Obesity

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“My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of obesity” may be a more accurate depiction of the song “America” in today’s society (Fen). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34.9 percent of adults in America were obese in 2011-2012, and the number of young people who are overweight has tripled since the 1980’s. Obesity is an epidemic that not only causes many health problems, but also puts people at a much higher risk for several other dangerous health issues. Obesity is affected by and effects many different aspects in one’s life.
In the simplest terms, obesity is an abnormal increase in fat cells that causes a person’s weight to be more than what is considered healthy for their height (Obesity: MedlinePlus). This increase of fat cells is caused over time by an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Excessive caloric intake combined with a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons for obesity (Heitkempe).
Genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors also play a large role in obesity. The most common form of obesity is polygenic, meaning that multiple genes and environmental factors affect the disease. The identification of these genes will better help researchers understand the pathogenesis of obesity and perhaps help come up with methods of obesity prevention and management. Eating behavior, body fat metabolism, and energy metabolism are all controlled by the hypothalamus. Obesity is associated with increased levels of hormones such as ghrelin, leptin, and insulin. Ghrelin stimulates appetite; leptin regulates eating behavior and suppresses appetite, and insulin decreases appetite. Obesity is also associated with decreased levels of peptide YY which inhibits appetite by slowing GI mot...

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... Web. 05 Apr. 2014.
Heitkempe, Margaret M., Sharon L. Et Al Lewis, Shannon Dirkson, Patricia O'Brien, and LInda Bucher. "Obesity." Medical- Surgical Nursing Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, 2007. 971-87. Print.
"Obesity: MedlinePlus." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Odgen, Cynthia L., Ph.D, Margaret D. Carroll, M.S.P.H., Brian K. Kit, M.D., and Katherine M. Flegal, Ph.D. "Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2011–2012."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 05 Apr. 2014
Rodrigo, Carmen P. "Current Mapping of Obesity." EBSCO. EBSCO, 2 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014
"What Causes Overweight and Obesity?" - NHLBI, NIH. National Heart, Blood, and Lungs Instsitute, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

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