The physiological consequences and health risks of excess body weight
Description of Concrete Experience
I may not be overweight, but I have lived and interacted with people with excess body weight. My mum is one of the closest people to me who are overweight. Even though she is my role model, I would not wish to suffer from her condition. It is because of the many problems I see her undergo due to being overweight. She currently suffers from diabetes and hypertension, conditions that put her life at risk at all times.
In that case, she needs the support of all members of our family regarding medication and the type of food that she takes. I must say that we have spent quite a huge sum of money on her medical bills as we try to seek the best healthcare services for her conditions. From my mother’s condition, I have realized that being overweight is a problem on its own. I normally see her having difficulty in walking, sweating too much, or getting extremely tired after a little activity. Indeed, excess body weight comes about with physiological and health risks that make life uncomfortable.
Reflections
Excess body weight is equitable to any other body disorder or condition. When one suffers from excess body weight, he or she is prone to several health risks and physiological consequences. Some of the common health problems that could persist in an individual with excess body weight include diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart illness, and cancer on rare occasions. Diabetes could occur because of excess blood sugar in the body produced after burning out of fats. Hypertension is because of excess accumulation of fat around the heart thus preventing it from beating rhythmically as expected. Coronary heart illness is caused by clogging of blood vessels by fat leading to their infection or rapture.
With all or some of the aforementioned health problems, a person with excess body weight is bound to have a shorter life expectancy than those of normal weight. In addition to this, an individual with excess body weight is prone to physiological and cerebral conditions, which end up leading to therapeutic disorders such as high blood cholesterol and diabetes mellitus type 2. All the aforementioned conditions come about due to poor uptake of food by body systems. Every time I see an overweight individual, they are either breathing too hard, sweating, or having difficulty in walking. This is an indication that excess body weight is not a privilege but rather a serious health problem.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
Excess body weight, otherwise known as obesity is a health state that comes about due to the accumulation of surplus fat in the body. When this fat accumulates, it poses unfavorable health effects on the individual. Excess body weight is caused by poor dietary habits, genetic factors, and low physical activity, among other factors. Cases of overweight have been rampant in the recent past, being experienced all over the globe. It has been an issue of concern for nutritionists and health care providers.
It is therefore important that we watch what we eat to prevent and minimize cases of excess body weight given their health risks. Before we prepare our meals, we should be able to determine the number of calories that we are about to put into our bodies and regulate them. At the same time, those that have already gained excess weight could take necessary measures to lose some of the weight and get back to the normal weight by the body mass index. As such, we must ensure that we guide and help such people since they are part of us.
Testing and Application
For one to be rendered obese, his or her body mass index (BMI) is determined in addition to fat analysis using the waist-hip quotient. If the BMI is greater than 25, then the person is rendered overweight. In the case of my mum, she had a BMI of 29.5, which made her fit in the class of people with excess body weight. However, she is not alone, as cases of excess body weight are increasing at an alarming rate.
This can be affirmed by the fact that as we walk in the streets we meet people with excess body weight. Most of these people are our friends, family members, and colleagues found in places such as schools, homes, workplaces, churches, on the bus, and trains just to mention a few.
An analysis of weight current nutritional theories and recommendations for maintaining a healthy weight
Description of Concrete Experience
Upon realizing her condition, my mother has been working hard to maintain a healthy weight. I have been doing a lot of research regarding nutritional theories and facts on people with excess body weight so that I can be of help to her. Much has been said regarding people with excess body weights. However, it is only when we have a first-hand encounter with people with such conditions that we get a better understanding of them. Most of the time I spend much of my time preparing fruit and vegetable salads for my mother as this is the ideal diet for people in the process of maintaining healthy body weight. I also help her in physical activity within the home compound to burn excess fat. I must say that it is extremely hard for her in most cases because she gets exhausted quickly.
Reflections
I have therefore learned that excess body weight is less a disease and needs proper care without which, the patient could be at risk. Despite the many theories that have been said regarding people with excess body weight, it is our duty as friends, relatives, and colleagues of such people to help them recover and live a normal life. We could do this by offering financial support to buy the required foods most of which could be expensive for them to afford. Helping them with physical activity and preparation of their documented diet is also important.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
The first idea that comes into our minds upon seeing an obese person is that they love or like eating too much. Most often than not, this is not normally the case because we have seen people starving in a bid to lose weight but they instead gain even more weight. Therefore, what could be the nutritional theory behind excess body weight, and how can it be dealt with? As I have indicated earlier in the paper, excess body weight is caused by various factors such as poor dietary habits, genetic factors, and low physical activity, among others.
