cause and effect essay obesity

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Obesity: causes, consequences, treatments, and challenges

Obesity has become a global epidemic and is one of today’s most public health problems worldwide. Obesity poses a major risk for a variety of serious diseases including diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer ( Bluher, 2019 ).

Obesity is mainly caused by imbalanced energy intake and expenditure due to a sedentary lifestyle coupled with overnutrition. Excess nutrients are stored in adipose tissue (AT) in the form of triglycerides, which will be utilized as nutrients by other tissues through lipolysis under nutrient deficit conditions. There are two major types of AT, white AT (WAT) and brown AT, the latter is a specialized form of fat depot that participates in non-shivering thermogenesis through lipid oxidation-mediated heat generation. While WAT has been historically considered merely an energy reservoir, this fat depot is now well known to function as an endocrine organ that produces and secretes various hormones, cytokines, and metabolites (termed as adipokines) to control systemic energy balance. Studies over the past decade also show that WAT, especially subcutaneous WAT, could undergo ‘beiging’ remodeling in response to environmental or hormonal perturbation. In the first paper of this special issue, Cheong and Xu (2021) systematically review the recent progress on the factors, pathways, and mechanisms that regulate the intercellular and inter-organ crosstalks in the beiging of WAT. A critical but still not fully addressed issue in the adipose research field is the origin of the beige cells. Although beige adipocytes are known to have distinct cellular origins from brown and while adipocytes, it remains unclear on whether the cells are from pre-existing mature white adipocytes through a transdifferentiation process or from de novo differentiation of precursor cells. AT is a heterogeneous tissue composed of not only adipocytes but also nonadipocyte cell populations, including fibroblasts, as well as endothelial, blood, stromal, and adipocyte precursor cells ( Ruan, 2020 ). The authors examined evidence to show that heterogeneity contributes to different browning capacities among fat depots and even within the same depot. The local microenvironment in WAT, which is dynamically and coordinately controlled by inputs from the heterogeneous cell types, plays a critical role in the beige adipogenesis process. The authors also examined key regulators of the AT microenvironment, including vascularization, the sympathetic nerve system, immune cells, peptide hormones, exosomes, and gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Given that increasing beige fat function enhances energy expenditure and consequently reduces body weight gain, identification and characterization of novel regulators and understanding their mechanisms of action in the beiging process has a therapeutic potential to combat obesity and its associated diseases. However, as noticed by the authors, most of the current pre-clinical research on ‘beiging’ are done in rodent models, which may not represent the exact phenomenon in humans ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ). Thus, further investigations will be needed to translate the findings from bench to clinic.

While both social–environmental factors and genetic preposition have been recognized to play important roles in obesity epidemic, Gao et al. (2021) present evidence showing that epigenetic changes may be a key factor to explain interindividual differences in obesity. The authors examined data on the function of DNA methylation in regulating the expression of key genes involved in metabolism. They also summarize the roles of histone modifications as well as various RNAs such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs in regulating metabolic gene expression in metabolic organs in response to environmental cues. Lastly, the authors discuss the effect of lifestyle modification and therapeutic agents on epigenetic regulation of energy homeostasis. Understanding the mechanisms by which lifestyles such as diet and exercise modulate the expression and function of epigenetic factors in metabolism should be essential for developing novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic diseases.

A major consequence of obesity is type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when body cannot use and produce insulin effectively. Diabetes profoundly and adversely affects the vasculature, leading to various cardiovascular-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, arteriosclerotic, and microvascular diseases, which have been recognized as the most common causes of death in people with diabetes ( Cho et al., 2018 ). Love et al. (2021) systematically review the roles and regulation of endothelial insulin resistance in diabetes complications, focusing mainly on vascular dysfunction. The authors review the vasoprotective functions and the mechanisms of action of endothelial insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling pathways. They also examined the contribution and impart of endothelial insulin resistance to diabetes complications from both biochemical and physiological perspectives and evaluated the beneficial roles of many of the medications currently used for T2D treatment in vascular management, including metformin, thiazolidinediones, glucagon-like receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors, as well as exercise. The authors present evidence to suggest that sex differences and racial/ethnic disparities contribute significantly to vascular dysfunction in the setting of diabetes. Lastly, the authors raise a number of very important questions with regard to the role and connection of endothelial insulin resistance to metabolic dysfunction in other major metabolic organs/tissues and suggest several insightful directions in this area for future investigation.

