Obesity Essay Example

Business proposal on obesity

Obesity is a health condition that is associated with having excess body fat accumulating in an individual's body thus causing an adverse impact on the person’s health, (Fulmer, 2009). Obesity is attributed to most deaths worldwide because obesity increases the chances of diseases such as heart diseases, certain kinds of cancer, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea to occur. Obesity can occur due to lack of physical activity, excessive food intake, and genetic inheritance. A person is considered to be obese once their body mass index (BMI) is over 30 kg/m2. Obesity is a major community health problem that is deemed to be a global challenge that affects millions of people, (Fulmer, 2009).

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The purpose of the business proposal

The determination of the business plan is to study obesity as the primary cause of chronic illness. The study shows that the risk of becoming obese is higher in homemakers Therefore the study aims to help find out the contributing factors about obesity so as to address the problem. The proposal also seeks help different NGO’s working in the health sector to plan a program that is related to a healthy lifestyle. The project also aims to minimize cases of obesity and to reduce diseases associated with obesity, (Pehrsson, 2006). The business plan covers the effects of obesity on a person’s health, causes of obesity and ways to curb the menes, (Fulmer, 2009).

Effects of obesity on an individual’s health

Obesity is a leading factor of mortality cases which are preventable. Obesity increases the risk of many physical and mental conditions. It causes health consequences which are classified into two broad categories. The types include the health effects that are caused due to increased number of fat cells. The diseases are diabetes, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases. The other category is the health consequences attributable to the effects of increased mass. They include; social stigmatization, osteoarthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea among other consequences. Obesity also creates a proinflammatory state and a prothrombotic state. ("Erratum", 2007)

Causes of obesity

Obesity is instigated by some factors such as diet intake, a person’s lifestyle, genetics, social determinants and other illnesses.

1. Genetics

Obesity results from genetic and environmental factors. There are differences in people's BMI which is caused by the genetic variation on the individuals. Obesity is the main feature in several syndromes. The study foundings are that different people exposed to the same environment have different risks of obesity as a result of their underlying genetics. (Pehrsson, 2006).

2. Diet

Food energy consumption is related to obesity. Poor dietary choices and overeating are the primary causes of obesity. Consumption of certain foods such as sweetened drinks like soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea and energy drinks are said to contribute to the rising cases of obesity and also an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, (Ross, n.d.).

3. Lifestyle

The lifestyle that an individual lives plays a vital role in obesity. Lack of physical exercises due to less walking and no physical education in children triggers obesity in the young ones. People today spend their time watching television thus are dormant in physical activities, therefore, increasing the risk of obesity, (Ross, n.d.).

4. Social determinants

Various social factors lead to increase or decrease in obesity rates. The study shows that women, children, and men from high society have low levels of obesity because they have the money to afford nutritious foods. Peoples’ attitude on body weight plays a vital role in obesity. Stress is also believed to led to increasing the risk of obesity as well as a person’s low social status. Smoking is also a social factor that plays a part in the dangers of obesity, (Fulmer, 2009).

5. Other illness

Pharmaceutical substances that are used to treat certain physical and mental illnesses can increase the risk of obesity. Certain medications such as insulin, antidepressants, steroids some hormonal contraceptions among other drugs can cause a gain in weight or changes in body composition. The risk of obesity is perceived to be high in psychiatric disorders than in persons without mental orders, (Ross, n.d.)

Obesity as a global issue

Obesity is a global health hazard that is adversely growing. Obesity poses a threat to a person’s health. In the modern world the rates of obesity are increasing at a high rate due to the consumption of increasingly cheap foods with high calorie, changes in modes of transportation, increased sedentary lifestyles among others. Obesity affects the rich as well as the poor in the modern society. Childhood obesity is a growing problem that affects many low and middle-income countries. (Wolin & Petrelli, 2009)

Ways to curb obesity

There are various ways in which the obesity disease can be controlled. The methods include;

i. Reduce time on the screen and carry out physical activities such as walking, cycling, running and playing so as to reduce a person’s risk of obesity.

ii. Change in eating habits by avoiding overeating which is a major contributor to the risk of obesity.

iii. Improve in the diet intake of certain foods among other ways.

