Obesity as a public health problem

Jyrki Turunen jytturun@hytti.uku.fi Biosciences study program Introduction to Public Health Life Style and Health Essay 1 / IPH 2009 Obesity as a public health problem It could be maintained that the excess of acetyl-Coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is the main problem causing obesity. Acetyl-Coa is perhaps the central molecule of metabolism (Campbell & Farrell, 2006). “In particular, the oxaloacetate in a organism must be maintained at a level sufficient to allow acetyl-CoA to enter the cycle.” Firstly, when speaking cycle or citrate cycle it is a mitochondrial place where mammalian energy production exists. Secondly, in mammals, oxaloacetate is produced from pyruvate by the enzyme pyruvate carboxylase. However, there might be some diseases or people who just eat too much at the same time when physical activity has minor level to burn all consumed energy. We can quite easily calculate our energy need if consumption is adequately known. It takes lot of efforts to have an idea to how the diet is going to be constructed up because of busy people who rather eat much more than they consume. Excess of energy is easily converted to form of fat which can be burned by increasing physical activity, but not easily as it has been formed. Abnormalities in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, vitamin and mineral metabolism occur in liver disease. These abnormalities often have significant effects on the nutritional status of patients and on their ability to recover from liver injury (Mezey 1989). Not all the reasons are due to alcohol over consumption when speaking burden of disease, which is going to be my next essay topic. Let just mention diarrhea because of it wide impact around the world. Furthermore it can be asserted how these facts can affect being obese or not. Of course obesity is more or less serious public health problem, as we all might know. Nutritional disorders underlie many world health problems (Bogardus & Ravussin 1989). 2 Looking that major question, why there is so many with having problems with their weights? The idea that there is an ‘obesity epidemic’ has gained considerable in the scientific health community and the public consciousness (Wright, J 2008). So there seems to be evidence that goes into same direction what has been questioned into my claim that we have to take these obesity problems seriously, however. Why it has been handled as a political question is a great deal of money. Many of these big food companies have taken serious actions against obesity, there are great marketing efforts and brand management actions. It is not USA but also European region where these obesity problems exist, but why obesity is such a big problem? Let’s think about it. As the book says neither I will argue these scientific facts, let the others do that. I just keep my mind. Is there some social theory behind these evident facts? People belonging different social groups, have they similar problems with obesity as other groups or any similarities behind the reasons? Let just take into consideration cultural aspects when discussing female beauty and different kind of cultural views where fertility is one of those. When obesity is a sign of fertility in some cultures, some scientists have arguments that the obesity might be a sign of lower fertility in western countries. The book is still questioning that Asian countries are now awaken to that problem and problem has come increasingly to the agendas in government’s health issues. It is the question how to live, eat to live or live to eat. The knowledge and experience of previous generations and our fellow human beings is stored in a language and institutionalized behavioral patterns and, yet we are far from being walking supercomputers because we are able to apply that experience unconsciously, by following routines (Alasuutari 2004). The prevalence of obesity is expected to include 150 million adults and 15 million children by 2010 in the WHO European area (World Health Organization; 2007). Excess of body weight is defined having body weight index BMI more than 25. It can be asserted that not all the people having BMI more than 25 are obese but they are growing bigger because of better nutrition. So, food is still good business because bigger people, they just eat more. Let’s remind that women in pregnant they also eat bigger amount of food because of growing baby. At the same time we have to take into consideration, if nutrition professionals are offering healthy diet to those people, especially for pregnant women. Why not to those who are not able to decide having healthy meal or not? The main focus of the effect of diet on the human intestinal microflora must be on those bacteria which inhabit the colon, since it is in the colon 3 that the numbers of bacteria are particularly high, about 1011-12 per g compared with 104 per g in the stomach and 105-7 in the small intestine (Stephen 1985). If we don’t have any eating disorders or diseases affecting to our body mass and metabolism, we just have minor physical activity. When adolescents get to the age of twenty usually they are leaving their homes to study. Of course many of adolescent start drink more alcohol and having in that way extra energy. Alcohol can also cause some multifunctional problems and it is not so popular to take these physical exercises anymore. I have no strict scientific evidence here when saying alcohol and the problems of the adult age may cause growing obesity. Minimal histologic changes in the livers ethanol-fed animals included mild steatosis and mitochondrial enlargement (Halsted 1989). As I mentioned earlier let the others think scientific explanations outside of this essay. We have to remind in our minds if we keep qualitative research as valid as quantitative. As a summary I have to say that there are public health concerns which are related to problem being obese. On the other hand I have to remind that obesity is not always a health risk or problem. By chancing our diet, physical activities we can affect to our body weight. So it is not always so simple to say how we have to eat, where to eat or should we eat at home or maybe in restaurant. Usually the taste of food is excellent and eating is a social event, but also full of meanings intake of nutrients and energy. There are some web calculators and by using these you can calculate your energy need and consumption. Do not eat too big amounts at once and remember to drink enough. The place where you lunch depends on demographic factors and the place where you are; at work, at home, at school, at restaurant or even at picnic. But always remember to take care your energy balance and type of food; carbohydrates, fats, proteins, don’t forget vitamins and minerals and something to drink, water is fine. The government should pay more attention to reducing alcohol consumption and to tackle health problems, including obesity. References: Jan Wright. In: Wright J, Harwood V, editors. Biopolitics and the ’Obesity Epidemic’. 1th ed. New York: Taylor & Francis; 2009. This edition published in the Taylor & Francis elibrary, 2008. Branca F, Nikogosian H, Lobstein T, editors. The challenge of obesity in the WHO European Region and the strategies for response. Summary. World Health Organization; 2007. 4