Following on from the theme of obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction, Xia et al. (2021) review the latest progresses on the role of membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a zinc-dependent endopeptidase that proteolytically cleaves extracellular matrix components and non-matrix proteins, in lipid metabolism. The authors examined data on the transcriptional and post-translational modification regulation of MT1-MMP gene expression and function. They also present evidence showing that the functions of MT1-MMP in lipid metabolism are cell specific as it may either promote or suppress inflammation and atherosclerosis depending on its presence in distinct cells. MT1-MMP appears to exert a complex role in obesity for that the molecule delays the progression of early obesity but exacerbates obesity at the advanced stage. Because inhibition of MT1-MMP can potentially lower the circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cancer metastasis and atherosclerosis, the protein has been viewed as a very promising therapeutic target. However, challenges remain in developing MT1-MMP-based therapies due to the tissue-specific roles of MT1-MMP and the lack of specific inhibitors for this molecule. Further investigations are needed to address these questions and to develop MT1-MMP-based therapeutic interventions.

Lastly, Huang et al. (2021) present new findings on a critical role of puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA), an integral non-transmembrane enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of amino acids near the N-terminus of polypeptides, in NAFLD. NAFLD, ranging from simple nonalcoholic fatty liver to the more aggressive subtype nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, has now become the leading chronic liver disease worldwide ( Loomba et al., 2021 ). At present, no effective drugs are available for NAFLD management in the clinic mainly due to the lack of a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease progress, reinforcing the urgent need to identify and validate novel targets and to elucidate their mechanisms of action in NAFLD development and pathogenesis. Huang et al. (2021) found that PSA expression levels were greatly reduced in the livers of obese mouse models and that the decreased PSA expression correlated with the progression of NAFLD in humans. They also found that PSA levels were negatively correlated with triglyceride accumulation in cultured hepatocytes and in the liver of ob/ob mice. Moreover, PSA suppresses steatosis by promoting lipogenesis and attenuating fatty acid β-oxidation in hepatocytes and protects oxidative stress and lipid overload in the liver by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, the master regulator of antioxidant response. These studies identify PSA as a pivotal regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and suggest that PSA may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for treating NAFLD.

In summary, papers in this issue review our current knowledge on the causes, consequences, and interventions of obesity and its associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, NAFLD, and cardiovascular disease ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ; Gao et al., 2021 ; Love et al., 2021 ). Potential targets for the treatment of dyslipidemia and NAFLD are also discussed, as exemplified by MT1-MMP and PSA ( Huang et al., 2021 ; Xia et al., 2021 ). It is noted that despite enormous effect, few pharmacological interventions are currently available in the clinic to effectively treat obesity. In addition, while enhancing energy expenditure by browning/beiging of WAT has been demonstrated as a promising alternative approach to alleviate obesity in rodent models, it remains to be determined on whether such WAT reprogramming is effective in combating obesity in humans ( Cheong and Xu, 2021 ). Better understanding the mechanisms by which obesity induces various medical consequences and identification and characterization of novel anti-obesity secreted factors/soluble molecules would be helpful for developing effective therapeutic treatments for obesity and its associated medical complications.

• Bluher M. (2019). Obesity: global epidemiology and pathogenesis . Nat. Rev. Endocrinol . 15 , 288–298. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cheong L.Y., Xu A. (2021). Intercellular and inter-organ crosstalk in browning of white adipose tissue: molecular mechanism and therapeutic complications . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 466–479. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cho N.H., Shaw J.E., Karuranga S., et al. (2018). IDF Diabetes Atlas: global estimates of diabetes prevalence for 2017 and projections for 2045 . Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract . 138 , 271–281. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Gao W., Liu J.-L., Lu X., et al. (2021). Epigenetic regulation of energy metabolism in obesity . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 480–499. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Huang B., Xiong X., Zhang L., et al. (2021). PSA controls hepatic lipid metabolism by regulating the NRF2 signaling pathway . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 527–539. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Loomba R., Friedman S.L., Shulman G.I. (2021). Mechanisms and disease consequences of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease . Cell 184 , 2537–2564. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Love K.M., Barrett E.J., Malin S.K., et al. (2021). Diabetes pathogenesis and management: the endothelium comes of age . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 500–512. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ruan H.-B. (2020). Developmental and functional heterogeneity of thermogenic adipose tissue . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 12 , 775–784. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Xia X.-D., Alabi A., Wang M., et al. (2021). Membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), lipid metabolism, and therapeutic implications . J. Mol. Cell Biol . 13 , 513–526. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

Obesity in America: Cause and Effect Essay Sample

It is clear that the American lifestyle has contributed to the increasing prevalence of obesity. With estimates from the Washington-based Centers for Disease Prevention in the Department of Health and Human Services indicating that one in three American adults is overweight, it is evident that the country is facing an obesity epidemic. To better understand the causes and effects of obesity, research is needed to further explore the issue. For those struggling with obesity, coursework assistance may be available to help them make the necessary lifestyle changes in order to live a healthier life.

