Obesity, which is having too much body fat, not just being overweight, has become a major, life-threatening problem today. We need to solve this problem before it becomes irreversible. The main causes are: poor food choice, lack of exercise, and surprisingly, lack of awareness of how to have a healthy diet. It has become such a problem in America that it has been said by many different health organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Mayo Clinic, that the average life expectancy in the United States will drop severely because of obesity. It causes people to suffer not only physiologically but psychologically, as well. Being obese can cause many serious, but preventable medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, cancers, and strokes. It can also cause an inability to participate in physical activities, fatigue, social rejection and depression. The social stigma of obesity is especially painful in children. Education in good nutrition and the necessity of an exercise plan can prevent the need for medical interventions.
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These are all very serious conditions but can be prevented when obesity is the cause. The diseases listed are just some of the diseases that can be brought on by complications of obesity. An of example of how obesity can create these medical problems is heart disease, also known as atherosclerosis, which can occur when fat is deposited in the arteries and blood vessels. This puts extra pressure on the heart in order to draw enough oxygen for the tissue and cells. As a result, the blood pressure increases and causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure is an especially significant threat to a person 's life because many people do not know they have it until it becomes