Complete 4 page APA formatted essay: A public health crisis.This represents an excess of 20% and over from the expected average weight of individuals. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered to be ov

Complete 4 page APA formatted essay: A public health crisis.

This represents an excess of 20% and over from the expected average weight of individuals. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered to be overweight and could easily lead to obesity is not well managed. Normal average BIM is considered to be within the range of 18.5 and 24.9, while a BMI below 18.5 is considered to be an underweight problem. Obesity predisposes one to various diseases including certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease and type 2 diabetes (Sturm, 2007). Obesity has a wide range of health implications on individuals. It is a leading cause of death across the world despite being preventable. It is considered one of the most serious problems in public health in the 1st century. Statistics show a prevalence of the health condition among both adults and children in the developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the US. About one out of three children in the UK is either obese or overweight (Pickett, 2009). In the Middle Ages, obesity and overweight were considered to be signs of wealth and was mainly affected the rich and noble people in the community. On the contrary, in the modern world, obese individuals and those who are overweight have largely been stigmatized in their communities and it is now seen as a health problem. According to the American Medical Association, obesity is classified as a disease (Pickett, 2009). The various causes of obesity include excessive food intake, genetic susceptibility, in some cases it occurs due to endocrine disorders, genes, psychiatric illness or medications and lack of physical activity (Christakis, and Fowler, 2007). The most common cause of obesity however is bad eating habits where individuals consume a lot of food, and in most cases unhealthy foods and drinks rich in fats and sugar. A sedentary lifestyle also contributes a lot to obesity. This is a life with limited physical activity (Sturm, 2007). This is a common lifestyle in the developed work where people have moved to jobs that are less demanding physically. With overreliance on technology and automobiles, individuals rarely engage in physical activities even as simple as taking a walk over some distance. Obesity can also occur as a genetically inherited condition. There are also other illnesses that predispose an individual to obesity. These growth hormone deficiency, Cushing ’s syndrome, hypothyroidism and other eating disorders such as night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder (Sturm, 2007). In the United Kingdom, obesity is a major concern in public health. It raises concern when more of the children and teenagers are getting affected with obesity because the future of the nation is at risk (Munger, Chitnis, and Ascherio, 2009). Obese individuals have largely been stigmatized in the United Kingdom through the negativity associated with being overweight in the media and discrimination in employment. The media in the UK presents skinny women and well built men as the best sizes of human beings (Berrington, 2010). This is portrayed throughout the advertisements in the media and in fashion shows. Overweight and obese individuals are often left distressed with their sizes and develop certain fears of what the public thinks about them.