Question

1. Body fat has a negative connotation in our society, but fat is actually essential for the proper functioning of the body. Don’t forget your citations. (5pts)

   1. Why do our bodies need fat?

   2. What happens if a person does not have enough body fat?

   3. Is the Body Mass Index (BMI) a good indicator of health, why or why not?

2. What causes overweight and obesity? (5pts)

   1. Is a function of behavior only (overeating, lack of exercise, etc.) or are biological factors also a cause? (citation expected)

   2. Do you think it is healthy, or even possible, for all people to attain and maintain a thin body according to current societal standards? (no citation expected).

   3. What do you think our societal standards should be? (no citation expected).

Answer 1

I.

FAts are very important in our body because they perform many basic functions in the body.

1. All cell membranes are made of fats.

2. They are storage sources of energy. Adipocytes store fat which are used when our body needs more energy.

3. Fats very important in the formation of myelin sheath of the nerve tissue.

4. Fats protect delicate organs by forming a cushining layer.

5. Steroid hormone formation also needs fat.

6. Fats insulate the body to conserve heat.

II.

Fats are important because they make the feeling of satiety and not make you feel hungry always.

Lack of fats will affect the neurological health such as lack of concentration, remembering etc .

Skin will be dry as the 'sebum ' which is an oily substances is not produced in the absence of fat intake. Sebum keeps the skin oily, smooth and supple.

Not able to maintain the body temperature properly.

In female, it may result in loss of proper menstrual cycles. Because menstrual cycle is regulated by steroid hormones which need fat for their formation. In the absence of these hormones, menstrual cycle does not occur normally affecting the reproductive ability of the individuals.

III.

BMI is not a good indicator of health. It is because it does not account for the bone weight and muscle mass. If a fit individuals like athletes are considered for their BMI, they may be qualified as obese because they will have very strong muscle mass and bones. Due to this their body weight may be higher than normal making their classification as over weight or even obese.

IV

Obesity is due to combination of imbalanced diet and the sedentary life style. Fats such as mono unsaturated ats and poly unsaturated fats are important for the normal working of the body. So, they should be included in our diet. But excess intake of these fats again can lead to accumulation in our tissues and obesity. The amount of exercise a person is doing is also very important in controlling the body. Sedentary life style makes a person obese . Carbohydrates that are taken in excess also get converted in to fat and stored in the body tissues if one leads a sedentary life. So obesity is caused due to the combination of all these factors. Balanced diet and active life is important in maintaining the body weight and preventing obesity.

Some times deficiency of certain hormones can also cause obesity for example, hypothyroidism can lead to obesity.

Certain are genetic disorders also cause obesity in an individual.