AT2 INSTRUCTIONS You will be required to write an essay critically discussing evidence and key debates on determinant/s of health related to a specific health issue. AT2 Instructions Your task is to...

Running Head: HEALTHCARE        1
HEALTHCARE        2
IS OBESITY DETERMINED BY INDIVIDUAL LIFESTYLE CHOICES AND/OR BROADER SOCIAL DETERMINANTS?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction    3
2. Nature and Scale of the Obesity Issue and Its Key Behavioural Risk Factors    3
3. Relative Importance of Different Determinants of Unhealthy Diets and Physical Inactivity    4
4. Implications of Presented Arguments    6
5. Conclusion    7
References    8
1. Introduction
A certain amount of fat on the body is essential for survival as well as, it is a physiological characteristic, which every human possess. However, accumulation of fat, which exceeds the normal levels and may impart adverse effect on health, is resultant of medical condition. Obesity is one such medical condition, where the overall body fat percentage along with body mass index (BMI) may reach unhealthy levels and may start affecting cardiovascular system of the body along with functioning of other body parts (UK Government Office for Science, 2007). Umpteen numbers of factors could facilitate the prevalence of obesity and this essay will focus upon social determinants and individual lifestyle choices. Further, efforts will be made in order to present the risk factors associated with obesity along with the implications or suggestions, which could be inculcated to avoid them.
2. Nature and Scale of the Obesity Issue and Its Key Behavioural Risk Factors
Obesity is one of the most common health issues around the globe, from which 13% of world’s population suffer. Out of this 13%, 40% women and 39% suffer from obesity. Further, 28.7% of adults within England are obese while 35.6% have been reported to be overweight and it has also been reported that men suffer from obesity more than women do. 67.2% of men are obese in England compared to 61.5% of obese women. Likewise, age has also been linked to obesity because individuals between 65-74 years of age have been reported to be obese. 10% children belonging to the age group 4-5 year old are also reported to suffer from obesity and this has also been linked to increasing obesity among adults (Baker, 2019).
It would be essential to consider that simply accumulation of fat may not be considered as obesity; however, it may be considered as initial symptoms of obesity. When the accumulated body fat imparts negative effects on the body, under this condition the individual may be called obese or suffering from obesity. Body mass index (BMI) is an essential measurement, which is used to characterize an individual as obese and it have variable ranges. 25–30 kg/m2 are the range and BMI values between them define as overweight or obese (Brownell et al., 2010).
Obesity itself may not be a life threatening medical condition; rather several other diseases such as, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnoea, and other cardiovascular diseases accompany it, which increases the risk towards life of the individual. Likewise, dynamic known as well as, unknown causes of obesity have been identified such as, inadequate and excessive food intake, lack of required physical activity, side effects of medications, hormonal factors, genetic susceptibility, mental disorders and much more. Dhurandhar (2016) presented that gaining fat even if the individual may consume small quantities of food is not support by both theoretical as well as, experimental factors. This is majorly because calories consumed beyond Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) will accumulate and stored as fat, if not burned by physical activity. Therefore, if calories consumed equals calories burnt, weight gain will be zero.
Sedentary lifestyle, which modern generation follows, is one of the major factor behind rapid increase in obesity. It would be essential to consider that, there are a number of factors, which contribute to this sedentary lifestyle such as, technology, innovations, decrease in the labour work, increasing office and sedentary jobs, increased used of vehicles, lack of time for exercising, lack of sleep and much more. All these factors, directly or indirectly contribute to the prevalence of obesity.
Likewise, changes in dietary patterns and food quality, quantity, timings and much more also affects metabolism of body and due to lack of physical activity, metabolism already slows down, which leads weight gain and obesity (Brown, Smith, Bhopal, Kasim & Summerbell, 2015). Financial conditions and affordability is also one of the major factor, which affects the purchasing power of individuals. Unhealthy food usually is cheaper than healthy choices; therefore, poor individuals have to depend on unhealthy choices for this.
3. Relative Importance of Different Determinants of Unhealthy Diets and Physical Inactivity
As mentioned above also dietary pattern as well as, physical activity must go hand in hand in order to monitor the weight. Under any circumstances, if the calories consumed are higher than the expenditure, excessive calories will be stored as fat for future use (Brown et al., 2015). It would be essential to consider that diet and...