The Obesity Predicament

 What is obesity?

Obesity is a rising epidemic in the modern world, particularly in th

e Uni

ted States. An obese or fat person is basically people who have collected so much fat in his body that it may have a detrimental consequence on their health and lifespan. If someone’s bodyweight is more than twenty perfect higher than it should be, then he or she is suffering from obesity. More to the point, if a person’s BMI (otherwise known as body mass index) is between twenty-five to twenty-nine point nine percent higher than normal, you’re considered overweight; if your

BMI is instead thirty percent or more, then you’re under the "obese" category.

BMI says if you are obese or not.

BMI is a statistical weight measurement method that takes into account both your weight and your height together. Even though it’s considered as a convenient way to immediately calculate healthy body weight, it cannot be used to measure the percentage of body fat. What’s more, depending on BMI alone can sometimes be misleading—for example, a particularly muscular man could have a high BMI but still be healthy because he has less fat when compared to an unhealthy person that has a lower BMI. Then again, generally speaking, the "average person" can use the BMI measurement as a useful indicator for health and getting the proper amount of body weight.

How widespread a condition is being heavy set or obese?

This chronic, metabolic condition is a lot more widespread than you might believe. Caused by a multitude of complex factors that are both inherited and acquired, obesity is a widespread epidemic that affects about seventy million Americans and countless more worldwide. The obesity dilemma is not only rampant in countries like the U.S., the Middle East, Samoa, Malaysia, Japan, China, Germany, Norway, and Caribbean nations. With that said, being able to accurately estimate the number of obese people is quite tough because experts aren’t able to come to a consensus on an exact definition. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes three excess bodyweight grades: the overweight grade or grade one and the obese grades or grade two and three.

What is the difference between being obese and being overweight?

To be true, being merely heavy set or overweight isn’t necessarily the same as being obese. Someone who is overweight simply weights a lot more than his BMI or statistically calculated target weight for his age, height, and gender. Surveys conducted just a few years back have discovered that an estimated fourteen percent of American children from ages six to eleven, eleven percent of American teenagers from ages twelve to seventeen, and fifty-four percent of American adults from ages eighteen and above are overweight. These notable figures suggest an increase in overall obesity as well even though they don’t specifically measure obesity. 

Is the obesity plague spreading through the U.S. and the world?

The obesity predicament the world faces today has gained quite a lot of public attention recently because it results in about three hundred thousand preventable deaths in the U.S.A. annually, which is only surpassed by the deaths caused by tobacco or cigarette abuse. To be true, the U.S. is the fattest of the OECD member nations because thirty percent of its population has a BMI higher than thirty percent, which is then followed by Mexico, Britain, and Slovakia. The bottom of the OECD member list includes the eight and a half percent of Italy’s population, the eight point three percent of Norway, and the seven point seven percent of Switzerland. What’s more, the expenses that obesity-related troubles can cause all over the world excess a hundred billion dollars every year and continues to increase with the growing rate of obese individuals with thirty percent or more above their ideal BMI.

How many people were obese ten years ago?

In the last ten years, the average number of obese people—described as people with body weights thirty percent or more their BMI—increased over six percent in adults ages eighteen to twenty-nine in America. What that means is that ten years ago, there were fewer obese people than today in the United States, so there’s definitely an increase. Furthermore, the Southern United States actually had the biggest change by having a sixty seven percent increase in the number of obese people from 1991 to 1998. All-in-all, the proportion of American society that’s presently obese has increased from twenty-five percent to over thirty-two percent, and it’s estimated that by 2025, nearly half or forty percent of the U.S. adult population will be suffering from the obesity condition.

Which developed and underdeveloped countries in the world have the lowest number of obese people?

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently released a BMI study in 2005 that shows only three point two of Japanese and Koreans have a BMI higher than thirty percent. To reiterate, a person that has a BMI figure that’s higher than twenty-five percent is considered overweight, while a BMI increase of thirty percent and beyond means obesity. Moreover, early twentieth century Lithuanians are also considered as the thinnest people on earth in terms of developed. This may have something to do with Lithuanian cuisine, because food in Lithuania concentrates more on attractive presentation of freshly prepared foods than anything else.

What are the reasons why some countries have lower obesity averages than others?

Countries like Japan and Korea are no different from nations like the U.S. and the U.K. in terms of the attitude towards diets. Japanese women are particularly obsessed with miracle diets and weight loss schemes. However, the success that Japan enjoys in terms of stemming the tides of obesity roots from its placement and its cultural mores. There are many factors that help a country reduce its overweight and obese population, chief among them is peer pressure and conformity. In Japan, for example, conformity and the status quo is just as important to the Japanese as, say, maintaining the freedom and individual rights of people are to Americans. At any rate, here are the different reasons why countries like Japan have lower obesity rates than other developed countries:

• Peer pressure: The Japanese people manage to stray relatively slim because Japanese society is mostly based on how one fits in perfectly and comfortably into society. There’s a huge amount of peer pressure to conform—a lot more than in the Western world—and the pressure on women to stay fit, slim, and healthy is tremendous.

• More opportunities for exercise: Even though Japan is a smallish country when compared to places like U.S., people there are able to get more exercise because of the inconvenience of using motorized transportation to get from one place to another. This unplanned movement of sorts is particularly prevalent in urban and suburban areas because cars just aren’t practical in Japan at all except for longer trips. Ergo, people tend to "exercise" more in Japan more often than not. 

• Smaller portions: Most travelers will immediately notice the difference of portions between American and Japanese meals. This is generally true in spite of the super-sizing trends done by fast food chains. To be true, the average portion sizes are smaller when compared to the U.S., and even a super-sized meal in a, for example, Japanese McDonalds is significantly lesser compared to "American-sized" meals. 

• Proper Diet: You are what you eat. You eat fatty foods, you’ll get fat, but if you eat healthier cuisine, your body will become healthier as well. As mentioned earlier, the Lithuanian secret to slimness roots from its cuisine. Its ingredients of mushrooms, berries, greens, beets, rye, potatoes, and barley are most suited in its cool and moist northern climate, and it’s also one of the healthiest cuisines in existence.