Obesity is a growing issue facing today’s society. There are many reasons for this growing issue. This is due in part to genetics and diets. Obesity has taken its toll on every country across the globe in many ways. Obesity is a huge issue that varies in severity based on location. Each region may have different causes, but the end goal of defeating it is something they can all strive for. Within society, there are many solutions with the end goal of attacking obesity head-on to ultimately live a healthier lifestyle.
Sometimes, factors that go into obesity are unavoidable, such as genetic history. It’s hard enough to fight obesity, especially when you are fighting an uphill battle from day one. The genetic outlier is more common than you would imagine, as studies have shown that genetics contribute to 40-70 % of obesity cases as 50-sum genes have been linked to this cause. It’s a clear global problem, but focusing on each region’s troubles may help give more insight into this growing concern. Across the globe, inactivity has been a leading cause of obesity among regions. In a recent study conducted by Thomas, D. Q., Anderson, L. J., Tyler, M. N., Sherman, R. M., and Spring, J. (2018), investigating the extent of physical inactivity, along with the causative factors and common obstacles that go along with it, it was measured that almost ⅓ of adults are deemed to be inactive globally. It’s important to note that data doesn’t always represent all countries equally though. Each country has its own obstacles and factors that play a role in its charted inactivity. Common factors in each region included age, health, sex, socio-economic status, and urbanization. The distinction between each country was quite different and was noted in the study. The results came out from 15% in Southeast Asia to 43% in the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean region. The lowest percentages came from South-East Asia – 15%, and Africa – 21%. The demographic of women was also found to be less active than men, with differences of 10 percent in some regions. This was due to setbacks in certain regions where cultural and religious factors played a role in limiting any opportunity for activity. To no surprise, physical inactivity was recorded as the highest in countries with technological advancement. Consequently, countries that were found to have higher levels of physical activity also rely on human-powered transportation/physical labor more than the other countries. It’s a clear universal problem and a leading cause of non-communicable diseases worldwide.
This ongoing crisis may affect regions worldwide, but there are solutions that could help attack obesity head-on. One solution that was tested was the study of a weight management camp for youth battling with obesity that was conducted by Kist C. (2016). The purpose of the camp was to compare the physical activity levels of youth participants during a weight management camp that was designed for obese youth. The study used GENEActiv accelerometers during all camp activities for four full camp days. Each kid’s schedule was identical and the data collected was to measure each kid’s time spent in each of the following phases: sedentary (SED), light (LPA), moderate (MPA), and vigorous (VPA). It’s important to note that 70% of the compiled data was deemed usable for the study. Out of the 10 boys and 11 girls, the mean age was 11.6 with a difference of 1.2 years. “The mean BMI was 32.9 +/- 5.6 kg/m2. Over the 4 measured days, camp participants accumulated on average 2.2 +/- 1.4 hours of VPA, 21.1 +/- 2.9 hours of MPA, 8 ± 1.1 hours of LPA, and 28.5 +/- 3.9 hours of SED. Boys had more vigorous and moderate activity than girls VPA: 2.9 ± 1.5 vs. 1.6 ± 1 hours. The MPA was 22.1 ± 1.2 vs. 20.2 ± 1.2 hours, respectively. In addition, a higher BMI > 32.5 kg/m2 was associated with more SED time (r=.284). MPA was greater in the younger campers 9 to 11 years when compared to the older 12 to 13 years old campers having 22 ± 2.6 vs 20.4 ± 2.8 hours. SED time was also greater in older campers 12 to 13 years old rather than the younger 9 to 10 years old campers 28.7± 4.5 vs 27.7± 3.1 hours, respectively” (Kist, 2018). It was concluded that there was a large variation in participation levels between the campers, due to the difference in campers’ BMI, age, and gender, which play huge roles in determining how hard they participate.
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Another possible solution that is helping obese subjects maintain and battle their weight is activity monitors. These activity monitors have provided beneficial workout results and feedback to thousands of users, but with so many different monitors on the market, how can one best know which monitor is best for them? Thankfully for users and consumers alike, a study by Lee, J., Kim, Y and Welk, G.J. (2014) was recorded to determine the validity of 8 different types of monitors on the market today. Each participant wore one of the 8 different types of activity monitors while completing a 69-minute protocol. BodyMedia Fit armband worn on the left arm, DirectLife monitor worn on the neck, Fitbit One, the Fitbit Zip, and the ActiGraph worn on the belt, Jawbone Up, and Basis B1 Band monitor on the wrist. “Energy expenditure’s validity was evaluated in criterion values obtained from an Oxycon Mobile. The average absolute values of the group-level errors were 9.3, 10.1, 10.4, 12.2, 12.6, 12.8, 13.0, and 23.5 percent for the BodyMedia Fit, Fitbit Zip, Fitbit One, Jawbone Up, ActiGraph, DirectLife, NikeFuel Band, and Basis B1 Band. Equivalence testing results showed the estimates from the BodyMedia Fit, Fitbit Zip, and NikeFuel Band were each within the 10 percent equivalence zone around the estimate of indirect calorimetry” (Lee, Kim, Welk, 2014). It was concluded that the indicators favored the BodyMedia Fit armband, but the Fitbit armband had shown promising findings as well. Hopefully, this study helps someone who is looking into possible fitness monitors narrow their results for max performance in any desired workout plan they have envisioned for themselves.
Regardless of your genetic or cultural background, there are always steps that you can take to push you in a better direction toward your desired goal. Sometimes the most common solutions work best. Knowing your body and the specific challenges you face and need improvement on, is a great start. Once you know what method you are going to take to help you attack your obesity, it’s all up to your determination. This all begins with doing cardio in the gym; this can consist of running on the treadmill, elliptical, stair stepper, or bike. When in the gym, it isn't just as simple as running or riding a bike. You must push yourself to the limit of exhaustion to see results. A target heart rate range for someone exercising for weight loss would roughly be 65 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. “To calculate the maximum heart rate, a male would subtract their age from 220, while a female would subtract their age from 226. An example of this would be, for a twenty-five-year-old male 220-25=195. His estimated max heart rate is 195 beats per minute” (Black, 2018). Going to the gym is just a step to take to reach a solution to live a healthier lifestyle. While going to the gym, it is important to watch what you eat and when you do. To lose weight, it is essential to cut out fatty foods and foods with a lot of carbohydrates as it adds fat. Usually, it is a good habit to eat dinner before 8:30 pm. Doing this allows the food to digest in the stomach, so it doesn't sit while sleeping. Eating a healthy lifestyle is the main thing to help lose weight. It says that to lose weight it's 80% diet and 20% gym. Along with going to the gym and eating healthy, it is important to drink a lot of water. Water will flush the system of all toxins that could add to weight gain.
Obesity is a clear issue facing the world we live in today, not just in the society around us, but across the whole globe. No matter how obesity impacts an individual, whether it be from genetics, cultural influences and/or diets, or lack of exercise and activity, it’s important to note the existence of this problem and take the initiative in changing the narrative. From having a workout plan in place and knowing how to approach it based on activity monitors, to knowing how your cultural influences impact your weight and changing your diet and everyday routine around. There are many ways to help fight back against obesity, and hopefully, with some newfound insight, anyone out there wanting to make a change will have the right tools in place to do so.
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