Posted on January 8, 2008 in Latest News
Environment plays an important role to increase obesity that is affecting the entire mankind into a large scale. By taking a little care, we can easily prevent some of the environmental factors that cause obesity. To find more go through.
The vicious tentacles of obesity are extending day by day. There are different factors responsible for obesity. The important two are genetics and environment. Genes do not destine people to a lifetime of obesity, however. Environment strongly influences obesity. Most obesity research scientists agree that the rising numbers of obese people is partially a result of major environmental changes that have occurred during the past few decades.This changes include lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and his or her level of physical activity.
Environmental Factors that Cause Obesity
In view of the sudden rise in weight levels - which is a worldwide trend as reflected in the new word “globosity” - environmental factors must be the prime cause of modern obesity. Refer to the following points to see how the environment we live in affects our physical activity and nutrition.
- People need to have lively pastime. Instead they have become used to with sedentary pastime. Video games, TV, movies are today’s pastimes of choice. In fact, children spend more time in front of a screen than they do in school or playground. Televisions, computers, and video games make being sedentary much easier than ever before.
- The trend of eating fast food is increasing day by day. People are eating out at fast food restaurants more often, so they have less control over how much fat, sugar, and salt is in their food. Fast food restaurants also encourage super-sizing of meals, adding unnecessary calories.
- People are not interested in walking because driving is often the easiest option. This habit does not only harm the people but it takes its toll on environment by causing environmental pollution.
- Things like computers, escalators, cell phones, and several kinds of washers reduce the need for physical activity.
- There is a common belief that physical activity is limited to sports or health club exercise. This idea may prevent people from becoming more active because of the cost of health clubs and the skills associated with sports. Some physically active hobbies also have a cost to them, like skiing, biking, and golfing, which may leave people feeling like they have limited options for activity.
- Unhealthy foods and drinks are aggressively advertised and sold to adults and children. Fast food and junk food advertisers purposely target children whom they know have increasing purchasing power.
Approach to Obesity Prevention
We live in what has been called an obesogenic environment. This can be defined as the sum of influences (including our surroundings, opportunities, or conditions of life) which promote obesity in individuals and populations.
Although it’s very tough to make a healthy habit in the environment we live in. But, if we can consider our health as an important factor then we can easily take some initiatives to make it better. Here are few measures that you can take for a healthy life.
- Always choose nutritious meals instead of fast foods.
- Replace refined foods with whole foods. Avoid packed food. Always try to have fresh foods.
- Increase consumption of fibrous foods like fruit and vegetables.
- Try to become more physically active. Avoid using private vehicles for each and every purpose.
- Try to indulge yourself in different kinds of sports instead of sitting in front of computer, television and other electronic gadgets.
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