Body Weight and Physical Status

In terms of the Nervous system, overweight develops a higher probability of stroke and affects mental health. It causes greater danger of issues with body image, poor self-esteem and depression. Obesity causes fats to be stored around the neck affecting the respiratory system making the airway small causing difficulty in breathing a situation called Sleep apnea (Cafasso, n.d.) . There is a higher risk to the digestive system to get gastroesophageal reflux disease where the stomach leaks acid to the esophagus. The buildup of fats near the liver causes damage to the organ, scar tissue and liver failure. The cardiovascular and endocrine systems are affected mainly by obesity due to the extra effort to compensate for the large mass. It creates high blood pressure which may cause a stroke. It also causes the body to resist insulin; hence no sugar can be taken up causing hypertension with higher risk with individuals with type 2 diabetes (Cafasso, n.d.) . 

In reproduction, it causes difficulty in getting pregnant for women with the possibility of getting severe complications during the period of pregnancy. In terms of the muscular and skeletal muscular system, it leads to deteriorated muscle mass and bone density a situation called osteosarcopenic obesity (Ormsbee et al., 2014) . Osteosarcopenic obesity causes insulin resistance, physical disability and risk of fractures (Cafasso, n.d.) . The extra weight puts pressure on joints creating stiffness and pain. The integumentary system is affected when the body fat folds, causing rashes, a condition referred to as acanthosis nigricans (Cafasso, n.d.) . The state gets attributed to thickening and discoloration in the creases and folds of the body. Obesity is associated with a higher likelihood of getting various cancers namely pancreatic, esophageal, colon, cervical, kidney, liver, and endometrial cancers. 

Barriers and Challenges 

Individual-level challenges include minimal motivation, limited literacy and education, and limited economic resources. Lack of motivation to lose weight causes individual to lack interest in losing weight and adhere to the clinical recommendation of weight loss. Limited literacy and education due to low literacy creating a barrier to effectively deliver counselling and technical concepts of nutrition bear no significance on such individual hence cannot make changes to their diet. Limited economic resources hinder access to health-promoting services and materials including gym memberships, visits to dieticians and nutritionists and medical appointments (Woodruff, Schauer, Addison, Gehlot, & Kegler, 2016, p.  8 ) . Situational barriers are associated with disruption of the daily routine with social events and external cues encouraging further eating. Stress and depression cause obese women to eat in excess and not follow the diet. Studies have connected high BMI with severe levels of stress (Sharifi, Mahdavi, & Ebrahimi-Mameghani, 2013, p.  12 ) . Food craving is also a common barrier. The main food craving concerns sweet tooth common among women. Social pressure causes women not to adhere to a weight loss diet. Feeding children and family meal routines created difficulty in following the diet for weight loss. 

Cultural Considerations 

Many American females fail to eat suggested daily amounts of whole grains, vegetables and fruits and eat high sodium and fat amounts. They are inactive, spending the most time on the phone and watching television when eating. African American females admire large body sizes with less pressure to lose weight causing the infrequent search for long term weight management practices ( Boyington et al., 2008, p. 2). Body image development happens in the cultural context with a different value on the body image. African American women favor larger body image and the males from the same culture express a preference to large body. Women are responsible for caring, feeding and educating children and inherently transfer shared cultural knowledge concerning body image which has implications for their perception of and reaction to their children's body image. For example, white mothers’ restraint of diet or understanding of child overweight affects young daughter dieting and weight behaviors (Caprio et al., 2008, p.  2215 ) . Culture affects the need to engage in a physical exercise where they perceive parents take on physical activity and follow it. If the parent assumes rest after a long day is the best physical activity, it creates a high likelihood for the child to find no meaning in physical activity for wellbeing and health (Caprio et al., 2008, p.  2215 ) . 

Advice for Mark 

Mark requires to cut back on his calories, have more physical activity and make behavioral alterations to stick with an exercise regimen or diet for a long time. Mark needs to make some lifestyle modifications starting with the little parts. He should cut the sugar in coffee limiting the overall calorie intake. The fast-food needs to be replaced with vegetables and fruits and sometimes eliminate the evening snack. He can also try a low glycemic diet having healthy oils, fiber and protein and low sugars and starches hence combat feelings of hunger. He should not skip any meal due to the tight schedule to avoid the temptation of overeating. He can also consult further registered health counsellors, exercise specialists, psychologists or dietitians in six months using telephone calls, emails or text messages for further consultation on weight loss. Physical exercise to be conducted should at least coincide with the government’s recommendation. The government guidelines are for at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity every week encompassing brisk walking. Also, Mark can walk for half an hour a day for five days every week. 

References 

Boyington, J. E., Carter-Edwards, L., Piehl, M., Hutson, J., Langdon, D., & McManus, S. (2008). Cultural attitudes toward weight, diet, and physical activity among overweight African American girls.  Preventing chronic disease ,  5 (2), A36. 

Cafasso, J. (n.d.). The Effects of Obesity on Your Body. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/how-obesity-affects-body#5 

Caprio, S., Daniels, S. R., Drewnowski, A., Kaufman, F. R., Palinkas, L. A., Rosenbloom, A. L., … Kirkman, M. S. (2008). Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture on Childhood Obesity: Implications for Prevention and Treatment.  Obesity ,  16 (12), 2566-2577. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.398 

Ormsbee, M. J., Prado, C. M., Ilich, J. Z., Purcell, S., Siervo, M., Folsom, A., & Panton, L. (2014). Osteosarcopenic obesity: the role of bone, muscle, and fat on health.  Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle ,  5 (3), 183-192. doi:10.1007/s13539-014-0146-x 

Sharifi, N., Mahdavi, R., & Ebrahimi-Mameghani, M. (2013). Perceived Barriers to Weight loss Programs for Overweight or Obese Women.  Health Promotion Perspectives ,  3 (1), 11-22. 

Woodruff, R. C., Schauer, G. L., Addison, A. R., Gehlot, A., & Kegler, M. C. (2016). Barriers to weight loss among community health center patients: qualitative insights from primary care providers.  BMC Obesity ,  3 (1), 1-8. doi:10.1186/s40608-016-0123-3