Chronic Disease from the Kitchen

Many individuals understand that it isn't quite healthy to be underweight, overweight or obese. Are they really in tune to the dangers excessive weight gain or loss can cause?


Obesity which in itself is a disease is a risk factor for many diseases that include:

Type 2 Diabetes: Excessive weight is considered one of the most significant factors in developing insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes. 
Atherosclerosis: hardening and narrowing of the arteries, This condition silently and slowly blocks arteries that allow blood to flow.
Hypertension: blood pressure tends to increase with weight gain and age. Obese patients have increased blood volume and arterial resistance.
Stroke/Heart Attack: the result of having continued high blood pressure, high cholesterol when the blood-flow to the brain or heart is stopped by a clog in the arteries or other vessels.

On the flip side of things: Malnutrition

Malnutrition affects multiple organ systems including the liver, kidneys, intestine, pancreas, heart, brain, and endocrine system. Protein-calorie malnutrition is what is most often associated with eating disorders and results from poor intake of protein as well as an overall deficiency in the number of calories in the diet.

Without proper protein and calorie input, humans lack the basic building blocks to maintain cells and the energy to power that maintenance. The results can be devastating.

Who is to blame for the sickening trend of unhealthy weights within the modeling industry? I’m not sure, however I feel a certain amount of responsibility must lie with the models themselves. Their agencies, on the other hand, have a great deal to answer for in my view! It really is shocking that our society promotes the use of such unhealthy models.

In the endocrine system, a lack of the adequate amount of nutrition leads to delayed puberty,loss of normal periods in women, the inability to ovulate (produce eggs for reproduction), high cortisol levels (increases blood pressure and heart rate), increased growth hormones (this is what body builders take to bulk up and it can have devastating side effects in high amounts), decreased thyroid function (important for heart function as well as growth and maintenance of most cells in the body), and hypothermia (inability to maintain body heat).

References

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Cushing TA, Waldrop R. (2009) Anorexia Nervosa. On eMedicine. Retrieved from  http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/805152-overview

ProCon.org. (2014). Image: Obesity Risk Factors. Retrieved from http://obesity.procon.org/

ToWomensHealth.com. (2014). Image: Definition of Anorexia Nervosa. Retrieved from http://www.2womenshealth.com/Anorexia-Nervosa-Symptoms-Signs-Causes.htm