Writing a thesis paper on the topic of obesity can be extremely challenging. It requires extensive research and time to adequately cover the subject. However, there are services available that can provide assistance with the writing process. Pay for a thesis allows for the benefit of having an experienced professional provide guidance and support throughout the entire process.

Causes of Obesity

Every phenomenon must have a reason. In order to write a cause and effect essay , you need to analyze the topic carefully to cover all aspects. Obesity is considered to be a complex illness, with a number of factors contributing to its development. These can be:

• hereditary;

As you may have guessed, it is the latter category of causes and effects that we are interested in. At this point, we care about the five ones that have made the biggest contribution.

Product Range

The main cause of obesity is junk food and an unbalanced diet rich in simple carbohydrates, fats, and sugars, plus a bunch of additives. Manufactured, processed, refined, and packaged meals are the most popular. Thanks to advances in technology, Americans have come to mass-produce meals that keep fresh longer and taste better. It takes less time to prepare unhealthy, processed foods in the microwave than it does to cook them yourself.

Lack of a work-life balance, high-stress levels, insufficient sleeping hours contribute to body weight gain. Not only do these factors contribute to this, but failing to take the time to do your homework can also have a negative impact on your physical health. Without a healthy, balanced approach to work, rest, and play, you may find yourself increasingly dependent on a sedentary lifestyle that can lead to overweight consequences. Many Americans work 50, 60, or more hours a week and suffer from a deficit of leisure hours. Cooking processed foods saves them hours and money, even though they end up costing them a lot more – by causing cardiovascular disease. In addition, obese people feel stressed on a regular basis in the United States metropolitan areas. Many of them are simply binge eating under the influence of negative emotions. Chronic overeating leads to a disturbance in the appetite center in the brain, and the normal amount of food eaten can no longer suppress hunger as much as necessary, affecting the body mass.

Food Deserts

The term ‘ food desert ‘ refers to poor areas (urban, suburban and rural) with limited access to fresh fruit, grains, and vegetables – places where it is much easier to access junk food. A grocery shop in a food desert that sells healthy foods may be 10-15 miles away, while a mini-market or cheap shop that sells harmful snacks is close to the house. In such a world, it takes much more effort to eat healthier, form eating habits, and stay slim.

Everyone’s Passion for Sweets

Consuming sweets in large quantities is addictive: the more and easier we give the body energy, the more the brain uses serotonin and dopamine to encourage it – it will make obese people want sweets again and again during the day. Cakes and pastries are fast carbohydrates that easily satisfy hunger and increase body mass. Despite the harm of sweets, obese people experience the need for them to satiate. Sweetened carbonated drinks are one of the main sources of sugar in the American diet. Moreover, some individuals may be more adversely affected by such diets than others: patients with a genetic predisposition to obesity gain body mass faster from sugary drinks than those without it. This leads to childhood obesity.

The Harm of Tolerance

Every year, the body positive movement is becoming more and more popular all over the world. It would seem that this major trend should have freed us from the problems associated with the cult of thinness and society’s notorious standards. In many ways, a positive attitude towards the body has proved fruitful. For example, the notion of beauty has clearly broadened. Now on fashion shows and magazine covers, you can see not only a girl with perfectly retouched skin and without a single hint of body fat but also an ordinary person with its inherent features: overweight, wrinkles, hair, and individual skin features. In general, all the things that we are all so familiar with in real life.

Does it really make that much sense? Is this a positive thing in terms of the cause and effect topic regarding obesity? In short, opinions are divided. Extremes aren’t easy to overcome. Not everyone manages to do it. Researchers have concluded that due to plus size having become positioned as a variant of the norm, more persons have become obese. Many obese Americans have formed the opinion that it is really quite normal, and they have become oblivious to the damage it does to their health. This is what we are going to focus on next.

Effects of Obesity

We all know that obesity is dangerous to health. However, medical studies show that most adults are unaware of the number of complications and diseases that obesity in America entails. So they are fairly comfortable with becoming gradually fatter. But indifference is replaced by concern when obesity related diseases begin to occur.

For interesting examples of students writing that also reveal the causes and effects of other phenomena, consult the custom essay service offering essays by professionals. In this way, you will realize the importance of highlighting the effects right after the causes.

