Synthesis Essay about Weight Loss Issues
Introduction
Weight is a contemporary issue that has gained popularity among many communities in the world. Being a highly discussed issue, it has become a global problem and many people are brainstorming on strategies of losing weight. People, especially, women are concerned with their body image rather than being healthy. Heated debates have been witnessed on whether thin or fat people are healthy. This paper is determined to answer this question and further establish why many people especially women are interested in losing weight. The paper will also determine whether losing weight is healthy.
Get a Price Quote
Who is healthy between fat and thin people?
The above question has been awarded a lot of attention from the media to individuals at home. The idea that being slim is healthy and being fat is unhealthy has been widely accepted. In addition to the information making rounds in media stations and internet, people have believed that excess weight is not good for their health. The repetitive information has made individuals think that being overweight and being unhealthy is one and the same thing. This fact is not true since it is possible for a fat person to be healthy and a thin person to be unhealthy. According to health at every size, overweight people may have a lower risk of dying prematurely than thin people. As highlighted by Susan in her article on globalization of eating disorders, people are mainly concerned with body image other that health indicators. It is, therefore, evident that any person can be healthy or unhealthy despite their size. Health can only be measured through its indicators such as cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Obese individuals are encouraged to keep fit through proper exercise that keeps their rate of metabolism at acceptable levels despite being overweight. When this is done appropriately, the risk of dying from complications such as heart-related diseases is mitigated. Thus, the issue of whether an individual is fat or not may not determine their health.
Why do people want to lose weight – especially women?
People have various reasons for desiring to lose their weight, for example, achieving their admired weight and body image and health issues. Some people may even take the interest in weight loss program because of a talk they had with a friend. Listed below are some of the major reasons why people especially women lose weight.
Being healthy
As mentioned earlier, many people are bomb cast with the idea that thin or slim people are healthy. Besides this idea, most individuals access health messages from the internet and books explaining how losing weight is important in preventing some illnesses. In addition to this, nutritional advice dictates that one should strive to maintain their normal weight or rather be within normal range in reference to the BMI. According to the health messages, being overweight may increase the chances of acquiring lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Men and women with a large waist circumference are at risk of getting all this illnesses since that is an indicator of high cholesterol level. Because of all these reasons and facts, many people especially women want to cut down on weight to achieve a healthier lifestyle. People with the motivation to achieve good results within a short time participate in sports while some change their eating habits.
Biology behind weight and babies
Motherly instincts may force a woman to do anything for the sake of their babies. According to research, being overweight may increase the chances of infertility. Being infertile is the scariest thing to any woman and, therefore, wanting to maintain the ideal weight is a goal for many. Many overweight women have received advice from doctors to nutritionists on the need for them to cut down on weight because of the problems that they are likely to experience during pregnancy or even childbirth. It is believed that overweight women are likely to suffer from gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that may prolong even after pregnancy if not managed well. The mother’s weight is also likely to affect the baby, for example, the baby is a risk of being overweight and battling with diabetes later in life. Besides the said effects, excessive weight may lead to hormonal imbalances in women leading to several endocrine illnesses.
Living long
Living a long life that is healthy provides a motivation for many individuals to lose some weight. Physical well-being has a significant implication on the social life of a human being because these two factors are interconnected. It is the joy of a parent to see their children grow from birth to a level where their kids own families. Being able to play with the kids without getting fatigued, taking care of old parents and being able to work for the basic needs is a dream every person would want to achieve. Since the general idea of living a disease-free life is having the correct weight, many individuals strive to lose weight so as to live a healthy life. Therefore, the desire to live long acts as a motivating factor towards involvement in weight lose activities. Studies opine that severe cases of obesity reduces life expectancy much more compared to other complications brought about by habits such as smoking. Therefore, the desire to live a long life would prompt an individual to lose weight.
Building self-esteem
Most women and girls experience self-esteem issues because of being fat. Even though the traditional women were believed to be beautiful because of their curves and flesh, the modern women believe slim is beautiful. The modern cultures and body image have portrayed the ideal woman as a slim woman who can manage their weight. Because of excess weight, women lose their self-esteem and self-confidence affecting their performance in work and school. In addition to the problems that they experience, they are also unable to maintain good relationships with people at work and at home. Losing some weight may help build their self-esteem and self-confidence thereby helping them to maintain healthier relationships with their spouses and work mates. Therefore, in order to feel valued and respected in a society, some people would reduce on weight, especially where obesity is associated with laziness and lack of better health.
Is losing weight healthy?
When choosing ways of losing weight, it is quite advisable to choose healthy methods of doing it. There are several ways that can accelerate weight loss, but many of them are unhealthy. According to nutritional advice, it is advisable to lose one pound or two in a week. Losing weight gradually enables the body to adjust to the changes that are happening whereas rapid weight loss may cause the body’s organs to collapse. Desperate methods of losing weight may also cause health problems to an individual, for instance, indulging in excessive exercise, starving, and participating in weird diet programs. For an individual to lose weight, they must use up more calories than they take in. It is essential to choose a weight loss method that works for them, and they should adhere to it strictly. Many health benefits are attributed to losing weight. As discussed earlier, people are likely to live a disease-free life, gain self-confidence, and have healthier relationships. It is, therefore, evident that it is healthy to lose some weight and maintain a normal BMI. Besides the said benefits, individuals are likely to acquire an acceptable body image in the current society. However, it is worth noting that weigh losing should be done appropriately and under the guidance of relevant medical practitioners.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that weight loss is an issue that affects a large population of people around the globe. Discussions of whether thin or fat people are healthy have caused people to engage in dangerous weight loss programs to achieve the said body image. In the article of globalization for eating disorders, the author explains clearly how culture, media, and body image have affected the society. It is also worth noting that people are more concerned with weight loss other than the health indicators that are used to measure health. Experts, therefore, advise individuals to take health indicators more seriously than body image since each and every size can either be healthy or unhealthy. Even though experts discourage the idea of being obsessed with weight loss, research has revealed some of the benefits associated with the process. It is, however, quite normal to get desperate when trying to lose weight, but it is essential to remain calm and choose healthy methods. Some methods may cause more harm than good to an individual since they pose health risks and may even cause death. For instance, it is quite important to ensure that before indulging in intense exercise, one should see a doctor for approval. It is also important to see a nutritionist when dieting rather than accepting any form of diets prescribed by family members and friends. In addition to all the ideas about losing weight, it is also important to remember that it is healthy to maintain ideal weight so long as the methods used are safe and healthy.
Note:
You can use this free essay sample only to get more writing ideas and inspiration.
We kindly remind you that it cannot be copied and used for your own purposes, otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism.