In this unit, you will focus on obesity – one of modern-day diseases. Through some readings you will improve your language skills to be able to discuss these issues, give your opinion, and learn what has contributed to the condition called obesity.
Don't dig your grave with your knife and fork.
English proverb What is obesity?
Figure 6: Obesity – modern-day disease
Source: http://chattahbox.com/images/2009/04/obesity.jpg (20. 4. 2009)
Obesity is a major problem in today’s society. It means extreme overweight. The adjective from obesity is obese.
1. Complete the sentences below using either obese or obesity.
1. Americans have become considerably more _________ over the past 25 years.
2. More people are overweight today than ever before. Experts are calling this an
"_________ epidemic."
3. Is it true that 18 % of children today are _________?
4. _________ in Slovenia is rising.
5. She was _________ as a baby. But she went to a special _________ clinic and lost weight.
Read carefully the following articles and answer the questions below.
7.1 OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT
Heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer are four of the major killers in our society. The WHO warns that obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with more than a billion adults overweight, of whom at least 300 million are obese.
Obesity and overweight are among major risks for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer. The key causes are increased consumption of energy dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.
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37 Increased consumption of foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to obesity rates that have risen threefold or more since 1980 in some areas of North America, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands and China. The obesity epidemic is not restricted to industrialized societies; this increase is often faster in developing countries than in the developed world.
Childhood obesity is already epidemic in some areas. An estimated 22 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide. The number of obese children aged 6 to 11 years has more than doubled since the 1960s.
Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable.
Prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs high priority.
Adapted http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/, 18. 2. 2009
7.2 GET FITTER, NOT FATTER – OLYMPIANS SHOW THE WAY
Once again the world is witnessing speed, strength and endurance at the Olympic Games. But if athletes are pushing themselves to the limit, most people are getting less and less physical activity.
Sports are a key part of the EU strategy for tackling obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions in Europe and elsewhere. The condition is associated with a lot of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and some kinds of cancer.
Bad eating habits and lack of activity are mainly to blame. Europeans spend on average six hours a day sitting down – typically in front of a TV or computer. Less than one third of adults get regular intensive physical activity, and more than half say they don’t have the time to exercise more.
Expanding waistlines are a problem not only in developed but also many developing countries. WHO calls the trend a global epidemic. In some EU countries, nearly half the adults are overweight and many are obese. About 30 % of European children are too fat.
The commission wants governments to promote not only the competitive aspect of sports, but also the health benefits. The point is not to go for gold like Olympic athletes but to live longer.
WHO recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.
Children should exercise for at least 60 minutes.
Adapted http://ec.europa.eu/news/environment/080814_1_en.htm, 10. 11. 2008
• What do both articles have in common? Name at least three things.
• According to both articles, what are the main reasons for obesity and overweight?
• What is meant by “reduced physical activity”?
• Which of the two articles stresses more “reduced physical activity”?
• What does WHO stand for? If you don’t know, go to:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
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VOCABULARY
1. Translate the following words or phrases from the text:
1. cardiovascular disease ___________________
2. hypertension ___________________
3. stroke ___________________
4. noncommunicable disease ___________________
5. preventable diseases ___________________
6. prevention ___________________
7. saturated fats ___________________
8. consumption ___________________
If you want to find more about overweight and obesity go to:
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood_what/en/index.html
You can also watch the videos and discuss the fast food culture we live in and the consequences of fast food.
http://www.archive.org/details/FastFood_728 http://www.archive.org/details/FastFoodCulture
2. Complete the text with expressions from the above articles.
A diet high in ____________ fats may contribute to the development of obesity; obesity may lead to various diseases such as ____________, ____________ and ____________. Another key cause for obesity is reduced ____________ activity. Obese children often stay obese into ____________. To prevent obesity WHO recommends that children and adults should ____________ on a daily basis.
Reading
7.3 OBESITY REQUIRES CLIMATE PLAN
Obesity needs to be tackled in the same way as climate change, a top nutritional scientist has said.
Professor Philip James said the challenge of obesity was so great that action was needed now, even without clear evidence of the best options. He also called for stricter rules on marketing and food labelling.
Professor James, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, was speaking in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
He commented: "This is a community epidemic that is actually a response to all the wonderful apparent industrial and economic development changes that we've seen, with a collapse in the need for physical activity, and now a targeting of children to make profits by big industry in food and drink.”
He added that it was important that all food used a "traffic lights" labelling scheme so that consumers could immediately assess fat, sugar and salt content. "This is a form of public
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"A huge range of analyses show that we have not been looking at the problem of children's nutrition and well-being properly. They're disadvantaged from birth, their academic achievement is impaired, their earning power is diminished, and they almost certainly have a life expectancy which is less than that of their parents."
New data from Scandinavia showed that the weight of a child at the age of 7 – 12 predicted whether or not they were going to die early from heart disease or other problems, he said.
"We now have to think in a totally different way and recognise that it's the life cycle," he added.
A study of 5,000 men and women who lost an average of 70 lbs (30 kg), and kept the weight off for six years, shows that large lifestyle changes – such as exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day – were needed to keep people slim.
"The obesity epidemic won't go away simply because people switch to skimmed milk from whole milk," she said. "They need to substantially cut their calories and boost their physical activity to get to a healthy weight – and keep minding the scale once they do."
Adapted http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7250608.stm, 25. 8. 2008
1. Answer whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Climate changes and obesity are both huge problems nowadays. □ 2. Professor James gave a speech in the UK. □ 3. More attention should be paid to proper food labelling. □ 4. The traffic light labelling system is used in Brussels. □ 5. Overweight children are likely to have a shorter life expectancy. □ 6. We should drink skimmed milk instead of whole milk not to be obese. □
2. Match the underlined words from the article to their definitions. Write the verbs in the infinitive form.
1. ____________________ an official group of people, organization 2. ____________________ a sudden failure of function, breakdown 3. ____________________ to deal with a problem or situation
4. ____________________ the number of years that a person is likely to live 5. ____________________ to make a judgement about the quality of sth.
6. ____________________ in bad health because of a lack of food 7. ____________________ to refuse to accept
8. ____________________ the growth, development of the trade, industry and wealth of a country
9. ____________________ to try to have an effect on a particular group of people
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• Does obesity deserve more concern in Slovenia?
• Are there any institutions or organizations in Slovenia dealing with obesity problems?
• What is being done to change schoolchildren’s eating habits?
In this unit you have met some terms which might be unfamiliar to you, although they are closely connected with your study or profession. So, let’s summarize them:
o obese and obesity o saturated fats o preventable disease o physical activity o consumption of …
Could you give some advice to children what they should or shouldn’t eat, or what they should or shouldn’t do to stay healthy, and not to become overweight or even obese?
Slovenia
???
Conclusion
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