the mobility of a person and increases the risk of developing or worsening many serious health conditions or diseases such as hypertension, anxiety, sleeping disorder, blood sugar and even cardiovascular diseases or heart problems due to excess of bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Obesity is also the main reason of arthritis and joints problem particularly knee joints. It has also been linked to arteriosclerosis which is the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries. The arteries become narrow which slows down the blood flow, and thus among other things it increases the risk of blood clots. Main arteries at risk include the supply of blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain which results in a cerebral attack. To reduce the risk losing weight should be the prime goal. Nearly 90% of type two diabetes patients are overweight, and diabetes is considered to be the third leading cause of death and it also causes adult blindness.