Is obesity an aesthetic disadvantage, an inconvenience, a limitation in physical activity or is it an illness after all? How does it affect health, and what are the consequences? The visible signs of obesity are by no means the only complication associated with this condition. Obesity creates a high risk of life-threatening diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart attack, myocardial infarction, and kidney and liver problems. Moreover, it can also lead to disability.

Cardiovascular Disease

This is the most serious and damaging impact on the body and blood vessels in particular. Every extra kilo is a huge additional load on the heart. Obesity increases the risk of heart attacks. Experts from the American Heart Association have developed a paper on the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease, which discusses the impact of obesity on the diagnosis and outcomes of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Childhood obesity aggravates the course of cardiovascular disease from a very early age. The fact that even kids and adolescents are obese is associated with high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia.

The result is excessive insulin production in the body. This, in turn, leads to an overabundance of insulin in the blood, which makes the peripheral tissues more resistant to it. As a consequence of the above, sodium metabolism is disturbed, and blood pressure rises. It is important to remember that excessive carbohydrate food intake leads to increased production of insulin by the pancreas. Excess insulin in the human body easily converts glucose into fat. And obesity reduces tissue sensitivity to insulin itself. This kind of vicious circle leads to type 2 diabetes.

Effects on Joints

Obesity increases the load on joints to a great extent, especially if one undergoes little or no physical activity. For instance, if one lives in a megalopolis, where all physical activity consists of getting off the sofa, walking to the car, and plumping up in an office chair at work. All this leads to a reduction in muscle mass, which is already weak, and all the load falls on the joints and ligaments.

The result is arthritis, arthrosis, and osteochondrosis. Consequently, a seemingly illogical situation is formed – there is practically no exercise, but joints are worn out harder than in the case of powerlifters. In turn, according to a study by the University of California, reducing body weight reduces the risk of osteoarthritis.

Infertility

In most cases, being obese leads to endocrine infertility, as it causes an irregular menstrual cycle. Women experience thyroid disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, problems with conception, and decreased progesterone hormone. Obese men are faced with erectile dysfunction, reduced testosterone levels, and infertility. It should be noted that the mother’s obesity affects not only her health but also the one of her unborn child. These children are at higher risk of congenital malformations.

Corresponding Inconveniences

Public consciousness is still far from the notion that obese people are sick individuals. The social significance of the issue is that people who are severely obese find it difficult to get a job. They experience discriminatory restrictions on promotion, daily living disadvantages, restrictions on mobility, clothing choices, discomfort with adequate hygiene, and sexual dysfunction. Some of these individuals not only suffer from illness and limited mobility but also have low self-esteem, depression, and other psychological problems due to involuntary isolation by watching television or playing video games. Therefore, the public has to recognize the need to establish and implement national and childhood obesity epidemic prevention programs.

Society today provokes unintentional adult and childhood obesity among its members by encouraging the consumption of high-fat, high-calorie foods and, at the same time, by technological advances, promoting sedentary lifestyles like spending time watching television or playing video games. These social and technological factors have contributed to the rise in obesity in recent decades. Developing a responsible attitude towards health will only have a full impact if people are given the opportunity to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. At the level of the community as a whole, it is therefore important to support people in adhering to dieting recommendations through the continued implementation of evidence-based and demographic-based policies to make regular physical activity and good nutrition both affordable and feasible for all. It is recommended to cut down on the food consumed.

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The Causes and Effects of Obesity

Introduction.

Today, obesity is one of the most common diseases in many countries. Obesity is not so dangerous but leads to several complications and causes many life-threatening diseases. Currently, many ways to treat and prevent obesity often do not require medication intervention but only a human lifestyle change. Nevertheless, more and more research is needed to encourage more people to make these necessary changes for their health. Hence, the study, diagnosis, and prevention of obesity are one of the highest priorities in modern medicine.

Causes of obesity

There are two large groups of causes of obesity. Blucher (2019) writes that most of the cases of obesity worldwide are related to improper lifestyle, and only a minor one has a connection with a person’s hormonal background or genetic predisposition. Starting with the first and more prominent group of causes of the development of this disease, it is worth noting improper diet and lack of sufficient physical activity. It is also worth noting that in the study of the causes of obesity, prevention means the ways to avoid the reasons that create this illness.

Improper nutrition

Even in the scientific community, there is a great deal of debate about the definition of good nutrition. Still, several universal tips can serve as a prevention of obesity. Safaei (2021), for example, highlights eating the optimal daily caloric intake for one’s body type, avoiding junk foods, which often include convenience foods and fast food, eating small meals frequently during the day, etc. All these recommendations are directly related to the causes of obesity, which in its essence is related to the receipt of the body more calories than it has time to use up. Despite their caloric content, fast food, sugary drinks, and other unhealthy foods cause the body to feel poorly satiated with food, are poorly digested, and lead to a person consuming more calories than they need.

