Question

Article on rising of obesity among youth

Answer 1

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. Overweight 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).

Public health professionals agree that overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in this country. Public health officials say physical inactivity and poor diet are catching up to tobacco as a significant threat to health. According to the most recent data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1 out of 5 U.S. children ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese. In addition, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults is obese.

BMI is a measure of weight proportionate to height. BMI is considered a useful measurement of the amount of body fat. Occasionally, some very muscular people may have a BMI in the overweight range. However, these people are not considered overweight because muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. Generally, BMI can be considered an effective way to evaluate whether a person is overweight or obese.

According to the CDC, BMI ranges for adults can't be used for children. Instead, a child is considered obese if he or she has a BMI the same as or greater than the 95th percentile on the CDC's growth charts. 

In many ways, obesity is a puzzling disease. How the body regulates weight and body fat is not well understood. On one hand, the cause appears to be simple in that if a person consumes more calories than he or she expends as energy, then he or she will gain weight.

However, the risk factors that determine obesity can be a complex combination of genetics, socioeconomic factors, metabolic factors, and lifestyle choices, as well as other factors. Some endocrine disorders, diseases, and medications may also exert a powerful influence on an individual's weight.

Factors which may influence the occurrence of obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:

Genetics--Studies have shown that a predisposition toward obesity can be inherited. Although researchers have identified several genes that appear to be associated with obesity, most believe that one gene is not responsible for the entire obesity epidemic. The majority of current and future research aims to better understand the interaction between these gene variations and our ever-changing environment in the development of obesity.

Metabolic factors--How a particular person expends energy is different from how someone else's body uses energy. Both metabolic and hormonal factors are not the same for everyone, but these factors play a role in determining weight gain. Recent studies show that levels of ghrelin, a peptide hormone known to regulate appetite, and other peptides in the stomach, play a role in triggering hunger and producing a feeling of fullness (satiety).

Socioeconomic factors--There is a strong relationship between economic status and obesity, especially among women. Women who are poor and of lower social status are more likely to be obese than women of higher socioeconomic status. The occurrence of obesity is also highest among minority groups, especially among women.