The History of Obesity in America essays

The History of Obesity in America essays Obesity is a multilayered and complex disease that has affected millions throughout the world. Scientists have struggled to find successful treatments to alleviate the problem. Obesity is a relatively new problem, as this global disaster was not a prevalent issue or a public health concern until the mid-20th century. The widespread obesity around the world came about so swiftly and profoundly that the only way it can be explained is that it must be an ecological, social, and cultural issue rather than an evolutionary occurrence. The specific causes for why there was a sudden increase in obesity have not yet been established; however, the underlying causes for obesity-excessive eating and lack of exercise- have always been known. [1] The obesity pandemic is indeed a new occurrence, but obesity has been a part of many societies since prehistoric times. Societal perception has shifted dramatically in the past century from the belief that obesity was primarily a cosmetic issue to an understanding that obesity is a medical and physiological issue. Despite public health efforts to educate and influence society, the obesity rate increased enormously due to factors leading to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and deleterious dietary changes. Obesity can be dated back to over 20,000 years and the meaning behind obesity and societal perception changes frequently. Sometimes, overweight people were viewed in a positive light and sometimes they were viewed in a more pejorative fashion. For the majority of history, there was not usually an abundance of food and when someone was corpulent, they had survival advantages. During the renaissance period, fat people were perceived to be high class and affluent. On the contrary, studies of royal Egyptian mummies suggest that there were middle class fat and stout people; however, at this time, obesity was regard as objectionable and offensive. In An...