Reasons why Foods Containing Calories are not the Only Cause of Obesity (Essay Sample)

Reasons why Foods Containing Calories are not the Only Cause of Obesity
Introduction
Obesity is a major health issue today. Obesity is a condition characterized by excess fats in the body. The accumulation of excess in the body causes negative implications on a person’s health. Obesity and overweight can cause severe health complications. The situation has become complicated because obesity is causing deaths in children and adults. Many people argue that consumption of increased calories than the body can burn is the cause of obesity. However, different factors or conditions can cause obesity such as lack of exercises, consumption of various foods, genetic makeup, gender, some illnesses, environmental factors, and old age. This argumentative paper examines some of the possible causes of obesity. This is the best approach towards dealing with obesity.
Reasons why Foods Containing Calories are Not the Only Cause of Obesity
According to Murphy (12), “many people believe that obesity is only caused by increased intake of foods containing calories”. To begin with, it is agreeable that excess calories in the body can make a person obese. It is impossible for the human body to burn most of the excess calories. This scenario occurs when a person eats too much food without taking enough exercises. Most of the obese or overweight individuals consume foods rich in energy such as starch, fats, and sugar. According to Murphy (18), “most of the foods contain excess calories and fats thus making it prone to obesity”. This situation explains why human beings should be careful about their dietary intakes. However, dietary intakes cannot be the only cause of obesity.
As described earlier, there are various factors capable of making a person obese. A good example is lack of adequate physical exercises. Physical exercises are necessary because they help the body to burn most of the consumed calories. A healthy person maintains his or her weight by striking a “proper” balance between body calories and those “burned off”. Physical exercises help the body to burn most of the excess calories. This makes the individual healthy and physically fit. An active person requires an increased number of calories in the body. On the other hand, a less active individual will require lesser calories in order to maintain his or her weight. Exercises will decrease a person’s appetite thus reducing the amount of calories in the body. Physical exercises will also increase the body’s ability to digest food and metabolize fat deposits as new sources of energy. According to Blass (27), “most of the reported cases of obesity can be attributed to the decreasing level of human exercise and physical activity”.
People have presented different arguments to establish whether the surrounding environment can “actually” cause obesity. The word “environment” refers to anything that surrounds human beings. Various environmental aspects will determine what a person eats. People tend to embrace certain lifestyle behaviors. As Blass (49) observes, “many people in the United States consume plenty of fast foods”. This has become a lifestyle behavior in the country thus contributing a lot to the increasing cases of obesity. However, some people have argued that the environment cannot cause obesity. The important thing is to acknowledge that some societies encourage their people to take plenty of exercises and consume balanced diets. Such behaviors are essential towards a healthy lifestyle. The environment will determine what a certain group eats. Environmental factors will also dictate how active a person will be in his or her life. A less active individual has a higher chance of becoming obese.
A person’s age is also another possible cause of obesity. As Murphy (93) argues, “age tends to decrease the body’s ability to digest and metabolize food”. The person also requires little calories to maintain his or her weight. An older person continues to take the same foods. The individual also avoids exercises. “People tend to become obese after they accumulate more calories in their bodies (Murphy 95)”. This situation explains why many people become obese after celebrating their 40th birthday. Older people should take the best measures in order to reduce chances of becoming obese.
It should also be agreeable that gender is another possible cause of obesity. According to Blass (41), “women have a higher chance of becoming overweight”. Studies have also indicated that men will burn more calories compared to women even at rest (Murphy 74). The metabolic rate of men is stable compared to that of women. Additionally, a woman’s metabolic ability decreases after menopause. This is a clear indication that women will gain much weight than their counterparts. Chances are also high for women to become obese after menopause.
Recent studies have also examined how some illnesses and conditions can increase a person’s chances of becoming overweight or obese. There are some illnesses known to affect the body’s metabolic system. This reduces the amount of calories “burned” by the body. “The level of calories increases thus making the individual obese (Blass 84)”. Some of these illnesses include depression and hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a disease characterized by slowed metabolic rate. There are certain brain diseases that increase a person’s appetit...