Food Addiction
The Obesity Epidemic
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Obesity: What is it?
Obesity is a condition whereby an individual
has an excess of body fat in relation to their
body mass. This condition has many
implications not only to the individual but
impacts society as well.

Worldwide Statistics
• Five percent of the worlds population are considered obese.
• Fourteen percent of the worlds population are considered overweight.
• Worldwide the United States of America Ranks # 1.

Obesity in the United States
In the United States of America there are over 78 million (35.7%)
adults, and approximately 12.5 million (16.9%) children and
adolescents who are obese.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010

Causes of Overweight & Obesity
• A disruption of an individuals sleep pattern can
cause the body to disrupt the hunger-related
hormones leptin and ghrelin. This imbalance
causes the body to over compensate whereby
the appetite-increasing hormone ghrelin rises
causing feeling of hunger.
• Highly palatable foods and the “all you can eat”
options that many restaurants offer entice
individuals to eat more than they normally
would. The anticipated pleasure of eating
palatable foods increases a false sense of
hunger.

Causes of Overweight & Obesity
• “Super-Size It”! In the last two decades the
average daily intake has increased by nearly
10% for men and 7% for women. A lack of self
control makes it very easy for an individual to
over eat and inevitably gain weight.
• A sedate lifestyle also factors into why many
individuals are overweight or obese. Four out of
ten American adults report that they do not
exercises.
National Center for Health Statistics

Health Issues
Health Issues Associated with Obesity.
Obesity, or excessive weight increases an individual’s risk for a wide
range of health problems. These include cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and
some forms of cancer.

Health Issues
• More than $50 billion a year is spent on health care for those who
are suffering with issues of being overweight or obese.
• Those who are obese have a reduced life expectancy as much as
up to ten years less than an individual who does not have this
condition.
• There are 300,000 adult deaths attributed each year due to the
health issues of those who are obese.

Psychological Affects
Not only are there health concerns for an individual that is
overweight or obese, there is also an impact on that individual
psychologically.
• Lack of self-confidence and a low self-esteem is an element
that many experience due to their condition.
• Discrimination is another aspect that those who are
overweight or obese experience by others in society. This
can affect the individual in the work place or at social
functions.

Easy Preventative Methods
The main factor for the an individual who suffers for being overweight
or obese is diet and exercise.
• Eat less: Start by reducing the portions of food and the calorie intake.
• Exercise: Gentle exercise such as walking will not only help speed up
the metabolizing process this will also help with the individuals
cardiovascular.
• Most importantly a change of lifestyle and outlook toward foods and its
rewards.

Medical Methods
• Medication can be taken for those who have a serious obesity
problem. These products can however have adverse effects and are
slow in results.
• Most common for those with a serious problem is Bariatric surgery.
This procedure is very successful and produces positive outcomes.
- Long-term loss of weight
- Recovery from diabetes
- Improvement in cardiovascular risk factors (heart disease)
- A reduction in mortality of 23% from 40%

Works Cited:
"Adult Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html>.
Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Applebaum, and Deborah Carr.
Introduction to Sociology. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. Print.
Hockenbury, Don H., and Sandra E. Hockenbury. Psychology. New York, NY:
Worth,
2010. Print.
"National Cancer Institute." Obesity and Cancer Risk -. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity>.
OECD Health Data. "Obesity Statistics." NationMaster.com. NationMaster, n.d. Web.
14 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-healthobesity>.