Disease Analysis Paper
Introduction
For the Disease Analysis Paper assignment, I chose to explore on obesity. Obesity has been a common infection amongst children and adults in the United States, and it is proving to be fatal because it is killing many people and also draining the country economically. According to the Center for Disease Control, the prevalence of obesity infection among the Americans rose from 30.5 percent in 2017 to 42.4 percent in 2017, and similarly, the federal government spent around 344 billion US dollars (Lewinsohn et.al. 2017). The federal government has developed an initiative called Healthy People 2020, and amongst the objectives of the initiative is to reduce the proportion of obesity among children and adults. With the above statistics, it is explicit that obesity is a serious disease that needs urgent and collaborative efforts to prevent more severe consequences.
Prominent Aspects of Obesity
The prominent aspects of obesity include its causes and symptoms and consequences. Some of the causes of contributing factors to obesity include behavior. Behavioral factors that contribute to high cases of obesity include the consumption of foods and beverages with high calories and cholesterol, which increases fat content in the body. Cominato et.al. (2018), notes that high cholesterol in the body not only makes people obese, but it also increases their chances of contracting other diseases like stroke, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Another behavioral factor that contributes to obesity is the lack of physical exercise. When people become less active, their body weight tends to increase, and they do not use the energy produced by the food they consume. Consequently, fat levels in the body increase resulting in over-weight. Obesity may also lead to the death of the patient.
Current Data and Statistics
According to the Center for Disease Control- National Center for Health Statistics data brief, the prevalence of obesity infection in 2017-2018 was 42.4 percent (Lewinsohn et.al. 2017). The prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7 percent in 199-2000 to 9.2 percent through 2017-2018 (Lewinsohn et.al. 2017). The federal government spent around 344 billion US dollars in 2017-2018 in cases related to obesity disease. Lewinsohn et.al. (2017), states that 40 percent of young adults aged between 20 and 39 years were reported to be obese, middle-aged adults between 40 to 59 years had 44.8 percent cases of obesity while people aged 60 years and above had 42.8 percent infection. People with higher education had low chances of contradicting the disease as compared to those with low education.
Health Disparities Related to Obesity
Obesity leads to the onset of other infections in the body, some of which may be very lethal to the patient. The Center for Disease Control reported that obesity might give rise to other infections, which include diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases (Cominato et.al. 2018). Obesity may cause changes in body composition, and this alters the functioning of the heart and results in heart diseases like heart failure and coronary heart disease. Obesity increases fatty tissues in the body that hinders the free flow of blood and may cause blood veins to block and ultimately leads to stroke. Obese people have a high chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Prevention Strategies
Complementary and alternative medicines that can help prevent severe consequences of obesity include herbal supplements and acupuncture. Herbal supplements include; chromium picolinate which increases the metabolism of glucose in the body and also enhances insulin activity in the body, and Camellia Sinensis which increases the oxidation of fats in the body and fosters the nervous system resulting in increased utilization of energy in the body (Zhang et.al. 2017). Other prevention strategies include ensuring healthy diets that include more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, increased physical activities like attending a gym, games, and sports may reduce extra fats in the body.
Contemporary Research and Clinical Studies
Contemporary research and clinical studies related to obesity include research on how patterns in the diet result in the onset and treatment of the disease. Nutritionists and scientists are undertaking contemporary research and clinical studies to identify how engaging in physical exercise leads to maintaining the required body weight and enhances the overall health of a person. Studies are also underway to prove how the metabolism of macronutrients affects obese people (Cominato et.al. 2018). Additionally, scientists are on duty to determine how the weight of a pregnant woman may affect the health of the unborn infant. Finally, contemporary research is being conducted to identify how obesity is caused by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
An Analysis of the Pathophysiologic Effects of Stress-Related to Obesity
Human beings regularly experience stress, which has both mental and physical implications. According to Zhang et.al. (2017, individuals with high levels of stress hormone that extend for a longer time may become overweight. Consequently, their body mass index increases. Stressed people may engage in increased food intake to help them ease their situation, and this results in the consumption of foods with high-fat content. Because such people may not engage in any physical activity, the energy produced by the food consumption yields in the body, and they are likely to become overweight.
Evidence-based Stress Management Interventions That Might Help With Prevention or Cure of Obesity
Some of the evidence-based stress management interventions that might help with the prevention of obesity include progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and loosening of the muscles. Such activity helps in the distribution of fats in the body and thus reduces cases of becoming overweight. Another intervention is the autogenic training whereby the individual engages in a set of activities that stimulates the body, controls heartbeat, and breathing. Autogenic training has been found to be vital in minimizing cases of heart diseases and obesity. Additionally, diaphragmatic breathing may also reduce stress and obesity. Diaphragmatic breathing involves the expansion of the chest. Deep breathing results in increased consumption of energy in the body. As a result, fatty tissues in the body are broken down, and the chances of becoming obese minimized (Badimon et.al. 2017).
Conclusion
In conclusion, obesity is a disease that needs to be dealt with because its increasing cases are alarming. Obesity is caused by factors like consumption of foods with high-fat content and lack of physical exercise. Obesity can result in the onset of other infections like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease, and it can also cause death. However, obesity can be prevented through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, regular physical exercise, and complementary and alternative medicines.
References
Lewinsohn, D. M., Leonard, M. K., LoBue, P. A., Cohn, D. L., Daley, C. L., Desmond, E., … & O’Brien, R. J. (2017). Official American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clinical practice guidelines: diagnosis of tuberculosis in adults and children. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 64(2), e1-e33.
Cominato, L., Di Biagio, G. F., Lellis, D., Franco, R. R., Mancini, M. C., & de Melo, M. E. (2018). Obesity prevention: strategies and challenges in Latin America. Current obesity reports, 7(2), 97-104.
Zhang, R. Q., Tan, J., Li, F. Y., Ma, Y. H., Han, L. X., & Yang, X. L. (2017). Acupuncture for the treatment of obesity in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The postgraduate medical journal, 93(1106), 743-751.
Badimon, L., Bugiardini, R., Cenko, E., Cubedo, J., Dorobantu, M., Duncker, D. J., … & Vilahur, G. (2017). Position paper of the European Society of Cardiology–a working group of coronary pathophysiology and microcirculation: obesity and heart disease. European heart journal, 38(25), 1951-1958.
