OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY OR JUST BEING LARGE: DISPELLING THE LABEL MYTH
In the play, personal trainer April leads the group in a sharing exercise that asks the questions why they are the way that they are, why their body is the way it is, and why they are overweight. In the scene, April confesses that she has always been thin and that she is blessed with a high metabolism and great genes, while personal trainer Brian confesses that he was not always fit: he grew up very poor with no fresh fruits or vegetables. Brian goes on to share that he suffered from asthma because his parents smoked, and, one day, he realized that his family lifestyle was slowly killing him, so he decided to make a change.
At Evolve, weight loss clients Darnell, Terry and Myrtle have all been subjected to the idea that they are big for their size. Yet, what is the difference between being overweight, obese, or just being big boned? Many reputable sites, including the CDC, enlist the help of something called Body Mass Index (or BMI) to differentiate between obese and overweight. Simply explained, BMI is a package that correlates height and weight to determine where an individual falls. According to the CDC, those with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are overweight, while those with a BMI above 30 are obese; however, BMI does not take into account that bone and muscle mass is denser than fat. Because of this oversight, a person with a large bone frame or someone with large muscles will have a high BMI rating. What label would you place on the characters of Darnell, Terry, Myrtle, and Brian? With his muscle mass, one would think Brian to be physically fit, yet his BMI reading might place him in the same category as Darnell. Weight loss clients and sisters, Terry and Myrtle share similar genes, yet one might label Terry overweight, while Myrtle could be considered big boned.
So, what is the defining line in the label debate? It is usually argued that a lack of energy balance most often causes overweight and obesity issues. Energy balance means that your energy IN equals your energy OUT. Energy IN is the amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks. Energy OUT is the amount of energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active. Becoming overweight or obese happens over time when you take in more calories than you use. Yet other causes play an effect in the overweight VS obesity label war:
An Inactive Lifestyle
Many Americans aren’t very physically active. Many people spend hours in front of TVs and computers doing work, schoolwork, and leisure activities. In fact, more than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time has been linked to overweight and obesity. Other reasons for not being active include: relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education classes in schools.
Environment
Our environment doesn’t support healthy lifestyle habits; in fact, it encourages obesity. Some reasons include:
• Lack of neighborhood sidewalks and safe places for recreation.
• Work schedules.
• Oversized food portions.
• Lack of access to healthy foods.
• Food advertising.
Genes and Family History
Studies of identical twins that have been raised apart show that genes have a strong influence on a person’s weight. The tendency to become overweight or obese can run in families. Your chances of being overweight are greater if one or both of your parents are overweight or obese. Your genes also may affect the amount of fat you store in your body and where on your body you carry the extra fat. Because families also share food and physical activity habits, a link exists between genes and the environment.
Health Conditions
Some hormone problems may cause weight gain and obesity, such as underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Underactive thyroid is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone. Lack of thyroid hormone will slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain. You’ll also feel tired and weak.
Medicines
Certain medicines may cause you to gain weight. These medicines include some corticosteroids, antidepressants, and seizure medicines. These medicines can slow the rate at which your body burns calories, increase your appetite, or cause your body to hold on to extra water.
Emotional Factors
Some people eat more than usual when they’re bored, angry, or stressed. Over time, overeating will lead to weight gain and may cause one to become overweight or obese.
Smoking
Some people gain weight when they stop smoking. One reason is that food often tastes and smells better after quitting smoking. Another reason is because nicotine raises the rate at which your body burns calories, so you burn fewer calories when you stop smoking; however, smoking is a serious health risk, and quitting is more important than possible weight gain.
Age
As you get older, you tend to lose muscle, especially if you’re less active. Muscle loss can slow down the rate at which your body burns calories. If you don’t reduce your calorie intake as you get older, you may gain weight. Midlife weight gain in women is mainly due to aging and lifestyle, but menopause also plays a role. Many women gain about 5 pounds during menopause and have more fat around the waist than they did before.
Lack of Sleep
Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity. For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well. People who sleep fewer hours also seem to prefer eating foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates, which can lead to overeating, weight gain, and obesity. Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry or full.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Using any combination of factors listed above, describe what groups are most likely to fall prey to becoming obese or overweight. (Think of Brian’s story from the play).
Do you see any one of these factors at play in your own life? How could the potentially affect your health, and what can you do to overcome the factors?
SOURCES:
CDC Overweight and obesity
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/index.html
What Causes Overweight and Obesity
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes.html