Question

Discuss what you believe are the biggest contributors to the overweight/obesity epidemic. . Discuss ideas that you might employ as a RD or community nutritionist that could help change the trajectory of the weight problem in the US.

Answer 1

Obesity mean , overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health . A crude population measures of obesity is the body mass index a person weight divided by the square of his or her height.

Main causes of obesity,

Physical inactivity

Overeating

Genetics

A diet high in simple carbohydrates

Frequency of eating

Medication

Psychological factors

Diseases such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing syndrome are also contributors to obesity.

Physical inactivity, sedentary people burn fewer calories than people bwho are active. The national health NAD nutrition examination survey showed as a strong correlation between physical inactivity and weight. Gain in both sexes.

Overeating, overeating leads to weight gain, especially if the diet is high in fat .foods high in fat or sugar eg, fast food ,fried food,and Sweets have high energy density ( food that have lot of calories in a small amount of food). Epidemiologic studies have shown that diets high in fat contribute to weight gain.

Genetics, person is more likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese. Genetics also affect hormones involved in fat regulation

A diet high in simple carbohydrates. The role of carbohydrates in weight gain is not clear. Carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels, which in turn stimulate insulin release by the pancreas, and insulin promotes the growth of fat tissue and can cause weight gain.

Frequency of eating , the relationship between frequency of eating band weight is somewhat controversial. There are many reports of overweight overweight people eating less often than people with normal weight.

Medication, medications associated with weight gain include certain antidepressants, anticonvulsant,diabetes medication,oral contraceptive,corticosteroid, antihistamine this medications cause weight gain.

Psychological factors, for some people emotions influence eating habits.many peoples eat excessively in response to emotion such as boredom, sadness, stress, or anger. While most overweight people have no more psychological disturbance than normal weight people about 3% of the people who seek treatment for serious weight problems have difficulties with binge eating.

Diseases such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, pcod, Cushing' s syndrome are also contributors to obesity. Some diseases such as prader Willi syndrome can Leda to obesity.

Social issues; there is a link between social issues and obesity . lack of money to purchase healthy foods or lack of safe place to walk or exercise can increase the risk of obesity.

Nutrition is a key element of good health. Registered dietitian nutritionist are the expert on good nutrition and the food choices that can make us healthy whether it's a proper diet or eating to manage the symptoms of a disease or chronic condition. Registered dietitian nutritionist design nutrition programs to protect health prevent allergic reactions and alleviate the symptoms of many types of disease.

They assess patient nutritional needs develop and implement nutrition programs and evaluate and report the results. They confer with doctors and other health Care professionals in order to coordinate medical and dietary needs. Some clinical dietitians specialize in the management of overweight and critically ill patient, such as those with renla disease and diabetes. In addition, clinical dietitians in nursing care facilities, small hospitals,or correctional facilities may manage the food service department.