HLTH 644 LU Eating Disorders Discussion – Description
Please respond to the following discussion post in 200-250 words in AMA format. One evidence-based factor that has contributed to obesity is sugary beverages like soda.1 There has been an increase in the purchase and consumption of high-calorie, high-sugar beverages, and this has been linked to an increase in obesity. These drinks are addictive and easily accessible.1 One thing that has been shown to lower the purchase of these drinks is implementing a specific tax on them. This has decreased the purchasing of those drinks in that state, however, the amount of sugary drinks purchased in the surrounding states has increased.1 From a public health perspective, another possible solution to this problem may be to educate more about the health concerns related to the consumption of high-calorie, sugary beverages. Everyone should be educated about this, but I think there should be a special emphasis on educating children and teens in this area because it helps prevent them from becoming “addicted” to these drinks in the first place and feeling like they need to drink them every day. Another evidence-based factor that has contributed to obesity is a genetic factor related to the microbiome and mother-to-infant transmission. The health of the mother before she conceives and during pregnancy can have a great impact on the child and their future risk of becoming obese.2 To help reverse and reduce the risk of obesity in future generations, we need to focus on the health of the mothers. There need to be more women’s health options available to women and more education on how important the mother’s health is in affecting the health of her baby. Better access to prenatal care could greatly reduce this problem. In the past, Iran has not had near the issues with obesity that America has. However, the obesity pandemic is worldwide and has now reached Iran and is causing health problems there too.4 Like in the United States, the obesity rate in Iran is more prevalent among women than it is among men.3,4 The research shows that 16.2% of men are obese in Iran compared to 27.5% of men in the United States. There are 34.9% of obese Iranian women compared to 33.2% of obese American women at the time of this study. This is having an impact on the health of Iranians particularly as it pertains to hypertension.4 It was suggested that this large gap in the obesity of Iranian men and women could be due to the fact that men smoke much more than women in Iran do.4 The rate of obesity is continually rising in Iran as well, most likely this is due to the fact that they are starting to incorporate more of a Westernized diet into their lives and have an increase in fast food restaurants available to them. There are several ways the church and faith-based organizations can help address this obesity problem. Isaiah 55:1-2 says “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”5 This reminds me of all the good the church does to help provide food and supplies and shelter for those in need. The church can help further by ensuring that the food that is donated is nutrient-dense food that will provide better health to the people they are serving. I also truly believe that educating more of the church’s followers is so important. We are taught in 1 Corinthians 6 that “… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”5 As followers of Christ we believe it is important to take care of the bodies God has given us. This would mean that part of being a Christian means doing our best to take care of our bodies. If this can be emphasized more in our teachings, it can have a big impact on our health and the obesity rate. References Kansra AR, Lakkunarajah S, Jay MS. Childhood and Adolescent Obesity: A Review. Front Pediatr. 2021;8:581461. Published 2021 Jan 12. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.581461 Mozaffarian D. Perspective: Obesity-an unexplained epidemic. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1445-1450. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac075 Boutari C, Mantzoros CS. A 2022 update on the epidemiology of obesity and a call to action: as its twin COVID-19 pandemic appears to be receding, the obesity and dysmetabolism pandemic continues to rage on. Metabolism. 2022;133:155217. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155217 Bahrami H, Sadatsafavi M, Pourshams A, et al. Obesity and hypertension in an Iranian cohort study; Iranian women experience higher rates of obesity and hypertension than American women. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:158. Published 2006 Jun 20. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-158 Bible Gateway. BibleGateway.com. Bible Gateway. Published 2023. https://www.biblegateway.com/
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