The Obesity Project

BY: Kenny Herrera, Jaime Muiz, Miranda Castrellon

What Is Obesity?
-excess body fat that can lead to serious health conditions such as: - type 2 diabetes - heart diseases - certain types of cancer - Obesity Rates: - 35% of adults are obese - 17% of children are obese.

Causes For Obesity

- Genes/ Culture
- Environment - Stress

Genes/Culture
- The obesity rates in the US is 29% caucasian, 34% for hispanics and 40% for African Americans. - Food is often used as a centerpiece of social affairs in the west. -" We are obligated to attend social functions such as dinner parties, featuring sumptuous meals"

Genes/ Culture
-genetics and culture factors increase a persons chance of being obese -previous studies have suggested that adult body mass index is 55 percent to 85 percent heritable -Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic cause. Because families tend to share many of the same lifestyle choices it is difficult to link someones obesity directly to genetics.

Genes/ Culture - Obesity tends to run in families. - Obesity can be passed down through genes of because families tend to make the same lifestyle choices. - your obesity rate can depend on your culture/genes

Environment
- People make decisions based on their environment and community. - We are living more inactive lifestyle. The use of cars and public transport over walking and cycling is increasing. - Worksites often provide easy access to unhealthy foods such as vending machines. - Fast food restaurants are more likely to be located in schools, work sites, etc

Environment
-Persistent trends in overweight and obesity have resulted in a rapid research effort focused on built environment, physical activity, and overweight. -Families influence children's dietary choices and risk of obesity in a number of ways, and children develop food preferences at home that can last well into adulthood.

Environment
- In the US the food environment makes it very hard to choose to eat healthy. - Convenience stores and other stores selling unhealthy snacks are most likely located in poor neighborhoods or near schools. - Employees working longer hours have higher obesity rates.

Stress
- When stressed you eat food that makes you feel good that is necessarily not the healthiest. - Eating food that will make you obese. - '' Very Often when people are stressed they eat inappropriately" Taub- Dix says " that causes even more stress. You wind up causing even more stress, You wind up causing exactly what you're trying to alleviate."

Stress
- When stressed people don't make wise decisions on what they eat, this is known as emotional eating. -The Compulsion to eat inordinate amounts of food after experiencing something traumatizing. -stress eating,comfort food, selfsoothing.

Stress
-Many factors drive kids to eat for comfort. - "When we feel bad, some of us turn to things that make us feel good, and food is intrinsically rewarding. It becomes habitual unhealthy links in a behavioral chain." - Kids are stressed more than ever thus the obesity rates rising.

Work Cited
Michael. "Stress: A Major Cause of Obesity." : The Low Density Lifestyle. N.p., 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lowdensitylifestyle.com/stress-a-major-cause-ofobesity/> -Golodner, Lynne M. "Childhood Obesity: How Emotions and Stress Weigh In." Childhood Obesity: How Emotions and Stress Weigh In. N.p., Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.metroparent.com/Metro-Parent/December-2011/Childhood-Obesity-HowEmotions-and-Stress-Weigh-In/>. -Uncknown, Unknown. "The Obesity Prevention Source." Harvard School of Public Health. N.p., unknown. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-preventionsource/obesity-causes/food-environment-and-obesity/>. - Unknown, Unknown. "Risk Factors and Causes of Obesity, Weight Control, Weight Loss, Strategies for Weight Loss, Dieting, Holisticonline.com." Risk Factors and Causes of
-Wayne,

Obesity, Weight Control, Weight Loss, Strategies for Weight Loss, Dieting, Holisticonline.com. N.p., unknown. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.holistic-

online.com/remedies/weight/weight_risk-factors-and-causes-of-obesity.htm>.

Work Cited
-Thompson, Dennis. "The Link Between Stress and Obesity." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 04 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <cc>. -Unknown, Unknown. "The Causes of Obesity - Genes, Behaviour and the Environment." : Cancer Research UK. N.p., unknown. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerinfo/healthyliving/obesityandweight/whatcausesobesity/the-causes-ofobesity-genes-behaviour-and-the-environment>. -Brownell, Kelly D. "Culture Matters in the Obesity Debate." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 21 Sept. 2007. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.latimes.com/la-op-dustup21sep21,0,2918815.story>. -Unknown, Unknown. "Factors Contributing to Obesity." Factors Contributing to Obesity. Unknown, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://ww2.krem.com/Global/story.asp?S=2009937>.

Work Cited
-Unknown, Unknown. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 May 1998. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9603719>. -Unknown, Unknown. "Causes of Obesity." Causes of Obesity. Unknown, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thefirststepbeginshere.com/Obesity/Ca usesofObesity.aspx>