A passive lifestyle

It’s no secret that modern man is spending more and more of his time at the computer or in front of the phone screen. The availability of cars, the development of electronics, and other global trends have made the lifestyle of the modern man more passive, which hurts his figure. In addition to learning how to get the right calories, the body needs to consume them correctly. Otherwise, the muscle tissue begins to participate poorly in processing fat. Low physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle, which can be due to his professional duties and a way of spending ordinary leisure time, lead to the fact that a person’s body begins to deposit fatty accumulations, which leads to obesity. Unfortunately, modern man is often forced to spend most of his life in a sedentary position, and the lack of time and ideas of careerism lead to the fact that people eat fast and affordable food instead of healthy, forgetting about their health.

Internal factors of obesity

Meldrum (2017) writes about another critical group of reasons why people can be obese a set of failures in the internal organs and systems of the person. It includes various endocrine diseases, brain tumors, the influence of hormonal drugs, or genetic heredity associated with a lack of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of fats. All of these causes are less common and require medical attention to address the cause of the problem. In this case, obesity is instead a symptom of other diseases, which in any case can lead to the development of other pathologies in the body. Incidentally, there are also psychological reasons for the development of obesity associated with stress, long-term depression, insomnia, and other psychological diseases that affect the hormonal background of the person, and consequently on the work of his digestion, feelings of satisfaction with food, etc.

Effects of obesity

Obesity is a factor that increases the risk of many other internal human diseases. The World Health Organization, in a 2020 report, warns that obesity causes respiratory and heart failure, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and arthritis and can lead to the development of diabetes and some cancers. Blucher (2019) also wrote that obesity is a multifactorial disease, the essence of which refers not only to excess weight but also to changes in the functioning of all internal organs of a person. It is also noted that excess weight has a detrimental effect on the bones and joints, forced to be overloaded constantly, which can lead to diseases characteristic of the older part of society.

Causes of atherosclerosis development

In addition to the problem of obesity itself and the consequences it causes, several comorbidities also lead to severe complications. For example, obesity is almost always accompanied by high cholesterol levels in a person’s blood, significant accumulations that block blood circulation, narrowing, and sometimes even clogging an artery. It is just one of the principles obesity influences the development of other diseases, often leading to a patient’s premature death.

The relationship between obesity and diabetes

Diabetes is another example of the development of a chronic disease caused by excess weight. Of course, not all overweight people get diabetes, but the disease is several times more common in those who are obese. It is because obese people have increased insulin secretion, leading to higher blood glucose levels. Thus, obesity can lead to the development of a chronic disease that requires a change in a person’s entire lifestyle.

Difficulties arising from obesity

Finally, being overweight creates difficulties in a person’s life. People who are obese are susceptible to more rapid exhaustion and have difficulty performing physical activities. Increased shortness of breath, fatigue, and many other symptoms of obesity also make the person uncomfortable in everyday life. The exact consequences of obesity can include problems with sexual activity in men because excess weight interferes with the average production of the male hormone testosterone. Thus, in addition to increasing the chance of developing other diseases, obesity can interfere with a person’s daily life and negatively affect their reproductive function and hormonal background.

Thus, poor diet and inactivity are the main, but not the only, causes of obesity in humans. Several genetic, hormonal, and psychological diseases can cause this, but the underlying cause must be treated first. Obesity is a considerable danger to human civilization, as it leads to several severe diseases of many human internal organs, which significantly reduces the average life expectancy of a person due to the accumulation of problems with age and their increasing danger. A wealth of literature on avoiding obesity often boils down to maintaining an active lifestyle and eating a proper diet. It could reduce the burden on the already ecologically weakened human body, reduce the risk of many serious diseases, and prolong life.

Blucher, M. (2019). Obesity: global epidemiology and pathogenesis. Nature Reviews Endocrinology , 15 (5), 288-298.

Meldrum, D. R., Morris, M. A., & Gambone, J. C. (2017). Obesity pandemic: causes, consequences, and solutions—but do we have the will?. Fertility and sterility , 107 (4), 833-839

Safaei, M., Sundararajan, E. A., Driss, M., Boulila, W., & Shapi’i, A. (2021). A systematic literature review on obesity: Understanding the causes & consequences of obesity and reviewing various machine learning approaches used to predict obesity. Computers in biology and medicine , 136 , 104754.

World Health Organization. (2020). Overweight and obesity.

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Obesity Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

Obesity Essay: A Complete Guide and Topics

By: Nova A.

11 min read

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Aug 31, 2021

Are you assigned to write an essay about obesity? The first step is to define obesity.

The obesity epidemic is a major issue facing our country right now. It's complicated- it could be genetic or due to your environment, but either way, there are ways that you can fix it!

Learn all about what causes weight gain and get tips on how you can get healthy again.

On this Page

What is Obesity

What is obesity? Obesity and BMI (body mass index) are both tools of measurement that are used by doctors to assess body fat according to the height, age, and gender of a person. If the BMI is between 25 to 29.9, that means the person has excess weight and body fat.

If the BMI exceeds 30, that means the person is obese. Obesity is a condition that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions like metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and even some types of cancer.

Obesity Definition

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as an accumulation of abnormal and excess body fat that comes with several risk factors. It is measured by the body mass index BMI, body weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of a person’s height (in meters).

Obesity in America

Obesity is on the verge of becoming an epidemic as 1 in every 3 Americans can be categorized as overweight and obese. Currently, America is an obese country, and it continues to get worse.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Causes of obesity

Do you see any obese or overweight people around you?

You likely do.

This is because fast-food chains are becoming more and more common, people are less active, and fruits and vegetables are more expensive than processed foods, thus making them less available to the majority of society. These are the primary causes of obesity.

Obesity is a disease that affects all age groups, including children and elderly people.

Now that you are familiar with the topic of obesity, writing an essay won’t be that difficult for you.

How to Write an Obesity Essay

The format of an obesity essay is similar to writing any other essay. If you need help regarding how to write an obesity essay, it is the same as writing any other essay.

Obesity Essay Introduction

The trick is to start your essay with an interesting and catchy sentence. This will help attract the reader's attention and motivate them to read further. You don’t want to lose the reader’s interest in the beginning and leave a bad impression, especially if the reader is your teacher.

A hook sentence is usually used to open the introductory paragraph of an essay in order to make it interesting. When writing an essay on obesity, the hook sentence can be in the form of an interesting fact or statistic.

Head on to this detailed article on hook examples to get a better idea.

Once you have hooked the reader, the next step is to provide them with relevant background information about the topic. Don’t give away too much at this stage or bombard them with excess information that the reader ends up getting bored with. Only share information that is necessary for the reader to understand your topic.

Next, write a strong thesis statement at the end of your essay, be sure that your thesis identifies the purpose of your essay in a clear and concise manner. Also, keep in mind that the thesis statement should be easy to justify as the body of your essay will revolve around it.

Body Paragraphs

The details related to your topic are to be included in the body paragraphs of your essay. You can use statistics, facts, and figures related to obesity to reinforce your thesis throughout your essay.

If you are writing a cause-and-effect obesity essay, you can mention different causes of obesity and how it can affect a person’s overall health. The number of body paragraphs can increase depending on the parameters of the assignment as set forth by your instructor.

Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that is the crux of its content. It is necessary to write an engaging topic sentence as it helps grab the reader’s interest. Check out this detailed blog on writing a topic sentence to further understand it.

End your essay with a conclusion by restating your research and tying it to your thesis statement. You can also propose possible solutions to control obesity in your conclusion. Make sure that your conclusion is short yet powerful.

Obesity Essay Examples

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Childhood Obesity Essay (PDF)

Obesity in America Essay (PDF)

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Obesity Argumentative Essay (PDF)

Obesity Essay Topics

Choosing a topic might seem an overwhelming task as you may have many ideas for your assignment. Brainstorm different ideas and narrow them down to one, quality topic.

If you need some examples to help you with your essay topic related to obesity, dive into this article and choose from the list of obesity essay topics.

Childhood Obesity

As mentioned earlier, obesity can affect any age group, including children. Obesity can cause several future health problems as children age.

Here are a few topics you can choose from and discuss for your childhood obesity essay:

• What are the causes of increasing obesity in children?
• Obese parents may be at risk for having children with obesity.
• What is the ratio of obesity between adults and children?
• What are the possible treatments for obese children?
• Are there any social programs that can help children with combating obesity?
• Has technology boosted the rate of obesity in children?
• Are children spending more time on gadgets instead of playing outside?
• Schools should encourage regular exercises and sports for children.
• How can sports and other physical activities protect children from becoming obese?
• Can childhood abuse be a cause of obesity among children?
• What is the relationship between neglect in childhood and obesity in adulthood?
• Does obesity have any effect on the psychological condition and well-being of a child?
• Are electronic medical records effective in diagnosing obesity among children?
• Obesity can affect the academic performance of your child.
• Do you believe that children who are raised by a single parent can be vulnerable to obesity?
• You can promote interesting exercises to encourage children.
• What is the main cause of obesity, and why is it increasing with every passing day?
• Schools and colleges should work harder to develop methodologies to decrease childhood obesity.
• The government should not allow schools and colleges to include sweet or fatty snacks as a part of their lunch.
• If a mother is obese, can it affect the health of the child?
• Children who gain weight frequently can develop chronic diseases.

