What is obesity? - Mia Nacamulli
-
0:08 - 0:13The most basic function of bodily fat
is self-storage of food reserves. -
0:13 - 0:16In prehistoric times, natural selection
favored genotypes -
0:16 - 0:20that could endure harsh conditions
by stocking the most fat. -
0:20 - 0:24With chronic malnutrition being
the norm for most of human history, -
0:24 - 0:27genetics evolved to favor fat storage.
-
0:27 - 0:30So when did body fat become problematic?
-
0:30 - 0:34The negative impacts of being overweight
were not even noted in medical literature -
0:34 - 0:37until as late as the 18th century.
-
0:37 - 0:40Then, technological advances coupled
with public health measures -
0:40 - 0:45resulted in the betterment of the
quantity, quality, and variety of food. -
0:45 - 0:49Sustained abundance of good food
enabled a healthier population -
0:49 - 0:51to boom economically.
-
0:51 - 0:54Output increased,
and with it, leisure time -
0:54 - 0:56and waistlines.
-
0:56 - 1:01By the mid 19th century, being excessively
overweight, or obese, -
1:01 - 1:04was recognized as a cause of ill health,
-
1:04 - 1:07and another century later,
declared deadly. -
1:07 - 1:12What is the distinction between being
overweight and being obese? -
1:12 - 1:17A calculation called the BMI
breaks it down for us. -
1:17 - 1:20For example, if someone weighs
65 kilgorams -
1:20 - 1:23and is 1.5 meters tall,
-
1:23 - 1:26they have a BMI of about 29.
-
1:26 - 1:29Obesity is a condition of excess body fat
-
1:29 - 1:33that occurs when a person's BMI
is above 30, -
1:33 - 1:37just over the overweight range
of 25 to 29.9. -
1:37 - 1:41While BMI can be a helpful estimate
of healthy weight, -
1:41 - 1:44actual body fat percentage can only
really be determined -
1:44 - 1:48by also considering information
like waist circumference -
1:48 - 1:50and muscle mass.
-
1:50 - 1:53Athletes, for instance, have a naturally
higher BMI. -
1:53 - 1:56So how does a person become obese?
-
1:56 - 2:00At its most basic, obesity is caused
by energy imbalance. -
2:00 - 2:03If the energy input from calories
-
2:03 - 2:07is greater than the energy output
from physical activity, -
2:07 - 2:10the body stores the extra calories as fat.
-
2:10 - 2:14In most cases, this imbalance comes
from a combination of circumstances -
2:14 - 2:16and choices.
-
2:16 - 2:21Adults should be getting at least
2.5 hours of exercise each week, -
2:21 - 2:24and children a whole hour per day.
-
2:24 - 2:28But globally, one in four adults
and eight out of ten adolescents -
2:28 - 2:30aren't active enough.
-
2:30 - 2:33Calorie-dense processed foods
and growing portion sizes -
2:33 - 2:36coupled with pervasive marketing
-
2:36 - 2:38lead to passive overeating.
-
2:38 - 2:39And scarce resources,
-
2:39 - 2:42and a lack of access to healthy,
affordable foods -
2:42 - 2:47creates an even greater risk
in disadvantaged communities. -
2:47 - 2:49Yet, our genetic makeup also plays a part.
-
2:49 - 2:52Studies on families and on separated twins
-
2:52 - 2:56have shown a clear causal hereditary
relationship to weight gain. -
2:56 - 2:59Recent studies have also found
a link between obesity -
2:59 - 3:04and variations in the bacteria species
that live in our digestive systems. -
3:04 - 3:09No matter the cause, obesity is
an escalating global epidemic. -
3:09 - 3:13It substantially raises the probability
of diseases, -
3:13 - 3:14like diabetes,
-
3:14 - 3:15heart disease,
-
3:15 - 3:17stroke,
-
3:17 - 3:18high blood pressure,
-
3:18 - 3:20and cancer.
-
3:20 - 3:24It affects virtually all ages, genders,
and socioeconomic groups -
3:24 - 3:28in both developed
and developing countries. -
3:28 - 3:32With a 60% rise in child obesity globally
over just two decades, -
3:32 - 3:36the problem is too significant to ignore.
-
3:36 - 3:41Once a person is obese, the climb
to recovery becomes progressively steeper. -
3:41 - 3:46Hormonal and metabolic changes reduce
the body's response to overeating. -
3:46 - 3:51After losing weight, a formerly overweight
person burns less calories -
3:51 - 3:52doing the same exercises
-
3:52 - 3:55as a person who is naturally
the same weight, -
3:55 - 3:59making it much more difficult
to shed the excess fat. -
3:59 - 4:00And as people gain weight,
-
4:00 - 4:04damage to signaling pathways makes it
increasingly difficult -
4:04 - 4:07for the brain to measure food intake
and fat storage. -
4:07 - 4:09There is, however, some evidence
-
4:09 - 4:12that well-monitored,
long-term changes in behavior -
4:12 - 4:16can lead to improvements
in obesity-related health issues. -
4:16 - 4:18And weight loss from sustained
lifestyle changes, -
4:18 - 4:21or invasive treatments
like bariatric surgery, -
4:21 - 4:25can improve insulin resistance
and decrease inflammation. -
4:25 - 4:30What was once an advantage for survival
is now working against us. -
4:30 - 4:33As the world's population continues
to slow down and get bigger, -
4:33 - 4:37moving and consciously eating our way
towards a healthier weight -
4:37 - 4:40is essential to our overall well-being.
-
4:40 - 4:43And with the epidemic affecting
every country in the world -
4:43 - 4:45for different socioeconomic reasons,
-
4:45 - 4:49obesity cannot be seen
as an isolated issue. -
4:49 - 4:51More global measures for prevention
-
4:51 - 4:53are essential to manage
the weight of the world.
- Title:
- What is obesity? - Mia Nacamulli
- Speaker:
- Mia Nacamulli
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-obesity-mia-nacamulli
Obesity is an escalating global epidemic. It substantially raises the probability of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and cancer. But what is the distinction between being overweight and being obese? And how does a person become obese? Mia Nacamulli explores obesity.
Lesson by Mia Nacamulli, animation by Kozmonot Animation Studio.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:11
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for What is obesity? | ||
Riaki Ponist commented on English subtitles for What is obesity? | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for What is obesity? | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for What is obesity? | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for What is obesity? | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for What is obesity? |
Riaki Ponist
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