School of business
Title: Obesity
Course: Foundation in Business
By
Madelene Kimkuan
Lecturers name:
Lawrence Shia Sing Tao
Semester: 1
Year: 2016-05-31
TABLE OF CONTENT
TOPIC
Obesity
Obesity? What is obesity? The definition of obesity according to [Link] 2016.
Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by
genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. Obesity is
classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is a tool used to measure
obesity. Obesity increases your risk of developing related conditions such as diabetes,
hypertension and sleep apnea. Many individuals are affected by obesity and are not aware
of it. Malaysia is a country full of diversity and it is well known for its outdoor tourism as well
as its healthy ecosystem. But ironically Malaysian dislike doing outdoor activities and prefer
spending hours and hours watching television at home and basically becoming a couch
potato because television is the cheapest form of entertainment. This is backed by a
research by the Health Ministry titled Overweight and Obesity which noted, With the advent
of technological advances, Malaysians lead a largely sedentary lifestyle and consequently
higher rates of obesity. And this also might be caused by the humid condition that Malaysia
experience almost all year round as well as the fascination of being fair and not tan that
might restrict physical activities outdoors. This mindset that some Malaysian adopt are not
healthy because they are more prone to obesity and according to British medical journal,
Statistically, Malaysia is the most obese country in Asia with an obesity rate of more than
45.3%. In a recent report by consultants McKinsey Global Institution found obesity now costs
the global economy $2 trillion in healthcare and lost productivity or 2.8 percent of global
GDP just $100 billion less than both smoking and armed conflict. The study warned
almost half of the world's adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030.
What causes obesity?
The factors that cause obesity are genetics, physical inactivity and psychological factors.
Genetics
In a family if one or both parents are obese a person is more likely to develop obesity what
more if both parent are obese. Genetic plays a big role in obesity because it affect
hormones involve in fat regulation. As an example, a person that suffers from leptin
receptor deficiency experience severe obesity as well as extreme hunger that leads
to chronic excessive eating (hyperphagia) and will slowly lead to obesity. The affected
individuals will also experience hypogonadotropic hypogonadism it is a condition that
cause
reduced
production
of
hormones
that
direct
sexual
development.
The
individuals will also experience delayed puberty or in a worst case scenario they do
not go through puberty, and may be infertile.
Physical inactivity
According to "Health Risks Of A Sedentary Lifestyle | Sedentary Life Effects".
lifespanfitness. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 June 2016. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as a type
of lifestyle where an individual does not receive regular amounts of physical activity.
Health
professionals
are
in
agreement
that
walking
10,000
steps
day
(approximately 5 miles) is an ideal goal to improve health as well as reduce health
risks caused by physical inactivity and according to World Health Organization
(WHO), 60-85% of the population worldwide does not engage in enough activity.
Making them more prone towards diseases and decrease in mental health.
Psychological factors
Individuals that experience psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and
eating disorder have a tough time controlling their consumption of food, having an
adequate amount of exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. This individuals uses
food as a coping mechanism especially when strong emotions such as, sad, anxious,
stressed, lonely, and frustration are triggered. In fact, when they use food as
comfort, they will feel temporary comforted by their distressed mood, but the result
of overindulging will prompt them into feeling guilty when they gain weight and this
will in turn reactivate the cycle, that leads to overindulging as a coping mechanism.
This pattern is particularly applicable when a toxic environment is encountered by
individuals that channels there distress emotions into overindulging in food high in
calories and are easily available.
What is the effect of obesity?
The effect of obesity can be split into three categories, physical, psychological and
social.
Physical effect
People who are overweight have an increase risk of osteoarthritis, cancer and
cardiovascular disease. Osteoarthritis known as degenerative joint disease is a
condition that affects your joint. The surface within your joints becomes damaged so
the joint doesnt move as smoothly as it should. Obese individuals usually experience
this condition when their knees is unable to support the extra weight on the upper
part of the body thus hindering them from participating in physical activities. Besides
that, although the link between obesity and cancer is not well defined, several
possible mechanism suggested the association of obesity with certain cancers, as an
example, obese people often experience increase in levels of insulin like growth
factor -1 (IGF-1) in their blood which may promote development of certain tumors.
Moreover overweight people often have chronic low-level, inflammation that has been
associated with increased cancer risk
Psychological effect
Studies have shown that an obese individual may experience some psychological effect
such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. Depression and low
self-esteem is triggered when an obese person is bullied in school, workplace and so on.
This individual will start to be isolated by his or her peers and this will cause them to retract
in theirs shell become and more depressed which in turn will trigger their suicidal
[Link] will also develop [Link] will have a heightened anxiety and
nervousness about other peoples thoughts and [Link] of anxiety include rapid
breathing, dry throat , heart palpitations and panic [Link] will feel like a theres a tight
knot or lump in your [Link] mind feels like its on fire,overthinking and overanalyzing
every little thing.
Social Effect
Prospective Studies Collaboration,. "Body-Mass Index And Cause-Specific
Mortality In 900000 Adults: Collaborative Analyses Of 57 Prospective Studies".
The Lancet 373.9669 (2009): 1083-1096. Web.