Arianna Grajeda
Devry University
First Draft Research Paper
"OBESITY"

There was a time, not so long ago, that obesity was considered a sign of health, wealth, and beauty. No a days many factors can lead to energy imbalance and weight gain. They include genes, eating habits, how and where people live, attitudes and emotions, life habits, and income. Psychological and behavioral issues play significant roles in both the development and consequences of obesity. There are many issues that may arise individually and as a whole, stigma and marketing playing a major role helping to keep ythe obese population rising.. Obesity may affect enviromental and socital changes as well. It has a great affect on things such as the cost of health care and has been disocvered by scientists that being heavy adds to global warming. Obesity is an important problem, many studies and surveys have been done resulting in important statistics showing the extremely large increase of weight gain. Close to half of the adult population is dieting, obsessed with achieving an ideal weight. Obesity is all around the world and there is more than one soultion, people just need to take time to figure out what exactly works for them. Just because one diet or activity worked for one person does not mean that it will work for another. People constantly forget that all of our bodies are unique and no "one" treatment will work for all. Failure and dispoinment can lead people to frustration or depression and this could take them back to square one. Weight gain and obesity to me, are the result of individual choices. Medical and genetic evidence suggest that overeating is a manifestation of the fundamental mismatch between ancient environments in which preferences for eating evolved and modern environments. In the Omivores dilemma Micheal Pollan describes how our appetie as elastic, which makes excellent evolutionarey sense:
"It behooved our hunther gatherer ancestores to feast whenever the oportunity presented iteself, alowing them to build up fat reserves of fat against futre famine. Obesity researchers call this trait the "thrifty gene." And while the gene represents a useful adaptaion in an environment of food scarcity and unpredictability, its a disaster in an environment of fast-food abundance, when the opportunity presents itself 24/7. Our bodies are strong reserves of fat against a famine that never comes."

If we were to have lived as before, convienence wouldnt really be an option, we are just full of excuses these days. I feel like everything thats is uncontrollable, people try to label it as a disorder. When really this person has personal issues and the disorder lies with in something deeper, making that person feel the need to exessively eat. Its not the countries fault we have an obesity issue, it relies on our lifestyle, genetics, and heritage. Obesity is as much a psychological as a physical problem and we shouldnt blame anyone but ourselves, after all we are responsible for every decision we make and what we do or put to our body.
More recently cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have become an important aspect of the treatment of obesity. Cognitions influence both feelings and behaviors, and they cannot be ignored when treating obesity. CBT is utilized in the treatment of obesity as a way to help individuals change their negative eating behaviors and incorporate healthy lifestyle changes. These CBT interventions are self-monitoring techniques, stress management, stimulus control, social support, problem solving, and cognitive restructuring. Basically taking someomes life and routines, analyzing them and totally tranforming them. Obesity is a disorder of body fat, an excess of body fat accumulates when food excedes physical activity. The power of food cues targeting susceptible emotions and cognitive brain brain functions, partialy of ch ildren and adolecents, is exploited by modern