The Obesity Epidemic Prevention

It's not my opinion that obesity is an epidemic currently. No, it's a fact. For other epidemics such as the flu, we work to prevent the continuation of the outbreak. We encourage hand washing, staying home when sick, the vaccine, and consumption of an increased amount of fruits, vegetables, and water. For obesity, prevention is also key and their are tips. However, comparing obesity to the flu is not comparing apples to apples, but rather an apple to a cucumber. Different, but still in the same range.

Obesity prevention is complicated. One may suggest that it is simply eating whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy and avoiding fast-food. Others may say it is avoiding grains or dairy. Put very simply and vaguely it is balancing the intake of calories (food) and the output of calories (movement). Yet, other unique facets of the body make this formula complicated. Those wonderful hormones and genes can make weight management more difficult for some. Note I did not say impossible, but rather difficult.

How does this relate to the family? Yes, before I continue on a rant about obesity, let's tie it back to the goal. The biggest part of the prevention formula is one's background. This background includes genetics, environment, experiences- all of which affect one's consumption of glorious food. Let's break it down even further how do those three pieces (genetics, environment, and experiences) affect prevention?

Genetics. Predisposition. Heritage. Whichever word you want to use we are referring to the same thing. Whether you like it or not, some are just predisposed to becoming obese. Other factors still play with this, but regardless of what we do (besides starve ourselves) we will never be a stick. Fleshy stomachs or big-boned, or "birthin hips" I like to call them, will exist. This is probably the most frustrating part of weight loss. It is something that society needs to accept. Note, having the predisposition of being overweight does not give you the ok to eat whatever you want. Rather, it should give you the warning to be more careful of what you consume.

Environment. I think this has the most influence on your weight. This includes things such as I eat what my parents/friends eat, I was raised in a butter-loving, white bread, fried everything world, I don't cook- we order out, and so much more. We absorb what is around us. If everyone in the office is on a diet then you probably go on one too. If everyone eats out for lunch on the daily, then you do too. This sector is one that can be changed, yet it is often something that we fall into, sometimes for the best and other times for the worst of our health. It is difficult to realize how much power those around us have on us, but it is true. Being aware that this is an influence is crucial in prevention. It opens your eyes to your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings about weight, food, and movement.

Experiences. Did you grow up in a household where everyone ate together, where everyone was overweight, where you were served whole grains, where desserts were served at each meal? We have experiences no matter the age. If you experienced bullying as a child and then turn to emotional eating that has an effect on your weight. If you started playing soccer at age 3 and haven't missed a season then this movement has influenced you. This is similar to environment in that our actions affect our decisions, but in this sector it is not so much actions. Instead it is what we have seen that influence our own actions. This probably sounds confusing and maybe it only makes sense in my head. These experiences are often from our family. What we experienced as children has an impact on what we do later in life.

Obesity is a complicated problem. It is not as simple to prevent as people initially think. We can understand from these three factors how the family has an influence on weight and how it can be a positive or a negative influence depending on the genetics, environment and experiences.

#dietitian #ramblings #thefamily