As health professionals look for ways to address the obesity epidemic in many societies of the world, they must determine if obesity is promoted by nature or nurture causes. Many evidence based studies indicate that even though a person has the obesity related gene, they can still lead healthy lifestyles by observing healthy diets, and scheduling regular physical activities. Shunning environmentally structured obesity triggers is the key to addressing the obesity problem in the society.
Introduction
The issue of obesity has become prevalent in the American society to the point of the illness being termed as an epidemic. This is because compared to the data of ten to twenty years back, the number of affected persons has doubled or even tripled in some jurisdiction. In the past, some researchers were of the opinion that low income earner societies did not suffer from obesogenic environment. Notably, obesity is currently a global concern and raises the question whether the root cause of the ailment is generic or environmental. A keen observation of the current trends is a clear indication that genesis of obesity is nurture and not nature.
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Definition
Nature is where biological triggers such as genetic composition in the case of obesity cause a problem (Waalen, 2014). On the other hand nurture is a cultivated problem due to the enabling components in the environment (Kuno, 2018). Obesity can be natured by lifestyle such as enabling purchasing power, availability of unhealthy diets and the preference of inactivity to vigorous exercising (Boero, 2012).
Decrease in physical activity
The first indication that the environmental conditions influence obesity is the decrease in physical activities. Many overweight cases in the current society are associated with the increase in individual comfort and the lack of physical activities (Kuno, 2018). Inactive individuals are termed as potato coaches meaning people who spends long hours in the comfort of their sofa, bed, office chair and car (Boero, 2012). The potato coaches do not like walking, moving around at the work place or taking public means to and from work (Boero, 2012). The inactivity causes the affected persons to store calories in their body as opposed to gradually burning it out through physical activities.
Intake of imbalanced diets and large portions
The second indication that obesity is environmental as opposed to generic is the increased intake of high energy foods in large portions. The health professionals have noted with concern that overweight persons have access to and great appetite for, fast foods with high fat content, high sugar drinks and processed foods that have little or no nutritional value (Kuno, 2018). The overweight individuals take large portions of the unhealthy diets. Unhealthy diets are cheap and readily available in the affected societies (Boero, 2012). The body processes high fat, carbohydrates and sugary foods very fast and turns into glucose (Kuno, 2018). The high speed metabolism process leaves the person feeling hungry within a short time of consuming a meal (Kuno, 2018). The body stores any excess glucose in the blood as fat.
The obesity related gene argument
The supporters of the opinion that obesity is genetically sponsored argue from stand of ill-information. Many persons who have the gene that causes the abnormal intake of large food portions and poor metabolism have gone ahead to lead very health lives (Kuno, 2018). Remarkably, many of those with the obesity-related gene are oblivious of their generic composition, yet they lead healthy lives by observing healthy diet regime, physical activities and eating moderate food portions (Kuno, 2018). Further, many overweight individuals overcome obesity by adopting healthy diets with a higher content of vegetables and fruits (Waalen, 2014). Some obese persons have also lost weight by adopting ketogenic diets (Kuno, 2018). It is clear that unhealthy foods and wrong mindsets promote obesity and not genes.
The success stories of those believed to have hereditary obesity disorder vindicate the narrative that obesity is a nurture rather than nature problem. By many individuals who are oblivious of their abnormal genetic composition leading healthy lives and others conquering obesity through positive behavioral changes, it is obvious that genes have little or no influence on the obesity epidemic. To effectively address the obesity challenge, the society, affected persons and health professionals have to concentrate on eliminating the environmental triggers as opposed to the genetic ones. Indeed obesity is a nurture verses nature challenge.
References
Boero, N. (2012). Killer fat: Media, medicine, and morals in the American" Obesity Epidemic” . Rutgers University Press.
Kuno, M. (2018). Environmental Epigenetics: Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Development of Obesity–Statistical Analysis. Bioinformatics and Biomedical Research Journal , 1 (1), 22-27.
Waalen, J. (2014). The genetics of human obesity. Translational Research , 164 (4), 293-301.
