Eating and hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eating and hunger - Essay Example Obesity and overweight can be generally defined as the state when the body mass index increases disproportionately vis-Ã  -vis standard set by the medical authority. ‘An overweight adult is defined as one with a BMI between 25 and 29.9, while an obese adult has a BMI of 30 or higher. In children and adolescents, overweight is defined as a sex-and-age specific BMI at or above the 95th percentile, based on revised growth charts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ (HHS News, 2001, ref.2). Bad eating habits and erratic eating schedules are key proponents of obesity. The increasing trend of eating fast food and aerated drinks are the major reasons for overweight as they are high on calories and low on nourishment. Genetics and to some extent obese behavior can also be contributed to the socio-psychological paradigms of the communities at large. Researcher Smith says that fat intake of children in US has ‘inadequate amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates, but excessive amounts of fats’(Smith, 1999, p. 84). Another very interesting observation is made by Birch et al. who say that some teachers also promote unhealthy food by using it to reward students for desired classroom behavior and ‘this practice leads children to attach great value to such treats’ (Birch et al., 1995). The alarming rise in obesity and overweight has become a serious problem because it promotes serious health hazards in the form of diseases, especially silent diseases like blood pressure, which may also prove fatal and cause death. It is common knowledge that diseases like heart problems, diabetes, are the by products of obesity which, if not diagnosed early and treated, may lead to death. Obese people are also prone to socio-psychological problems like depression which has now become a key issue and needs urgent attention. Overweight and obese children often become the