Influences on energy balance

Welcome Information

Recently in my lectures we have been doing about obesity. They have argued that obesity is a Long Term Condition and thus needs management plans and treating. I agree with the fact that obesity needs managing and helping to treat but I find it hard to agree that it is a Long Term Condition because I think obesity is curable, whereas Long Term Conditions are not. What I mean as a Long Term Condition is an illness that someone lives with for a long time, requires management and is incurable. Some people may have obesity for a long time, it DOES require management but I think it is curable.

Another thing they showed us was the influences on energy balance (Jebb 2006) and a construct of an obesity system map:


This was the simplest one I could find, simply highlighting the different influences on obesity. Many people believe it is a strictly biological construct but it isn’t, there are complex behavioural and societal roles involved.


Here is a slightly more complicated one highlighting the organisations also to blame.


And another one highlighting the influences.


I found this picture whilst browsing google and the caption was ‘Obese Nation’. I think this picture is terrifying. The tiny girl next to him will be influenced by his intake and there is nothing that he or she can do about it without him taking action to lose weight. He may not even be able to lose weight due to other long term conditions he may have like arthritis or respiratory problems, which is a completely different topic.

Jessicana xo