Obesity

[MM2007]

Hello,

What are the psychosocial factors surrounding obesity.

Thanks,

[barbaratruth, RN]

1. Socioeconomics: Healthy food is far more expensive than unhealthy food. Therefore, patterns of unhealthy eating are established early on because the only affordable food for people in lower income groups is unhealthy and lacks the nutritional requirements needed for healthy metabolism.

2. Psychosocial: You can find tons of research if you look in the topics of Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating. In addition, high levels of carbs have the same effect on suppressing feelings as does alcohol.

3. Physiological: Some foods increase appetite and increase the compulsion to eat more. Fat cells have their own appetite for survival.

4. Inactivity and Easy Access for Food: I'm sure if we had to spend endless hours hunting for our dinner, we would all be a lot thinner.

5. Mass Marketing: Constant bombardment of food products on television commercials.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

(waiting to see how long before thread gets shut down).

Please be nice people.

[TazziRN, RN]

Obesity is not always a choice, at least not the onset of the condition itself. I grew up with a mother who pushes food onto your plate, saying "One more, have one more." I remember making a serious effort in high school to try to lose weight. I asked for my food to be broiled instead of fried. I ate a lot of salads. My mom is one from the old school who used to yell at me for being overweight, trying to shame me into losing it, yet while I was on that diet she would put an extra pork chop on my plate (fried), saying "One more won't hurt you." My father is also overweight, made worse by his daily regimen of immunosuppressives. Until recently she would hound him almost every day to lose weight, yet she would fix him 4 chicken quarters for dinner. I have to fight with her every time the family gets together for dinner, because she will feed my three-year-old mouthfuls of food even though Little One is perfectly capable of feeding herself.

It is a choice to stay fat when grown, but fat children can definitely be made.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Obesity is not always a choice, at least not the onset of the condition itself. I grew up with a mother who pushes food onto your plate, saying "One more, have one more." I remember making a serious effort in high school to try to lose weight. I asked for my food to be broiled instead of fried. I ate a lot of salads. My mom is one from the old school who used to yell at me for being overweight, trying to shame me into losing it, yet while I was on that diet she would put an extra pork chop on my plate (fried), saying "One more won't hurt you." My father is also overweight, made worse by his daily regimen of immunosuppressives. Until recently she would hound him almost every day to lose weight, yet she would fix him 4 chicken quarters for dinner. I have to fight with her every time the family gets together for dinner, because she will feed my three-year-old mouthfuls of food even though Little One is perfectly capable of feeding herself.

It is a choice to stay fat when grown, but fat children can definitely be made.

I agree, Tazz, every family or social group has its saboteurs to the healthy lifestyle.

And medications -- boy can I relate. I think I gained 40 pounds in a month on prednisone.

Even our nursing socializations at work tend to include few healthy foods. Our last "thank-you" lunch from management was pizza. Well, how many times a shift can you say "thanks, but no thanks"? How many times can you tell families to scrap the Russell Stover for a fruit basket when you know you don't have time for more than a quick bite?

I also think commercial TV is a huge factor. Ever sit down and watch the commercials your kids see on Saturday mornings? Way different than the ones we see during prime-time.

[rn/writer, RN]

Being thin is a choice. So is climbing Mount Everest. For some, they are about the same difficulty.

[TazziRN, RN]

Being thin is a choice.

What about small children?

[rn/writer, RN]

What about small children?

My quote taken in its entirety makes it clear that for some people the "choice" to be thin is theoretically possible but on a practical level, it's about as easy as climbing Mount Everest.

Kids have many of their choices made for them.

[CHATSDALE]

IF BEING THIN WAS A CHOICE WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS THREAD

it is very difficult to live with a metabolism that fights you at every turn

intake is burned slowly and appetite is so hard to control

bariatric surgery are increasing every day, filling the pockets of mds and hospitals..patients are faced with a difficult choice with such radical surgery or possible death due to obesity related health problems

potatoes, pasta and other starches are cheaper than more healtful foods but this is only the begining of the problems. once the body has been exposed to ovrweight than the message given by brain is that this is the desirable condition

[TazziRN, RN]

My quote taken in its entirety makes it clear that for some people the "choice" to be thin is theoretically possible but on a practical level, it's about as easy as climbing Mount Everest.

Kids have many of their choices made for them.

Sorry, I didn't get what you were trying to say. I get it now.