Order 1234678: Is Obesity A Disability?
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Notes.docxNotes and some information I found regarding to the essay:
Definitions:
Obesity is starting to be a common health problem nowadays. There are more sugar added in food and beverages to attract customer’s appetite and more sitting-down activities are advertised to the new generations. Children enjoy staying at home to watch TV while eating junk food, and neglect the needs to exercise. These excess calories they accumulate from the everyday routine increases their exposures to obesity. Obesity is also a root cause to other complicated diseases that may lead to impairments, physical limitations, as well as participation restrictions, which are the 3 determinants to a person having a disability. We often use Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if a person is overweight or obese by correlating the amount of body fat on that person. A key question revolves around the linkage between obesity and disability, and so can we say obesity is a form of disability?
In 2004, a study called the Canadian Community Health Survey has found that 29% of people who are at the age of 18 or older were obese and 41% more were overweight, and these percentages were calculated with BMI.
Is obesity a disability?
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/obesity.html
Notes:
· Overweight & Obesity = weight is heavier than what is considered healthy for a given height.
· Overweight & Obesity have been shown to increase the chances of getting a certain disease and other health problems.
· Behavior, environment and genetic factors can be causes of overweight or obese.
· Adults often use BMI to determine whether they are overweight or obese, to correlate the amount of body fat. (Overweight BMI = 25-29.9, Obese BMI = 30+).
· Obesity rates for adults with disabilities are 5% higher than for adults without disabilities. (Adult with disabilities 36% : Adult without disabilities 23%).
· Children use BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile. Obesity is defined as having a BMI at or above the 95th percentile.
· Obesity rates for children with disabilities are 38% higher than for children without disabilities. (Children w/ dis 22% : Children without dis 16%).
· Difficult for people with disabilities to eat health, control their weight and be physically active. (reasons: lack of healthy food choices, difficulty with chewing or swallowing food, or its taste or texture, effects from medications contribute to weight gain/loss/change in appetite, physical limitations, pain, lack of energy (participat
· ion restrictions), lack of accessible environments, lack of resources MONEY, TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL SUPPORT.
· Obesity can affect people in different way whether they have disabilities or not. May also increase risk for other health concerns.
· People w/ disabilities: - Children and adults with activity limitations are at greatest risk for obesity.
· Health consequences of Overweight and Obesity: Coronary Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes, Cancers, High blood pressure, lipid disorders, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnoea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, gynecological problems.
https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disabling-conditions/obesity-and-social-security-disability
Notes:
· One third of all adults in U.S are obese.
· Obesity occurs when BMI reaches 30% and morbid obesity is when BMI is greater than 40%. (~7% of all adults Americans are morbidly obese).
· Obesity leads to other health problems.
· Obesity can lead to Type II diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.
· Obesity can be caused by medical conditions (genetic disorders, endocrine system disorders, and mental illness)
· Obesity doesn’t qualify for disability benefits, unless BMI is so high the person cannot move, walk, or participation restrictions (preparing food, cleaning home, dressing or bathing), or matching a disability listing for a related medical condition (heart disease, joint disorders, diabetes, etc).
· Physical job worker may have more absences due to back pain, joint problems, mobility issues, and serious health complications. According to Duke University study published by Archives of Internal Medicine, obese workers are twice likely to be injured on job and miss an average of 13times more days per year than people with normal weight. (Financial costs of Obesity).
https://www.hrmonline.ca/hr-news/is-obesity-a-disability-173455.aspx
Notes:
· ~Quarter of Canadian adults are obese.
· Ontario defines disability as “Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness”
· B.C Council of Human Rights found obesity was a disability.
· Saskatchewan court of Appeal found obesity was not a disability if it did not result from a medical condition.
https://journals.lww.com/intjrehabilres/Citation/2009/08001/Obesity_and_Disability.11.aspx
Notes:
· Body weight plays a small role in the onset of Lower Back Pain, which is determinant symptom of Musculoskeletal Disorder.
Notes:
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