Complicating the Obesity Epidemic

Complicating the Obesity Epidemic

            There is a constant epidemic in America that is getting bigger and bigger (no pun intended). This epidemic is obesity. However, this is not a simple problem of overeating. Economics, biology, and society all play a role. There are severe consequences to obesity. Health is significantly declined, in some cases negative psychological implications can occur, the cost placed on society to take care of these individuals later in life, and the pressures society will place on the obese as well. I will touch on a few of these issues concerning the obesity epidemic and give evidence that the obesity epidemic is much more complex than meets the eye.

            Society sees obesity as a simple matter of eating too much coupled with a severe lack of exercise. While in some instances this is exactly the case, but in the vast majority it is not. In Mead’s: Why Do We Overeat, society views obesity as an immoral lifestyle. Society says clothes are not made for them, they cannot fit in furniture, and the obese are outcasts. Mead goes on to say society says obesity “is a lack of character, a disregard for health and a blatant lack of self-discipline”. We place such a heavy emphasis on what people should look like based on the images that are flung at us every day. These images clearly have an impact. In Bordo’s: Not Just a White Girl’s Thing, countries (where not many eating disorders were present) that recently began promoting images or television shows that display stick thin women. After this media surfaced in these countries, diets, body consciousness, and eating disorders sky rocketed. We place such an emphasis on these stimuli, and think it is what we should be. This only causes more problems such as eating disorders and low self-esteem. This is not going to solve the problem but simply make it worse for everyone (obese or not).

Our society condemns the obese, but in some cases obesity may be the cause of factors beyond their control. Genetics are a central part of the obesity epidemic. Genetics dictate what kind of body type you will have. We are all different. Some are naturally skinny, tall, short, or chubby. I understand. No matter how much weight I lose I am always going to have these boobs, this butt, and these thighs. Body type plays a significant role in metabolism and where you store fat (which the individual cannot control, no matter diet choices). Epigenetics is a new sub-field of genetics that may hold the answers to some cases of obesity. Epigenetics is a very interesting field because it does not deal with gene mutations, but instead with gene modifications that can be turned on or off. This is done by methylating a gene which can inhibit or express the gene in question (though most of the time it inhibits the gene). These genes can be methylated or un-methylated on a regular basis in the body. If you don’t think genes are a big deal, well they are. They dictate every molecule your body makes and how you react to it. Genes can make you store more fat, sugar, or salt molecules. So if your genes are requiring your body to store more fat, sugar, or salt molecules, it doesn’t really matter what you eat or how much of it. Your body is still going to hold onto the molecules that you only want in moderation.

You may ask why epigenetics have never had a link to obesity until now. This is possibly because of added pressures in recent decades. These stressors can be the new diet that has developed over the decade (full of cheap foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar). These foods are some of the only options for over worked individuals with low incomes. Produce prices continue to rise and unemployment keeps rising (so healthy foods aren’t an option). Families can buy one bushel of bananas or two Happy Meals for the same price (obviously the Happy Meals would provide more bang for the buck). The heavy emphasis on body image mentioned above offers no relief either.

In conclusion, the obesity epidemic is much more complicated than just food and exercise habits. Genetics, society, and diet all play their roles for each case. There is never going to be just one singular cause of obesity. Every case is different, just like every body type is different. Several factors influence body size. So solving the obesity epidemic is either going to be a long way off or we are going to have to have a major overhaul on our views of diet and the “ideal” body.

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