The Direct Relationship between Obesity, Self-Image and Bulimia
ABSTRACT

I researched obesity, self-image, and bulimia because it has become a controversial issue. It is a controversial issue because as it increases, so does health problems. I began my research with the intention of discussing only obesity. Then I was curious of what the effects of obesity are, self-image. I found out that self- image issues can begin as early as childhood. Then I was curious as to what the effects of self-image are, eating disorders. My thoughts changed about how I was going to approach my topic because as I was researching obesity I realized that obesity is affecting the life of teens. Two influential sources that greatly enhanced my paper were the books Wellness: Optimal Health and Longevity by James R. Brown and When the Mirror Lies by Tamra B. Orr. They each provided adequate information that enhanced my paper. They enhanced my paper because it contained information that I was even unaware of.

Kasprzyk 1
Does any of this sound familiar? “I’m too tall.” “I’m too short.” “I’m too skinny.” “If only I was shorter/taller/had curly hair/straight hair/a smaller nose/longer legs, I’d be happy.” Are you putting yourself down? If so, you’re not alone. As a teen, you’re going through a lot of changes in your body. As your body changes, so does your image of yourself. It’s not always easy to like every part of your looks, but when you get stuck on the negatives it can really bring down your self-esteem. Have you ever made fun of someone because of their weight? Have you ever laughed at someone’s clothing size? The next time you think about making fun of someone because of their weight, you should understand what obesity is. You should also understand how, in some cases, it is a disease that the person cannot control. It causes multiple psychological effects that are damaging to the person’s self-image.
This is a picture with the categories of weight. I included this picture so people were aware of how they stood when it comes to weight. http://guidetochildhooddiseases.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/obesity-table.gif
This is a picture with the categories of weight. I included this picture so people were aware of how they stood when it comes to weight. http://guidetochildhooddiseases.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/obesity-table.gif
First, what is obesity? Well, it is an excess amount of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is twenty percent or more above normal weight. The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index or BMI. A person is considered overweight if his or her BMI is between 25 and 29.9; a person is considered obese if his or her BMI is over 30.
Kasprzyk 2
There are many causes of obesity. What causes obesity? Simply stated, obesity occurs when a person consumes more calories than a person burns. For many people this means eating too much and exercising too little. But there are other factors that also play a role in obesity. Examples include age, gender, genetics, environmental factors, physical activity, psychological factors, illness, and medication. As you get older, your body’s ability to metabolize food reduces. Also, gender has a role in obesity. Sadly, women tend to be more overweight than men. Men have a higher resting metabolic rate than women, so men require more calories to maintain their body weight. Additionally, when women become postmenopausal, their metabolic rate decreases. That is partly why many women gain weight after menopause. In addition, obesity tends to run in families. In a study of adults who were adopted as children, researchers found that participating adult weights were closer to their biological parents’ weights than their adoptive parents’. The environment provided by the adoptive family apparently had less influence on the development of obesity than the person’s genetic makeup. In fact, if your biological mother is heavy as an adult, there is