During Christian times food was viewed as a gateway to the sins of sloth and lust. But, for much of human history mankind struggled with food scarcity, and so obesity has sometimes been viewed as a sign of wealth and prosperity. It was common among high officials in Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as in Ancient East Asian civilizations. With the onset of the industrial revolution it was realized that the military and economic might of nations were dependent on both the body size and strength of their soldiers and workers. Increasing the average body mass index from what is now considered underweight to what is now the normal range played a significant role in the development of industrialized societies. Height and weight thus both increased through the 19th century in the developed world. During the 20th century, as populations reached their genetic potential for height, weight began increasing much more than height, resulting in obesity. In the 1950s increasing wealth in the developed world decreased child mortality, but as body weight increased heart and kidney disease became more common. During this time period insurance companies realized the connection between weight and life expectancy and increased premiums for the obese.
Public perceptions in Western society regarding healthy body weight differ from those regarding the weight that is considered ideal – and both have changed since the beginning of the 20th century. The weight that is viewed as an ideal has become lower since the 1920s. This is illustrated by the fact that the average height of Miss America pageant winners increased by 2% from 1922 to 1999, while their average weight decreased by 12%. On the other hand, people's views concerning healthy weight have changed in the opposite direction. In Britain the weight at which people considered themselves to be overweight was significantly higher in 2007 than in 1999. These changes are believed to be due to increasing rates of adiposity leading to increased acceptance of extra body fat as being. That said, in modern Western culture, excess weight is still usually regarded as unattractive, and obesity is commonly associated with various negative stereotypes. People of all ages can face social stigmatization, and may be targeted by bullies or shunned by their peers. Obesity is once again a reason for discrimination.
Obesity In Children
Obesity in adults often has its roots in childhood. In the developed world, obesity in children is growing at a frighteningly fast rate. There are more obese children now than ever before. Many people believe that parents are letting their carelessness with their own diets spill over into their children’s lives.
Preventing Obesity
A sedentary lifestyle plays a significant role in obesity. Worldwide there has been a large shift towards less physically demanding work, and currently at least 60% of the world's population gets insufficient exercise. This is primarily due to increasing use of mechanized transportation and a greater prevalence of labour-saving technology in the home.
In both children and adults there is an association between television viewing time and the risk of obesity. A 2008 meta-analysis found that 63 of 73 studies (86%) showed an increased rate of childhood obesity with increased media exposure, with rates increasing proportionally to time spent watching television.
The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Here are a few points to think about when trying to prevent obesity and subsequent health problems:-
Small children are normally energetic and often require snacks in-between meals. It is most important to choose healthy snacks. Alternative snacks can include:
Vegetable snacks like carrot sticks and celery are a good and fun alternative to crisps and “junk food” snacks.
Fruit can be substituted for sweets, and other sugar snacks.
Soda and sugar snacks produce hyperactivity in many young children and will sow the seeds for problems later in life. It also leads to dental problems and the beginnings of obesity. It is good to keep these foods in check and use alternatives if possible. Sugar is a known addictive food in that the more you eat the more you want to eat. This can quickly escalate into a serious eating problem and can lead to obesity as the body stores excess sugar as fat.
Breakfast cereals are perhaps the biggest problem in people’s diets. Everyone is in a hurry in the morning and it is easy to reach for the cereal packet for a quick family breakfast. However be careful of these presweetened cereals as they give unnecessary large amounts of sugar to your system laying the grounds for sugar addiction. Now there are many alternatives to presweetened cereals. There are many tasty “healthy” cereals which provide added fiber and less if any sugar. These are good for you and your children as they will provide a much more nutritious breakfast and not just fill you up with sugar and excess carbohydrates.
Fast food habits also begin when we are quite small. This is reinforced by extensive TV advertising and propaganda for these foods. It is almost inbred in us to eat hamburgers, chips and other fast food. Children have an inborn liking for these foods and can easily become quite addicted to them.
Basically, good eating habits begin when children are very young. It can start from the time they first start to eat. It is very important to a child’s health to start good eating habits at a young age. It is possible to lay the foundations of good and healthy eating habits when children are still quite small. It is just a question of educating ourselves and passing on good habits to our children. When you do this you reduce the possibility of obesity in your children and all the mental and physical risks involved in later life.
While it may be disliked by parents, girlfriends and wives around the world, the video game industry is a permanent part of our world. From its humble beginnings in the 80s, the video game industry has exploded into a ten-billion dollar subculture.
Test your comprehension
Hopefully, you can use some of this information to help convince the non-gamers in your life that you’re not just wasting your time. It probably won’t change their attitude a great deal, but it should help. However, if you’re neglecting your homework, your relationship or your hygiene due to video games…well…this all won’t matter much.
Stress Relief
Video games are an excellent way to relieve stress. For the average non-gamer, in fact, spending 15 or 20 minutes a day playing an easy to learn, though difficult to conquer, game like Tetris or Minesweeper will do wonders for stress relief. However, the more complex and involved games may actually be more effective than their simpler brethren.
Some people read a book or watch a movie as a way to get their mind off of their problems. Basically, they allow people to be transported to a fictional world for a while. In that area, video games are actually the most effective form of release, because they provide a deeper and more encompassing transportation.
Improved Logic
Logical thinking is, sadly, a skill that seems to be mostly ignored in public education these days. It’s truly sad because finely tuned logical abilities are critically important in our world. Nearly all video games train your mind in thinking logically.
Quicker Decision Making
This tends to go hand-in-hand with the previous example. Logical skills are a good thing, but they lose their luster if used slowly. Quick thinking skills are a good thing, but can be disastrous without proper logic. Putting the two together, however, can have an immensely beneficial impact on your life. Most games give you a time limit on reaching a decision, either in the form of a formal timer or in the form of somebody rushing at you with a shotgun or sword.
These three arguments are actually enough to make me believe that everyone should play video games. Everyone knows that stress relief is becoming increasingly important as our world becomes increasingly stressful. Quick decision making and logical reasoning are huge assets in life. So, the next time somebody starts ragging on you about ‘wasting your time” playing video games, you can fill them in just a little bit on the fact that you’re actually giving your brain one heck of a work out!
