Elizabeth Donnan
Abnormal Psychology
March 31, 2010
Reaction Paper 3
Obesity
Undoubtedly, over the last 25 years eating disorders have become an epidemic in
America. Unfortunately, while the general pathology has received much attention the overall
causal factors are still somewhat ambiguous. According to Dr. Eric Stice, an assistant professor
of psychology and eating disorders researcher at University of Texas at Austin, “currently 30
percent of Americans are obese, compared with only 4 percent who meet the criteria for anorexia
nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, yet obesity has received the least amount of
attention.” (Stice, Vol 33) This is a staggering statistic, thus imperative that more attention be
focused on the individual factors, sociocultural implications and the health risks of obesity.
I found this article to be as fascinating as it was disturbing. Having personal experience
with an eating disorder I hold tremendous empathy for those suffering from obesity, and my
opinion is that obesity is unequivocally a psychiatric disorder, i.e., eating disorder. I say this
because food, synonymous with any other form of substance abuse, is a coping mechanism. An
individual who is addicted to food (whether they’re cognizant of it or not) uses food as more of a
self medication than its original/actual intent… to nourish the body. In fact, the consumption of
high-fat sugary foods is almost exhilarating, similar to an illicit drug. And unlike abstinence
from drugs, abstinence from food is impossible. As a result, I believe obesity entails patterns of
eating disorder-like behaviors and thus should be categorized as such.
Although obesity is “the second most prevalent preventable cause of death in the United
States” (Stice, Vol 33) it does not draw as much attention from the mainstream media. The
reason, I believe, is marketability. The individuals that perish from anorexia, bulimia or both are
typically young, beautiful famous personalities and/or glamorous socialites, therefore a much
more marketable story. To further affirm this, an article by HealthSquare.com states, “Over the
past few years, the media have been filled with the tragic stories of famous women whose
abnormal eating behavior led to serious health problems and even death. For the most part, these
women suffered from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Together these eating disorders
affect approximately 8 million Americans—mostly young women and teenaged girls. At the
opposite extreme, excessive overweight (obesity), while rarely deadly in itself, increases your
risk of life threatening medical conditions ranging from breast cancer to heart disease.”
(HealthSquare.com). Let’s face it; nobody wants to hear about a 65 year old obese black female
that dies of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and hypothyroidism… it’s just not sensational.
There are several sociocultural factors that contribute to obesity, such as lack of
education, poverty and reduced access to high quality healthcare. There is no doubt that family
influence has a significant impact on eating behaviors. As children we tend to acquire our eating
habits from our parental figures, and unfortunately in today’s fast-paced society that usually
consists of whatever is easiest, i.e. fast food eateries and processed microwavable food, all over
portioned and unhealthy. We as a society and especially parents should model and instill the
importance of nutritional needs and portion control. Be creative in food preparation and
incorporate vegetables in the meals that your child will be more apt to eat. However, it is not
this simplistic for all families, and unfortunately those on the lower socioeconomic scale are
more at risk for obesity, primarily because the cost of high-fat foods tends to be less expensive
than fresh and organic groceries. According to Professor Eric Wright, director of health policy
research at the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment posits, “demographics play a
colossal role in the obesity epidemic, in fact obesity in the impoverished areas of our nation’s
black population has increased at more than double the national rate in recent years, and there
has been a large increase among our Latino population as well.” (Wright) As a result, these poor
individuals suffer from years of obesity related illnesses but cannot afford health insurance,
which leads to public health concerns and skyrocketing healthcare costs in America.
There are numerous individual factors that increase the risk of obesity, for example
sedentary lifestyle, genetic predisposition and age and gender are all culprits. Gone are the days
of adolescence playing outside all day, instead today’s culture promotes talking on cell phones,
texting, computer games, TV watching, etc, all of which consist of inactivity. Exercise is the
best way to burn fat and subsequently reduce stress, and reducing stress is key to controlling
weight. When an individual is inactive, stress hormones elevate causing a surplus of fat cells
thus making it much more difficult to decrease weight. In addition to a sedentary lifestyle,
genetic predisposition and medical conditions contribute to obesity. Medical conditions such as
depression, hypothyroidism and autoimmune diseases can interfere with the body’s ability to
maintain a healthy weight. Personally, depression has been a tremendous hindrance to my social
and physical activities. Depression sorely depletes an individual’s desire to enjoy the activities
they once enjoyed. Another factor of obesity is a person’s age and gender. Although weight
gain is more prevalent in middle age for both men and women, regrettably after the age of thirty
women undergo significant metabolic changes of irregular female hormones causing body fat
levels to increase while energy levels decrease (I know this from personal experience!). To add
insult to injury, men tend to burn fat more easily with less physical activity than women,
primarily due to their lean muscle mass. I content this is a cruel joke from God!
Finally, prevention or intervention programs are vital in diminishing society’s obesity
problem. Since eating behaviors are usually acquired at childhood, childhood obesity awareness
programs need to be implemented at the grass roots level. Also, these programs should be
culturally specific, for example in more indigent area public schools make physical activity, diet
and nutrition mandatory starting in pre-K. Each class provides 60 minutes of classroom
education and then an additional 30 minutes of physical activity. Also, implement negative
reproductions for obese recipients of public assistance. For instance, all recipients of public
assistance must undergo health and obesity screenings, and the individuals that test higher than a
BMI of 25 should have a monetary reduction in their food stamps. Finally, another crucial
education source can be at the congressional level. Perhaps legislation could be passed to give
parents a reduction in their state or federal taxes. For example, each extracurricular/physical
activity their child/children are enrolled in would reduce their property taxes by .05 percent.
Especially in today’s current recession everyone is very motivated to save.
Ultimately, there are three primary factors of obesity prevention: physical activity, eating
healthy and maintaining a healthy weight (re typically a BMI of 20 to 25). There are many
health perils associated with obesity and it’s up to society as a whole to implement an overall
healthy lifestyle.
References
Stice, Eric, University of Texas at Austin, “Shared Perspectives” The Neglect of Obesity
Monitor on Psychology, Volume 33, No 3 March 2002
HealthSquare.com, Clinical Staff. Anorexia, Bulimia… and Obesity
http://www.healthsquare.com/fgwh/wh1ch34.htm
Wright, Eric, Director of Health Policy Research, Center for Urban Policy and the
Environment, Study: Social, Cultural Factors Contribute to Obesity
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=18310#middle
