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Obesity
Overweight and obesity together represent the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can inflict substantial harm to a person’s health. Over weight and obesity are not the same; rather, they are different points on a continuum of weight ranging from being underweight to being morbidly obese. The percentage of people who fit into these two categories, overweight and obese, is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI) (University of Virginia Health Systems, 2007).
The obesity is a chronic treatable illness, and it occurs when there is excess fat in the body. Apart from the problem that in itself represents obesity, experts warn that it is most negative effects occur because it acts as an agent who exaggerates and exacerbates short-term and very obvious serious diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, complications Cardiovascular, and even some cancers such as gastrointestinal.
There are many risk factors that increase the chances of developing obesity. Genetics may play a big role in Obesity, the genes may affect the amount of body fat the body stores and where that fat is distributed. Genetics may also play a role in how efficiently the body converts food into energy and how the body burns calories during exercise. The genetic makeup does not guarantee that one will be obese. However, also family history may be influential to obesity, if one or both of the parents are obese; the chances of being obese are greater. This may be due to shared genes or to a shared environment, which may include high-calorie foods and inactivity. Furthermore, as one gets older, one tends to be less active. In addition, the amount of muscle in one’s body tends to decrease with age, this lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs. If one does not decrease the caloric intake as one age, one will be likely gain weight. Also, women are...