The Effects of Obesity on Society as a Whole

The percentage of people that are diagnosed as obese is on the rise, making this a health concern for many. The effects of obesity can be seen, not just in individuals but also in our society as a whole.

Patients that are obese have to contend with a myriad of medical problems that arise as a direct result of obesity. There is an increase in the numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes and this is one of the most visible effects of obesity. Diabetes is a long term problem that comes with serious health risks. The body's inability to process sugar can in the end cause problems with other organs and eventually can lead to death.

Other health problems associated with obesity include heart disease and an increase in the risk for heart attacks. The heart works hard pumping blood through out the body and people who are obese have many more circulatory problems than those that are not obese. The extra weight that an obese person has puts a great strain on the body.

Effects of Obesity Felt by All

Some of the other effects of obesity include those that are carried by the rest of society. This includes things like an increase in health insurance rates. As more people are obese and require more health treatments, insurance rates go up. These costs are all shouldered by consumers and are felt in our monthly budgets. Insurance companies have to increase premiums in order to cover the cost of caring for sick, when people are obese they have a tendency towards more costly health problems.

Another of the effects of obesity on society includes things as mundane as the change in the size of chairs or seats in cars. Car manufacturers have had to increase the size of the seats in cars to accommodate the populations growing size. Back in the 1960's an average woman was 5'3' inches and weighed 135, now she is 5'4" inches and weighs 160. There is a similar correlation in the change in the size of an average male.

As a result of this, our seats have to become bigger! Although this seems like a small item, the cost is then passed onto the consumer. As a result the effects of obesity also trickle down into our everyday costs. Obesity is not only a potentially dangerous health condition, it has an impact on our society as well and the cost of obesity is something that affects us all.

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