Obesity, genes, self-image and health

According to a recent study, it was revealed that obesity is related to genes. But despite all this, obesity is a growing problem all over the world. It affects the poor and the rich, the old and the young. The problem becomes – not mentioning the health complications resulting from it- apparent for obese people when wanting to swim in public. Their shapes become an embarrassment to them, especially their fat hips and bellies. There can be many explanations to obesity as heredity as well as lifestyle. There are people who become hopeless about their shape no matter what they do. Diets and exercises just exasperate them, as they yield no results despite great patience and determination.

The only beneficiary of all this can be some commercial companies offering “miracle” products to desperate obese people who eventually find themselves wasting their time and money on products proving useless. There can be success stories for fat people getting the right shape. Stars like Opera Winfrey are promoting programs to fight obesity. She herself underwent rigorous exercises to reshape herself.

Obese people should receive social sympathy and be encouraged to look after themselves by avoiding all that can worsen their conditions. They shouldn’t be subject to discrimination. In the West, it can be argued that fat people are a burden on the health system where most, if not all, the workers have medical insurance. Their medical cases necessitate a special budget ands further medical research. In poor countries where even basic health care isn’t general, fat people are left to cope with their conditions. They can have only family support that alleviates, at least psychologically, the pain they can undergo.

Obesity should remain an issue. Scientific research shouldn’t remain limited just to stating it as a genetic occurrence. More research should be done to alter the genes responsible for it. Genetic studies have made a lot of progress. They should give more attention to obesity, now having become one of the most widespread chronic cases around the world.