Obesity

Obesity

Obesity is a substantial health problem in the United States. It poses a considerable and growing health burden and is a risk factor for numerous of chronic diseases. In addition to the hypothesis that obesity is a health problem, XX Team shall define the problem, select appropriate study designs to support our hypothesis, collect primary and secondary data regarding the research issue, discuss causal factors and health outcomes, and suggest ways to improve people's heath based on the results of our examination of the data.

Obesity defined

Obesity is defined as individuals who weigh 20% over their ideal body weight, and who already have, are likely to develop major medical or physical problems relating to their obesity (Campos, 2004). There has been an great deal of discussion about obesity resulting from glandular problems. There were talk on endocrine or glandular abnormalities that can cause obesity, the actual occurrence of obesity as a result of these problems is very uncommon (Ackerman, 1999). According to Dr Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D.(1999), studies performed on patients by research dietician confirmed they were overeating. Obesity occurs when a person consumes more calories from food than he or she burns. The body needs calories to sustain life and be physically active, but to maintain weight a person need to balance the energy he or she eats with the energy used. Based on studies of the National Institutes of Health (2003), a person eats more calories than he or she burns, the energy balance is tipped toward weight gain and obesity. This imbalance between calories-in and calories-out may differ from one person to another. Measurement of body mass index (BMI) indicates whether a person is overweight or obese. A BMI table is provided to show calculation in weight in pounds and height in inches.

Figure Caption

Figure 1. JPEG image of BMI table showing BMI based on height and weight.

Observational Study/Primary data

A member of the XX Team conducted a observational study collecting information by means of primary data with two people in his family, male and female. Each member wrote down how much he or she ate for each meal. His male relative is 36 years old, 5 feet and 9 inches in height, and weighed 216 pounds. The male daily calorie intake was 2,553.75. His BMI is 32. The female is 25 years old, 5 feet, 9 inches in height, and weighed 197 pounds. Her daily calorie intake was 2,113.75. Her BMI is 30. Based on their height, weight, calorie intake, and BMI, they are considered obese, in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (2003).

Observational Study/ Secondary Data

Professor Paul Campos is a professor of law at the University of Colorado and nationally recognized as an expert on America's war on fat (Campos, 2004). In his book, "The Obesity Myth" he conducted an observational study by interviewing hundreds of people about aspects of their relationship to food, fat, and culture's obsession regarding overweight. Professor Campos interviewed two people who the XX Team found fascinating. He interviewed Michael, a 41 year old male. He stood 6 feet and 3 inches and weigh about 350 pounds, category obese. Michael stated he wasted 18 years of his life dieting. Most of his diets were self-designed, some based on engineering principles. He looked back on dieting and believed it was a waste of time and energy. Michael said he was doom to fail. It lowered his self-esteem in inevitable and insidious ways. Michael stated he had issues with doctors and stopped seeing one because of what happened to him. Michael had a serious sinus infection. In spite the fact he was in agony, he received no medication for the infection, but received a lecture about his weight as an alternative. Michael shared a noble line that he heard from a guy on news group that he believed corresponds with the significance of his story. The news guy said, "If my wife went to the doctor with a gunshot wound, the doctor would tell her that if she lost weight, she would make a smaller target" (Campos, 2004). Michael asserted that this summarizes the attitude of most health professionals towards fat people. Cynthia is 52 years old, female. She weigh 375 pounds and stood 5 feet and 10 inches, category obese. Cynthia is no longer trying to lose weight, because she asserted that she is unapologetically and unrepentantly fat. "It is what I am, but not who I am," stated Cynthia. Cynthia stated the result of her dieting most of her life was years of wasted energy, misery, and a sense of being an unmitigated failure. Cynthia stated she came to realization that she was on a futile quest. From a correspondence "Obesity and Spinal Cord Injury," two patients with complete tetraplegia secondary to spinal cord injury were examined through observational study (Blackmer & Marshall, 1997). Both patients encountered several problems specifically related to their obesity which interfered with the rehabilitation process. Researchers considered obesity as a factor which contributed to impaired functional outcome in the patients spinal cord injury. This is significant since obesity generally does not necessarily contribute to disability in others without a neurological deficit. Studies of psychological distress following spinal cord injury have implicated several factors including level of distress at the time of admission, neurological completeness of spinal cord injury, type of rehabilitation insurance, gender, martial status, and age. Obesity was not examined as a possible factor although it has been shown to be associated with depression in the non-spinal cord injury population, and therefore may contribute to anxiety in spinal cord injured patients as well.

Causal factors and health outcome

Researchers examine the question if increase weight represents a significant independent health risk. For the vast majority of larger than average Americans, there is very little evidence that weight represents any