We have seen people from families with the obese gene such that no matter how hard they diet, they still gain excess body weight, making them obese. If that is the case, such individuals are advised to seek medical attention in addition to being put on a strict diet menu and a lot of physical activity. This helps burn out excessive fats from the body while at the same time regulating the amount of sugar intake in the form of starch or carbohydrates.
Testing and Application
The nutritional advice was given to my mum by the nutritionist on a healthy diet and physical activity worked miracles in helping her cut much of the excess weight. After several weeks of physical activity and a low-calorie diet, my mother’s weight has drastically reduced from 95kg to 86kg. This indicates that the aforementioned weight reduction measures are efficient.
A review of psychosocial principles in weight management
Description of Concrete Experience
I have seen my mother being psychologically affected by her condition. For instance, her dressing style has significantly changed because most of the clothes she wore in her 30s are now too small to fit her. In addition to this, despite the changing fashion trends, she is not able to go with the trend because she says her excess body weight has made her lose her shape. In addition to this, mum also has problems with being outdoors and prefers staying within the compound much of the time. This is not because she does not have friends, but she has resorted to becoming antisocial after the excess body weight gain.
It is normally difficult for us to pursue her to accompany us even for a church service. According to mum, her body shape is not appealing because of the excess body weight gained. As such, she thinks that people will laugh at her in the streets or even in social gatherings. I must say that after gaining excess weight, mum was forced to resign from her job as a tertiary schoolteacher because of students who giggled every time she walked past them. However, much has changed since then after several counseling sessions that made mum accept her condition and learn how to manage it.
Reflections
I have realized that the only way to overcome problems is by accepting them and making the effort of dealing with them. Indeed, excess body weight comes with psychosocial problems that could undermine the self-esteem of the affected person. Nevertheless, I have noticed that being disciplined is the only way that one can successfully manage excess body weight.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
Excess body weight is a significant risk factor for conditions and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary diseases just to mention a few. Weight management is therefore mandatory for people with excess body weight to prevent them from suffering from the aforementioned weight-related diseases. Weight management is done through dietary and behavioral approaches that require an individual to be self-disciplined.
One of the basic principles of weight management is the high activity of the patient. This could involve waking up in the morning and going for a walk or jogging in the streets, something that requires a lot of courage and discipline. Diet watching is another principle applied in weight management whereby an individual strictly follows an approved diet. This again requires self-discipline to resist temptations because you may not be watched all the time, and most of the time one is alone.
Testing and Application
I can confidently attest that self-discipline is the key determinant of weight management in an overweight individual. I have seen my mum follow her approved diet to the latter as well as keeping time on her physical activity sessions. This has in turn yielded fruits given the fact that she has managed to lose over 10kgs within a period of a few weeks.
The physiologic influence of and recommendations for aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance training in weight management
Description of Concrete Experience
Physical activity is a key factor in the weight management program. However, it comes with its difficulties especially for people not used to the activities. When my mum does the physical activities, she at times has difficulty in breathing or even collapses. When this happens, she becomes adamant to go on with the physical activities and may take a long time before resuming. Such kind of resistance is common in people undergoing the weight management program because of their heavy bodies. Nevertheless, my mum tries to overcome this resistance because she is aware of the harm that excess body weight could have on her health.
Reflections
Fact that physical activity is a cumbersome experience, there is bound to be resistance from most people, especially those with excess body weight. It is highly recommended that the goals of weight management be individualized and each victim is advised on the impact that it could have on their health. Improving their health status is the most important goal in weight management, which all overweight individuals would wish to maintain.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
It is normally thought that weight management is about losing weight only. This is not the case because weight management essentially entails all aspects that help an individual attain and maintain an optimum weight to live a healthy lifestyle. It is because of this that physical activity is incorporated as one of the ways of maintaining a balance between the energy components.
