In the controversial documentary, “Super Size Me”, the film director, Morgan Spurlock demonstrates the risks of consuming fast foods over a month’s time. For many, the documentary is memorable for the amount of weight Spurlock gains, in such a short time span, in order to prove a point to society about the dangers of the foods we consume. Besides weight, Spurlock’s blood pressure and cholesterol rise, and his nutritionist warns him of what might happen if he continues on with this path, such as cardiac rest. Yet, many look at the documentary in disgust for what he is putting into his body, but in reality many of us participate in these habits monthly, if not weekly. Spurlock brought attention to some of the problems that can occur with unhealthy eating, yet, many have not changed their eating habits after being shown the risks. Even after dealing with obesity related diseases, such as Type II Diabetes and heart problems, many people neglect the fact that they need to loose weight, eat healthier, and exercise. However, the debate has now become whether or not it is the person’s fault for the weight gain or if there is an actual predisposition, along with other factors, that contribute to the difficulty of losing weight and staying healthy.
In a country as well developed as the United States, there are many diseases and illnesses that are fairly under control. However, the United States is notorious for its obesity problem and in fact has the greatest obesity rate in the world. When a person is obese they have a higher risk of having gallstones, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, coronary artery disease (CAD), a stroke, and sleep apnea. With obesity increasing exponentially, much research is being done to look for preventative measures to help stop this epidemic. However, we live in an economy that believes in the fast pace way of life, which means, we take more tasks on than fits into a regular day, we skip sleep to complete these tasks, and grab quick, unhealthy meals so that our hunger does not slow us down. Corporations and businesses have adjusted to this lifestyle by creating simple and fast meals, but in order to do so, have compromised nutritional value. As a result, our fast pace lifestyles may actually be contributing to our own health problems.
It is typical for the average adult American to be sleep deprived, overstressed, and have bad eating habits. Sleep deprivation has been suggested as a possible link to the increase in obesity in our society. As we try to utilize every last minute of the day, we are draining our body’s resources. When we get into these bad sleep habits, our body begins to make less of a protein called Leptin that controls our hunger and tells us when to stop eating. This hormone is created in the adipose cells, fat cells, of our bodies. When leptin is released from these cells, it sends a signal to the brain telling us that we aren’t hungry anymore by inhibiting a signaling molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY). When leptin is down regulated in sleep-deprived people, it can lead to overeating and eventually obesity. Lack of sleep also begins to up-regulate Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”. This hormone gives us the “hungry” signal that we associate with an empty stomach. When we are sleep-deprived we are also more likely to grab a caffeinated beverage that many times contains high amounts of sugar, we are less likely to want to exercise, and as we increase the number of hours we are awake each day we are likely to eat more.
Studies have shown that women who get 5 or less hours of sleep each night are more likely to be obese and children who lose an hour or more of sleep at night are 50% more likely to have problems with weight later on in life. These studies have also shown that mother’s who consume high fat diets while pregnant are more likely to have children who have a higher concentration of NPY. This increase in NPY causes more leptin to be needed to tell us that we are not hungry, which can lead to overeating and obesity. Besides sleep and eating habits, stress can make it hard for us to lose weight. When we are stressed from things such as work and kids, we tend to become “emotional eaters”. This extra caloric intake can lead to higher levels of NPY making it hard to control our hunger.
The question now becomes whether a predisposition to these high fat foods and the typical American lifestyle leads to obesity or if it is something that is learned throughout life? Is the prevention of obesity all about will power? It is hard to say what came first the chicken, the egg, or obesity, but one thing is clear, helping to reduce the number of obese people in the United States could potentially save the economy billions of dollars in health costs each year. With research underway to find the links with obesity and to define whether or not it is a brain disorder, there is hope for a better future for America’s people. I think one thing is clear, the faster we stop what is considered this “preventable” disease known as obesity, the faster we can begin focusing on diseases affecting societies worldwide, such as Ebola, Malaria, and malnutrition. By preventing our overconsumption, perhaps we can help those who don’t have the resources, such as food, to survive.
References:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-health-risks-of-obesity
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=4b900df9-b736-49e5-bf60-f1d6d820ab13%40sessionmgr198&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=92905302
The Chicken, Egg, or Obesity?
