Obesity: A Double Victory for Consumerism Obesity is a disease characterized by excessive body fat. An individual with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more is classified as obese. BMI is a number calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by his/her height in meters and squared. Obesity increases the likelihood of certain diseases and other health related complications that affects the heart, pancreas, nervous system, kidneys, reproductive system, and other parts of the body. The leading causes are intake of food that are high in saturated and trans fat and calories typically found in the ubiquitous fast and junk food, a sedentary lifestyle, genetics and other illnesses. Traditional agricultural societies lived in constant fear of hunger and starvation. Today, in the affluent world, the problem of obesity has reached epidemic proportions all over the world with US leading and India at the fifth position. The world’s population is spending excessive amounts of money on unhealthy diets like junk fast foods. Obesity is a double victory for consumerism as people indulge in overeating and then pay money to reduce weight, thereby contributing double to economic growth.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 07:26:38 +0000