Obesity Argumentative Essay Topics

Do you want to write an argumentative essay on the topic of obesity?

The following list can help you with that!

Here are some examples you can choose from for your argumentative essay about obesity:

• Can vegetables and fruits decrease the chances of obesity?
• Should you go for surgery to overcome obesity?
• Are there any harmful side effects?
• Can obesity be related to the mental condition of an individual?
• Are parents responsible for controlling obesity in childhood?
• What are the most effective measures to prevent the increase in the obesity rate?
• Why is the obesity rate increasing in the United States?
• Can the lifestyle of a person be a cause of obesity?
• Does the economic situation of a country affect the obesity rate?
• How is obesity considered an international health issue?
• Can technology and gadgets affect obesity rates?
• What can be the possible reasons for obesity in a school?
• How can we address the issue of obesity?
• Is obesity a chronic disease?
• Is obesity a major cause of heart attacks?
• Are the junk food chains causing an increase in obesity?
• Do nutritional programs help in reducing the obesity rate?
• How can the right type of diet help with obesity?
• Why should we encourage sports activities in schools and colleges?
• Can obesity affect a person’s behavior?

Health Related Topics for Research Paper

If you are writing a research paper, you can explain the cause and effect of obesity.

Here are a few topics that link to the cause and effects of obesity.Review the literature of previous articles related to obesity. Describe the ideas presented in the previous papers.

• Can family history cause obesity in future generations?
• Can we predict obesity through genetic testing?
• What is the cause of the increasing obesity rate?
• Do you think the increase in fast-food restaurants is a cause of the rising obesity rate?
• Is the ratio of obese women greater than obese men?
• Why are women more prone to be obese as compared to men?
• Stress can be a cause of obesity. Mention the reasons how mental health can be related to physical health.
• Is urban life a cause of the increasing obesity rate?
• People from cities are prone to be obese as compared to people from the countryside.
• How obesity affects the life expectancy of people? What are possible solutions to decrease the obesity rate?
• Do family eating habits affect or trigger obesity?
• How do eating habits affect the health of an individual?
• How can obesity affect the future of a child?
• Obese children are more prone to get bullied in high school and college.
• Why should schools encourage more sports and exercise for children?

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Topics for Essay on Obesity as a Problem

Do you think a rise in obesity rate can affect the economy of a country?

Here are some topics for your assistance regarding your economics related obesity essay.

• Does socioeconomic status affect the possibility of obesity in an individual?
• Analyze the film and write a review on “Fed Up” – an obesity epidemic.
• Share your reviews on the movie “The Weight of The Nation.”
• Should we increase the prices of fast food and decrease the prices of fruits and vegetables to decrease obesity?
• Do you think healthy food prices can be a cause of obesity?
• Describe what measures other countries have taken in order to control obesity?
• The government should play an important role in controlling obesity. What precautions should they take?
• Do you think obesity can be one of the reasons children get bullied?
• Do obese people experience any sort of discrimination or inappropriate behavior due to their weight?
• Are there any legal protections for people who suffer from discrimination due to their weight?
• Which communities have a higher percentage of obesity in the United States?
• Discuss the side effects of the fast-food industry and their advertisements on children.
• Describe how the increasing obesity rate has affected the economic condition of the United States.
• What is the current percentage of obesity all over the world? Is the obesity rate increasing with every passing day?
• Why is the obesity rate higher in the United States as compared to other countries?
• Do Asians have a greater percentage of obese people as compared to Europe?
• Does the cultural difference affect the eating habits of an individual?
• Obesity and body shaming.
• Why is a skinny body considered to be ideal? Is it an effective way to reduce the obesity rate?

Obesity Solution Essay Topics

With all the developments in medicine and technology, we still don’t have exact measures to treat obesity.

