Question

Define and explain the concepts “personal problem” and “social problem.” Explain how obesity could be viewed as both a personal problem and a social problem. Explain how the causes and consequences of obesity are different when it is perceived as a social problem versus a personal problem.

Answer 1

Q) Personal problem:- It is the problems an individual faces personally or in his private life, due to various reasons, it might be professional stress, study pressure, anxiety or depression etc. When a student not able to understand certain topic that is his personal problem, the stage fear-ness in some individuals is also a personal problem, the fear-ness of height in certain individuals is also considered in the same category

Societal problem:- These are the problems faced by a number of individuals in a society, for example if due to industrialization the river is polluted and when that river water drank by the people of that area it causes some diseases, affecting many individuals of that particular area, this is called societal problem, another example is smoking of tobacco leading to cancer, As this is faced by certain strata or group of people of our society, it is considered as a societal problem.

Obesity is considered both as a personal as well as a societal problem.

Obesity as a personal problem:-

Obesity is a personal problem, there are many factors which causes obesity or fattiness in a person, some of the factors are i) Genetic factors, in some individuals the genes affects the amount of body fat to be stored, ii) Hormonal factors also affect obesity, hormones like leptin, insulin, oestrogens, androgens and growth hormones influences the appetite, metabolism and body fat distribution of a person. People who are obese have hormone levels, which increases the accumulation of fat in their body .iii) Behavioural factors- Behavioural habits of a person also affects obesity, if the person has a tendency to eat more and workout less, then also the fat gets accumulated in body and causes obesity.

Obesity as a social problem:-

Obesity is also considered under societal problem, because every year the percentage of obese people increasing, The main reason is life style , due to changing pattern of life, people started having junk foods , preserved foods ,as they consumes less time and are cheaper in price, these foods causes obesity. With complex and changing lifestyle the stress level also increased, which also causes obesity.

Causes and consequences of obesity from personal point of view:-

Obesity is a complex health issue, it occurs due to many factors, the individual factors are behavioural and genetics, behavioural causes are dietary patterns, physical activity, inactivity, medicine use, and other exposures.

Obesity is a serious problem, as it is associated with poorer mental health issues, reduced quality of life, the consequences are diabetes, heart disease, Gall bladder stone, Heart stroke, and some types of cancer.

Causes and consequences of obesity from societal point of view:-

The sedentary lifestyle, poor diet intake, increasing stress level are some of the causes of obesity from societal point of view, it affects all age group of our society children, adults as well as the senior people, the advancement of technology in all spheres of life also indirectly causes obesity as they reduced manual work.

Causes and consequences of obesity differ from personal point of view to societal point of view-

In personal level it affects a certain individual, Genetics plays a role in personal level. Some illnesses may lead to obesity or weight gain. These diseases are Cushing’s disease, polycystic ovary syndrome etc. Drugs like steroids and some antidepressants also causes weight gain.

In societal point of view it affects a group of individuals, genetics do not play a role. Behavioural issue is the main cause of societal obesity, the life style and food intake are the major causes. Obesity also puts economic impact on society, medical costs related to overweight and obesity are of two types they are direct and indirect costs. Direct medical costs are the costs beared for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of it. Indirect costs are related to morbidity and mortality costs, also the costs beared by companies due to absenteeism and presentism which affects the productivity of the company. The affect due to absenteeism are (The cost beared by the company, when employees remain absent from work, due to obesity-related health issues) and presentism is the decreased productivity of employees at work due to obesity. The premature mortality and disability due to obesity also puts impact on society.