Elizabeth Donnan Abnormal Psychology March 31, 2010
Reaction Paper 3 Obesity
Undoubtedly, over the last 25 years eating disorders have become an epidemic in America. Unfortunately, while while the general pathology has received much attention the overall causal factors are still still somewhat ambiguous. According to Dr. Eric Eric Stice, an assistant professor professor of psychology and eating eat ing disorders researcher at University of Texas at Austin, ³currently 30 percent of Americans are obese, co mpared with only 4 percent who meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, yet obesity has received the least amount of attention.´ (Stice, Vol 33) This is a staggering staggering statistic, statistic, thus imperative that more attention attention be focused on the individual factors, sociocultural implications and the health risks of obesity. I found this article article to be as fascinating as it it was disturbing. Having personal experience with an eating disorder I hold tremendous tr emendous empathy for those suffering from obesity, and my opinion is that obesity obesity is unequivocally a psychiatric disorder, disorder, i.e., eating disorder. I say this because food, synonymous with any other form form of substance abuse, is a coping mechanism. An individual who is addicted to food (whether they¶re cognizant of it or not) uses food as more of a self medication than its its original/actual intent« to nourish the body. In fact, the consumption consumption of high-fat sugary foods foods is almost exhilarating, similar similar to an illicit illicit drug. And unlike abstinence
from drugs, abstinence from food is impossible. As a result, I believe obesity entails patterns of eating disorder-like behaviors and thus should be c ategorized as such. Although obesity is ³the second most prevalent preventable cause of death in the United States´ (Stice, Vol 33) it does not draw as much attention from the mainstream media. The reason, I believe, is marketability. The individuals that perish from anorexia, bulimia or both are typically young, beautiful famous personalities and/or glamorous socialites, therefore a much more marketable story. To further affirm this, an article by HealthSquare.com states, ³Over the past few years, the media have been filled with the tragic stories of famous wo men whose abnormal eating behavior led to serious health problems and even death. For the most part, these women suffered from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Together these eating disorders affect approximately 8 million Americans²mostly young women and teenaged girls. At the opposite extreme, excessive overweight (obesity), while rarely deadly in itself, increases your risk of life threatening medical conditions ranging from breast cancer to heart disease.´ (HealthSquare.com). Let¶s face it; nobody wants to hear about a 65 year old obese black female that dies of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and hypothyroidism« it¶s just not sensational. There are several sociocultural factors that co ntribute to obesity, such as lack of education, poverty and reduced access to high quality healthcare. There is no doubt that family influence has a significant impact on eating behaviors. As children we tend to acquire our eating habits from our parental figures, and unfortunately in to day¶s fast-paced society that usually consists of whatever is easiest, i.e. fast food eateries and pro cessed microwavable food, all over portioned and unhealthy. We as a society and especially parents should model and instill the importance of nutritional needs and portion control. Be creative in food preparation and incorporate vegetables in the meals that your child will be more apt to eat. However, it is not
this simplistic for all families, and unfortunately those on the lower socioeconomic scale are more at risk for obesity, primarily because the co st of high-fat foods tends to be less expensive than fresh and organic groceries. According to Professor Eric Wright, director of health policy research at the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment posits, ³demographics play a colossal role in the obesity epidemic, in fact obesity in the impoverished areas of our nation¶s black population has increased at more than double the national rate in recent years, and there has been a large increase among our Latino population as well.´ (Wright) As a result, these poor individuals suffer from years of obesity related illnesses but cannot afford health insurance, which leads to public health co ncerns and skyrocketing healthcare costs in America. There are numerous individual factors that increase the risk of obesity, for example sedentary lifestyle, genetic predisposition and age and gender are all culprits. Gone are the days of adolescence playing outside all day, instead today¶s culture promotes talking on ce ll phones, texting, computer games, TV watching, etc, all of which consist of inactivity. Exercise is the best way to burn fat and subsequently reduce stress, and reducing stress is key to controlling weight. When an individual is inactive, stress hormones elevate causing a surplus of fat cells thus making it much more difficult to decrease weight. In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, genetic predisposition and medical conditions contribute to obesity. Medical conditions such as depression, hypothyroidism and autoimmune d iseases can interfere with the body¶s ability to maintain a healthy weight. Personally, depression has been a tremendous hindrance to my social and physical activities. Depression sorely depletes an individual¶s desire to enjoy the activities they once enjoyed. Another factor of obesity is a person¶s age and gender. Although weight gain is more prevalent in middle age for both men and women, regrettably after the age of thirty women undergo significant metabolic changes o f irregular female hormones causing body fat
levels to increase while energy levels decrease (I know this from personal experience!). To add insult to injury, men tend to burn fat more easily with less physical activity than women, primarily due to their lean muscle mass. I content this is a cruel joke from God! Finally, prevention or intervention programs are vital in diminishing society¶s obesity problem. Since eating behaviors are usually acquired at childhood, childhood obesity awareness programs need to be implemented at the grass roots level. Also, these programs should be culturally specific, for example in more indigent area public schools make physical act ivity, diet and nutrition mandatory starting in pre-K. Each class provides 60 minutes of classroom education and then an additional 30 minutes of physical activity. Also, implement negative reproductions for obese recipients of public assistance. For instance, all recipients of public assistance must undergo health and obesity screenings, a nd the individuals that test higher than a BMI of 25 should have a monetary reduction in their food stamps. Finally, another crucial education source can be at the congressional level. Perhaps legislation could be passed to give parents a reduction in their state or federal taxes. For example, each extracurricular/physical activity their child/children are enrolled in wou ld reduce their property taxes by .05 percent. Especially in today¶s current recession everyone is very motivated to save. Ultimately, there are three primary factors of obesity prevention: physical act ivity, eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight (re typically a BMI of 20 to 25). There are many health perils associated with obesity and it¶s up to society as a whole to implement an o verall healthy lifestyle.
References
Stice, Eric, University of Texas at Austin, ³Shared Perspectives´ The Neglect of Obesity
Monitor on Psychology, Volume 33, No 3 March 2002 HealthSquare.com, Cl inical Staff . Anorexia, Bulimia« and Obesity http://www.healthsquare.com/fgwh/wh1ch34.htm Wright, Eric, Director of Health Policy Research, Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, Study: Social, Cultural Factors Contribute to Obesity http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=18310#middle