Here are some insights you can discuss in your essay:

• How do obese people suffer from metabolic complications?
• Describe the fat distribution in obese people.
• Is type 2 diabetes related to obesity?
• Are obese people more prone to suffer from diabetes in the future?
• How are cardiac diseases related to obesity?
• Can obesity affect a woman’s childbearing time phase?
• Describe the digestive diseases related to obesity.
• Obesity may be genetic.
• Obesity can cause a higher risk of suffering a heart attack.
• What are the causes of obesity? What health problems can be caused if an individual suffers from obesity?
• What are the side effects of surgery to overcome obesity?
• Which drugs are effective when it comes to the treatment of obesity?
• Is there a difference between being obese and overweight?
• Can obesity affect the sociological perspective of an individual?
• Explain how an obesity treatment works.
• How can the government help people to lose weight and improve public health?

Writing an essay is a challenging yet rewarding task. All you need is to be organized and clear when it comes to academic writing.

• Choose a topic you would like to write on.
• Organize your thoughts.
• Pen down your ideas.
• Compose a perfect essay that will help you ace your subject.
• Proofread and revise your paper.

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470 Obesity Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Looking for obesity essay topics? Being a serious problem, obesity is definitely worth writing about.

IELTS Causes and Effects Essay: Obesity in Children

This causes and effects model essay is about  obesity in children.

You specifically have to talk about the  causes  (reasons) of the increase in overweight children, and explain the  effects  (results) of this.

Here is the question:

The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by almost 20% in the last ten years.

Discuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend.

Thinking about Coherence & Cohesion

This particular essay is organized as follows:

• Body 1: Causes
• Body 2: Effects

Of course it is also possible to have a 3 body paragraph essay. For example

However, remember not to write too little on one part.

For example, if you wrote one very short paragraph about 'causes' with little support and most of your essay on 'effects', you may then be seen to have not fully answered both parts of the question.

Another possible way of organizing it is to put each cause and its effect within a separate paragraph:

• Body 1: Cause 1 - Effect
• Body 2: Cause 2 - Effect

If you do this though, each particular cause must relate to that specific effect.

Example Child Obesity Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Causes and Effects Essay - Model Answer

Over the last ten years, western societies have seen close to a 20% rise in the number of children who are overweight. This essay will discuss some reasons why this has occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.

The main cause of this problem is poor diet. Over the last decade there has been a prolific increase in the number of fast food restaurants. For example, on nearly every high street there is a MacDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. The food in these places has been proven to be very unhealthy, and much of the advertising is targeted at children, thus ensuring that they constitute the bulk of the customers of these establishments. However, it is not only due to eating out, but also the type of diet many children have at home. A lot of food consumed is processed food, especially with regards to ready-made meals which are a quick and easy option for parents who are working hard.

The effects of this have been and will continue to be very serious. Firstly, there has been a large increase in health related diseases amongst children, especially diabetes. This debilitating illness means a child has to be injected with insulin for the rest of their life. Not only this, very overweight children often experience bullying from other children, which may affect their mental health. The negative stigma of being overweight may also affect self-esteem.

To sum up, it is evident that there are several causes of obesity amongst children, and a variety of negative effects. Society must ensure steps are taken to prevent this problem from deteriorating further.

(275 words)

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• Academic practice
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• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

How to write cause/effect essays in IELTS?

Cause and effect essay questions in IELTS Writing task 2 give you a problem and ask you to state the main causes of this problem and discuss its possible effects .

In this lesson you will see:

• how to generate ideas for causes and effects
• band 9 answer structure for causes/effects essay
• cause/effect model essay

This is an example of cause/effect IELTS writing task 2 question:

Today more people are overweight than ever before.

What in your opinion are the primary causes of this?

What are the main effects of this epidemic?

Generating ideas

After you’ve read the question, you can clearly determine the problem: growing number of overweight people .

But before you start to write your essay, it’s a good idea to think of 2-3 causes and 2-3 possible effects of the problem.

Causes of obesity :

• inactive lifestyle (relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work, inactive leisure activities)
• unhealthy eating habits (eating fast-food, drinking high-calorie beverages, consuming large portions of food, eating irregularly)

Effects of obesity :

• physical health problems
• loss of productivity
• depressions and mental disorders

Now, after we’ve generated the main ideas for causes and effects, it’s time to use these ideas in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure

As you know, there are many ways to structure your essay, but we’ll use a structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent .

Band-9 essay structure :

Introduction

Body paragraph 1 - causes

Body paragraph 2 - effects

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly growing.

This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.

Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight.

Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity.

First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases.

Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

For the conclusion you need simply to restate the problem and sum up the causes and effects that you described in your body paragraphs:

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

Model essay

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly increasing. This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight. Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity. First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases. Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

(251 words)

Home / Essay Samples / Education / Research / The Causes And Effects Of Obesity

The Causes And Effects Of Obesity

• Category: Food , Health , Education
• Topic: Junk Food , Obesity , Research

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