Obesity Case

Obesity has always been a contributing factor to poor health. It increases the risk for many disorders and conditions that have a negative impact on the body’s ability to function. Severe obesity can even put so much stress on the body that it indirectly causes death. We live in a society where this information is readily available. Why, then, would anyone allow themselves to become obese? There are many factors that contribute to this problem. Some are biological, others psychological or sociological.

Biological factors we have very limited control over. Genetic predisposition for health conditions that impact weight gain are not currently within the bounds of human control. Symptoms of some of those health conditions are also out of our control. Some symptoms, however, can be affected. Diabetes, hormone imbalances, and digestive disorders are all conditions that can contribute to weight gain. Modern healthcare offers us many treatments and medications that can limit some symptoms of these conditions, reducing the detrimental impact to our bodies.

Sociological factors, on the surface, seem like they would be the easiest for us to exhibit control over. Our current culture may pressure us to eat more, or to eat unhealthy foods, but we don’t have to listen, right? Let’s take a closer look at those factors. In today’s America, most families require two incomes just to survive. Children may require childcare outside of the time spent in school; they may be involved in extracurricular activities. The demands of day to day life impact our time management ability and inflict pressure to save time by resorting to food items of convenience. Families with only one parent providing care are under even more pressure to do this. When pressed for time, most families will stop by a drive thru for a meal or offer their families pre-packaged store bought foods that are not as healthy as fresh foods prepared at home. These pressures are insidious and much harder to resist than the overt pressure placed on us by advertising in the food industry or by children that beg to be allowed to eat “junk” food. Another subtle pressure that can be difficult to resist is