Contradictions between scientific theories for obesity and government policies

Abstract

Obesity is a disease which depends on excessive increasing of the fat in the body, resulting from environmental impacts, depending on individual psychological characteristics and also has a genetically based. The effect of environmental factors on the development of individuals and susceptibility to obesity can be explained by Thrifty Phenotype Hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, a baby who has a low birth weight births because of the mothers poor nutritional conditions and harsh environmental conditions encountered by the mother during the development of fetus, increase the risk of developing type II diabetes and result of this, increase the tendency to developing obesity. In the same way, Thrifty Genotype Hypothesis claim that, in some societies occur selection of thrifty genes because of the societies had to be fed low-calorie foods for a long time. As a consequence of this selection, human populations that are adapted to harsh conditions so developed energy storage mechanisms. Accordingly, if these people who are with thrifty genes reach the high-calorie foods, they would face the problem of obesity or type II diabetes. Furthermore, developing epigenetic studies show that, thrifty properties which occur in phenotype due to harsh environmental conditions can be carried to future generations. The validity of these hypotheses can be seen on the world community. Today, if we compare communities which are equal to in terms of the per capita daily calorie intake, it is possible to observe that communities did not receive adequate calories or communities who have lived in famines have much higher rate of obesity. Besides, if societies lived under difficult conditions in the past, they will prefer high-calorie foods and their diets include foods high in carbohydrates and fat content as a basis. In accordance with this description, a balanced and adequate nutrition is an important point to be considered to prevent high rates of obesity for developing countries or communities who lived in famines. In Turkey per capita daily calorie intake has not been too low in the past. However, because of the environmental factors such as periods of shortages, hunger experienced by the one segment of society, poverty conditions of significant number of human and their inadequate nutrition create an effect on genotype and phenotype. That is projections about this effect passed through future generations and increases the rate of obesity are largely accepted. Considering all these reasons, should be aware of changes in environmental conditions that created behavioral and physical changes in society, so nutrition policies should be developed accordingly. Nevertheless, food policies in Turkey create short-term solutions, are not sufficient for peoples health and not suitable for community profile. Aids for the poor people prepared using by cheap and high-calorie foods; in other word requirements of balanced diets and biological structure of society are being ignored. Sad to see that health policies and policies to fight against obesity was not prepared as a comprehensive and long-term and also was not intended to include producers, consumers, industry and encompass all segments of the population. Moreover, seeing that biological features of population, predispositions that may arise in different parts of society and scientific facts not included in the policies adequately and only be targeted short-term solutions create a disappointment about health policies. In short, government policies that prepared by ignoring many important cases, arranged in a short term and aimed at providing quick profit, so these policies is developed for the benefit of people but may damage the these people. Because of this, government health policies contain ethical contradictions. For this reason, the states nutrition policies and food aids should aim to achieve continuous healthy lifestyle for people instead of high calorie foodstuffs to satisfy temporarily. In the prevention of obesity, adequate and balanced nutrition should be included in the government policy and ensure that the development of the food industry, increase the diversity of agricultural products and regulation aids stands out as a requirement.