subject: Obesity in Our Anti-Weight Loss Society [print this page] Obesity in Our Anti-Weight Loss Society Obesity in Our Anti-Weight Loss Society
The human body has not changed much in 10,000 years. It wasn't until the last couple hundred years where food has been so plentiful. Before that, starvation was a real danger to survival and there were very few obese people in the world. Only the wealthiest of the wealthy had the luxury to become fat. With starvation as a threat, the human body has the ability designed into it to store energy which could be called upon in times of famine. During times of plenty, the body would gain weight and store the extra as fat. Then when food was scarce, the body would burn this extra energy. We did not have much need to be worried about weight loss, we had to survive.
Energy Our Bodies Need
We humans have many things going on in our bodies' everyday. There are millions of chemical and biological reactions taking place throughout our systems. These reactions take energy to be performed and the simple act of moving your arm takes energy. This energy comes from the food we put in our bodies each day. Usually, each food consists of a ratio of the three basic nutrients proteins, carbohydrates, and dietary fats. Once ingested, these nutrients are absorbed into the body and provide this energy required for life.
Carbohydrate - Food of Choice
Carbohydrates are the food of choice for the human body because it is the easier to convert to glucose. Glucose is what the body uses as fuel. Just like we get oil to make gasoline which powers our cars, the body takes food to make glucose which powers ourselves. Once a carbohydrate is eaten, the body will use what it needs to and store the rest in one of two ways.
As a liquid which is a temporary source of readily available energy stored in the liver and muscles
Or is converted into fatty acids and stored in the fat cells around the body
Proteins
Proteins are broken down in the small intestine and stomach into amino acids. The amino acids are distributed throughout the body where needed for cell repair and formation. This is also the building block for muscle. The surplus amino acids are stored in one of three ways
Circulating in the bloodstream
Converted to energy for use by the body
Or is converted into fatty acids and stored in the fat cell around the body
Dietary Fats
Dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids by the stomach and small intestine and has a variety of specialized uses. It can be used as energy in the absence of carbohydrates, but since it has a more complex makeup, it usually gets stored as body fat around the body.
Where Do We Store The Fat?
The body first uses any energy stored in liquid form for any needs suddenly arising. If this is not enough, it will start to break down the fatty tissue to meet its energy needs. Unfortunately, we cannot control which areas of body fat are used in this manner. Just like we can't control where the body is fat is stored. Genetics determine a large part of the distribution of fat location on your body. The body stores fat just under the skin, in the abdomen, and around the muscles and organs.
Where's the Beef?
We have an over-abundance of questionable-nutritional value products being sold each and every day. The convenience of these products combined with our cultural acceptance of all-you-eat-for-a-buck has led to a major increase in obesity. As we make scientific discovers and innovations to make the work-place more efficient and safer, we also have reduced the amount of physical exertion required. This lack of motion has led to a lack of physical activity altogether which has helped to put the pounds on. There are other factors involved with the rise in obesity, but these two reasons account for a majority of the gained fat. We need to reverse this tread with a healthy weight loss plan that includes exercise and proper nutrition.
