The Role of Diet in Prevention of Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity - Blog 4

Describe the role of diet in preventing underweight, overweight, and obesity.

 

In 2013, the American Medical Association declared obesity a chronic disease. One in three Americans are obese and the numbers are rising (Cleveland Clinic, 2013). While the number of Americans that are underweight is not at an alarming high rate, there are still serious health risks associated with being underweight.

Underweight is defined as an individual’s body weight being lower than what is considered healthy, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) being 18.5 or less. When an individual is underweight, their body simply cannot survive because they do not have any fat storage to survive deprivation or enough strength to fight off an illness. Underweight people also have an increased risk of dying during surgery and are at risk of deterioration if specific tests must be done for medical treatment and fasting is required (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). 

Obesity can be defined as a condition of abnormal or excess fat accumulation in adipose tissue. A person with a BMI of 25.0–29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30.0–34.9 is considered obese. The health risks associated with being overweight are countless. People who are overweight and obese are at a significantly higher risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Other risks include: abdominal hernias, arthritis, gallbladder disease, kidney stones, and sleep apnea just to name a few (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

The preventative measure that we can take to prevent underweight and overweight issues in our society is to educate people about healthy lifestyles, not diets. Nutrition plays an enormous role in being healthy, but so does living an active life. Both of these factors are key to maintaining a healthy body and mind. Diets are temporary; therefore, eating healthy should be a lifestyle. Teaching people more about the effects of different foods on our body would open many people’s eyes about how important it is to fuel our bodies with the proper nutrients. A healthy lifestyle can be fun; it is not limited to solely eating chicken and running on a treadmill.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2013, June 25). Obesity Is Now Considered a Disease — Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved fromhttp://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/06/obesity-is-now-considered-a-disease/

NHLBI. (2012, September 5). Obesity: The little things [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D--AtATgfyM

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning