Obesity & the Benefits of Exercise

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Obesity is defined as the condition of being way above a healthy weight due to body fat.  More than one third of all American adults are considered obese.  Obese individuals are part of a very vulnerable population as they are at highly increased risk of developing a multitude of diseases, ranging from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure, cancer to strokes, and sleep apnea to heart attacks.  Obesity is affected by behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors.  It is much more prevalent than ever in society because of our sedentary lifestyles that are exacerbated by automobile transport and desk jobs.  Food portions are also much larger than they were historically.  The treatment of obesity encompasses dietary changes, exercise, and often social support through counseling.  Exercise is considered a vital portion of handling obesity.

Exercise not only helps reduce body fat, but it also reduces risk for developing the chronic diseases that are associated with obesity.  It raises the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood.  The synergy of these two decreases the build up of plaques in your arterial walls, helping to keep blood flow smoothly through your body.  Regular exercise also increases your metabolic rate, which aides in burning more calories over time, helping to lose weight.

Exercise is vital in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.  Exercise releases hormones in the body that increase the ability of your muscles to absorb amino acids, helping them grow and reduce atrophy.  People lose muscle function and mass over time as they age, leading to all kinds of injuries and disabilities.  Regular exercise offsets this loss in muscle ability and is absolutely essential in maintaining physical strength as a person ages.  Bone density increases through exercise as well, helping to prevent osteoporosis in old age.

Exercise improves your energy levels, mood and overall happiness.  It alters the chemistry in parts of the brain that regulate stress, while increasing brain sensitivity for serotonin and norepinephrine, which help in reducing feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress.  Exercise also increases the production of endorphins through the body, which help produce positive feelings and reduce pain.

Exercise improves both your brain health and memory.  It helps to stimulate the production of hormones that enhance the growth of brain cells, as well as causing the hippocampus to grow in size- a part of the brain that is essential for learning and memory purposes.  Exercise has also been shown to reduce the onset of Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia in old age.

Exercise promotes sleep quality and relaxation.  The energy utilized during exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep.  It helps you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.

Works Cited:

 http://www.acsm.org/public-information/articles/2016/10/07/obesity-and-exercise

 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise#section8

 https://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/



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