Obesity Epidemic

Obesity Epidemic - One's Health and Life Expectancy

The obesity epidemic has been alarming the majority of the US population and has caught the attention of the international media especially those based on other developing countries like the US. With the fear of a 'spreading' epidemic, health experts and government officials track the underlying causes of the disease with hopes of suppressing its occurrence by rousing public health awareness and avoidance-education. Yet while the known causes of the obesity epidemic - the lack of physical activity and fast food eating habits - continue to be the focus of studies, the presence of these chances in an individual are but mere glimpses of the entire factors that contribute to the acquisition of the disease.

Aside from reduced physical activity and frequent fast food dinning, the International Journal of Obesity stated other possible causes that determine a person's susceptibility of being included in the long line of obesity epidemic:
sleep deprivation increasing weight gain
medication use (contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, diet pills, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs)
pollutants affecting hormones
freezing air conditioning producing less perspiration
middle-aged and those of Hispanic-American ethnicity have more tendency for obesity
older women giving birth to children who would have higher risks for obesity
the high fertility of obese people may (if genetic) produce more offspring who are also susceptible to the disease
the union of obese parents may (if genetic) produce offspring who are also susceptible to the disease
increases in childhood depression
less consumption of dairy products, and even
GMO hormones used in agriculture

- are just among the factors that are attributed to the obesity epidemic. Yet while some of these factors are beyond individual control, the others imply a personal responsibility of taking protective measures when it comes to one's health.

The easiest method of caring for one's well being is the exact reverse of weight gain - weight loss, and this could be attained through the regular health habits of physical exercise and immunity-boosting diet. Unfortunately, the alarming call of the Journal of the American Medical Association revealing that obesity in fact lessens life expectancy especially among the youth, does very little to encourage action among individuals.

To eliminate the obesity epidemic, each and every concerned citizen could contribute to a better health of the public by: regularly monitoring your weight condition, matching (the quantity of) your diet with your body's requirements (according to height and activity), right (quality) eating, engaging in metabolic activities, and by getting a weight expert to support your health - Before anything else gets any more critical.