Testing and Application
Weight management through aerobic and anaerobic training has been tested and applied all over the globe. I have witnessed contests for people with excess body weight organized by various organizations. These contests last about eight to twelve weeks, and the individual that loses the most weight is awarded. In addition to this, companies organize sports weeks in which all employees are involved in physical activities thus taking a break from their routine of sitting in the office the whole day. All these are a soft way of helping people manage their weight.
The advantages and disadvantages of the various methods for determining healthy weight
Description of Concrete Experience
Before my mum realized she was overweight, her weight was tremendously increasing, and since she was comfortable, she assumed all was normal. It was not until she went for a health check-up that revealed her excess body weight gain that she realized that her life was at risk. The health care provider checked her weight and height and used these figures to calculate her BMI, which was 29.5, making her fall in the class of the overweight. Her body pressure was also checked and found to be very high, thus, diagnosed with hypertension.
Reflections
From my mother’s experience, I realized that going for health check-ups is important for everybody that wants to live a healthy lifestyle. Were it not for the check-up maybe my mum would have collapsed one day in the house because of hypertension making her die. In that case, we would not have known the exact cause of her death and would have instead blamed it on heart failure while the root of the problem was excess body weight. Since then, I regularly have my BMI and body pressure checked by the healthcare provider every month. I must say that these are not the only methods of determining healthy weight, but they are the most commonly used and affordable methods.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
BMI is a commonly used method in the determination of healthy weight. It is normally preferred because of its cost-effectiveness as the only requirements are the individual’s weight and height. However, this method has been disputed on medical grounds because it assumes that lean mass and the adipose tissue are evenly distributed. For instance, on the calculation of their BMI athletes are normally found to be underweight, which could not be the actual case.
Therefore other methods of healthy weight determination are used which include ultra-sound, waist-to-hip circumference ratios, skinfold thickness, and waist circumference among others. The latter is, however, not commonly used because of their complexity and high cost. These make them not affordable by most people in society.
Testing and Application
Regardless of the method used, the essence is to determine whether one has a healthy body weight. The methods may not be of the same efficacy but they indicate whether an individual is overweight or of normal weight. Since all the methods are approved, it indicates that they were tested and seen that they could give the status of an individual regarding their weight. As such, I recommend all the discussed methods because even the disputed BMI was able to indicate that my mum was overweight.
The hazards of various fat weight loss diets
Description of Concrete Experience
After being declared overweight by the healthcare provider my mum was advised to see a nutritionist who advised her on her condition and later gave her a strict diet to follow. My mum’s diet was made up of foods that have low calories but are highly nutritious. The fast weight loss diet is comprised of high amounts of vegetables, fruits, and fluids. I could see my mum drink lots of water and fresh juices. A slice of lemon would not miss in her cup of tea or glass of water. The lemon was meant to help in fat degradation. Although this is essential, I feel that the lime juice could have other detrimental effects on the body among them causing ulcer wounds in the stomach.
Reflections
From the list of foods that my mum was given to lose fat from the body, I could tell that some of the foods had a negative influence on the body if taken for a long time. After a diagnosis of the excess body weight condition, nutritionists and healthcare providers emphasize weight loss without looking at the effects that could arise in the process. For instance, an overweight person could completely avoid high calorific foods such as starches and carbohydrates without realizing that the body still needs these nutrients for proper growth.
Generalizations, Principles, & Theories
People with excess body weight should revise their menu. In this case, the menu of such people will contain foods with high levels of vitamins such as fruits and vegetables, with medium levels of proteins and low levels of carbohydrates. This is because the carbohydrate class of foods is high calorific thus, depositing excess fats in the body and should therefore be taken in minimum quantities to maintain normal body weight. However, since the body requires all nutrients in defined amounts, regulation of certain foods must be standardized to avoid deficiency of toxicity, which is hazardous.
Testing and Application
Changing the diet of people with excess body weight is a significant step towards the management of their weight. When my mum changed her diet to the one advised by the nutritionist, her weight was manageable. However, my mum did not stop taking starches such as cassava and potatoes but instead regulated their intake. It may true that one cannot die because of lack of one nutrient but lack of a single nutrient can lead to serious health conditions. For instance, deficiency in vitamin C causes scurvy while deficiency of proteins causes kwashiorkor, among many other examples.