The business idea is to build a fitness center like a gym with special facilities such as treadmills, cycling equipment among other gym equipment. The fitness center (gym) will enable people to exercise physical and engage themselves in more healthy activities, therefore, reducing the people’s risk of obesity. The gymnasium will also have a nutritionist who will advise the clients on what types of foods to take so as to improve their dietary intake. The construction of the gym will greatly help in the reducing the risks of obesity.

Obesity reflects the strength of capitalism. Capitalism is a monetary system that is based on private ownership. The external businesses factors can also be termed as the outer business environment which entails all the outside factors that affect a business. External factors such as economic factors affect how the consumers spend therefore influencing the business idea. If the country’s economy is favorable and good, then the chances of the firm growing and surviving unlike when the economy is weak and deteriorating it will mean that the company has no chance in the economy.

Sociocultural is another external business factor that might affect the business idea. It consists of how a consumer behaves and his consuming habits for example if the customer is willing to improve his health by exercising more. If the consumer is ready and willing to improve his health, then it will positively affect the business idea by increasing the number of customers who will visit the gym so as to keep fit and to reduce their risks of obesity.

Demographic factors will also affect the nature of the business. If the desired location of the firm has a significant population of people living in the area and a good number of the people care about their health, therefore they will visit the gym to keep fit thus affecting the business positively.

In the PESTLE analysis, technology affects the business idea both positively and negatively. It affects the business negatively in that most people are glued to the screens, therefore, get less physical leading to losses by the firm. Technology, on the other hand, affects the business positively by equipping people with information about obesity, the causes of obesity, the dangers of obesity as well as ways to reduce your chances of being obese.

Legal factors also affect the business. The legal factors include health and safety measures, and if a business embraces these standards, it is likely to be successful and has a good number of customers, therefore, increasing the trade chance of growth, (Fulmer, 2009).

Political factors such as political stability affect the business positively by giving the company a favorable environment that is free from unrest so as to carry out their daily activities effectively and provide useful services to their customers. A country that is faced with political instability has a weak economy and therefore no business is likely to prosper in such an environment, (Fulmer, 2009).

Conclusion and recommendations

According to Boyle and Holben (2013), the key findings in the above proposal include

i. Obesity is a global challenge that affects both men and women regardless of their age.

ii. Obesity is associated with various consequences on an individual's health. It brings about diseases such as cancer and diabetes which are fatal among other diseases.

iii. Obesity is a preventable cause of death that can be mitigated by frequent exercising, healthy eating habits like consuming enough food and having a good food diet.

iv. The implementation of the business idea will greatly help to curb and decrease the chances of one becoming obese and will lead to the improvement of one’s health.

The business idea of constructing a gym will help in the achievement of the aims of the business proposal. It will help NGO’ in developing a good health program by partnering up with the NGO. It also helps in the addressing of obesity problems such as chronic diseases. This is possible if one strives to keep himself fit then he reduces his risks of becoming obese and therefore the diseases associated with obesity are not likely to occur, ("A Proposal for Schools of Business Administration in Seventeenth-Century England", 1941).

The findings in the proposal will create awareness to the society on the effects and consequences of obesity on a person health. The findings will also lead to people taking good care of their health. It also helps people to change and adopt a healthy lifestyle that will not affect their health negatively. The study will help the nation to minimize obesity thus aiding in the reduction of chronic illnesses, (Braziller & Kleinfeld, n.d.).

The study shows that obesity is a disease that should be given more attention because it is a fatal disease that causes many deaths which can be prevented by just eating healthy and physical exercising. Obesity is a threat that is experienced worldwide, and awareness should be created, and ideas on how to handle the threat should be tabled and put into the application so as to help solve the disease and save many lives, (Boyle & Holben, 2013).

References

A Proposal for Schools of Business Administration in Seventeenth-Century England. (1941). Bulletin Of The Business Historical Society, 15(3), 43. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3111075

Boyle, M. & Holben, D. (2013). Community nutrition in action. Belmont: Wadsworth.

Braziller, A. & Kleinfeld, E. The Bedford book of genres.

Erratum. (2007). Obesity, 15(5), 1339-1339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/oby.2007.158

Fulmer, T. (2009). Agonizing obesity. Science-Business Exchange, 2(31). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/scibx.2009.1200

Pehrsson, A. (2006). Business relatedness measurements. European Business Review, 18(5), 350-363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09555340610686949

Ross, H. Proposal for the provision of food information to consumers.