This essay is talking about the architectural response to the global obesity. Today obesity prevalence rates are increasing into higher level which is not a big issue in two generations ago. But today it is health issue on a scale that world has never seen before. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and premature loss of life are main problems clearly seen in the world. The question as architects; Does architecture have a role to play for reduce the prevalence of obesity? Although we can say that architecture is not responsible for peoples’ different lifestyles and unhealthy eating processes. But researches of all around the world suggest different about the matter. This essay is an exploration based on literature reviews and precedence studies on how architecture can be designed to encourage calories burn through physical activity on a daily basis and promote healthier eating, with shifting people away from lifestyles that directly send to the obesity.Can one piece of architecture help to prevent some worldwide obesity problems? No.
One building cannot solve the all the problems. But we can search for ways of to improve physical activity levels and promote healthier eating through architecture. Mainly, Obesity is caused by an individual’s gradual gain in weight.
In most of the times, weight gain occurs over a long period of time due to an imbalance in the amount of calories consumed. National surveys in America says, it can be correcting this imbalance by as little as 100 kilocalories per day. It can be doing simple as by reducing energy intake and increasing physical activity.In 2008 the World Health Organization described that globally around 200 million adult men and 300 million adult women were obese and further 1 billion adults were overweight. As the matter of fact,they state that 43 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010 already. WHO website further says is that the worldwide obesity epidemic has more than doubled since 1980.
New Zealand isn’t one of the very worst countries in the world for obesity problem rates. But In 2006/2007 the New Zealand Health Survey found that 36.3% of adults are overweight and a 26.
5% are obese, and 20.9% of children aged 2-14 are overweight and 8.3% are obese. The same years New Zealand Health Survey found that only 50.
5% of New Zealand adults met the definition of being regularly physically active which is 30 minutes of physical activity a day, at least 5 days a week. Nationally and internationally the consequences of obesity are already beginning to become devastating. Obesity became a risk factor for several diseases like diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis and some cancers. According to the World Health Organization rates overweight and obesity as the fifth leading risk for global deaths. It is estimates that 2.8million adults die each year as a direct result of being overweight or obese.
It also contributing to heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. The other threatful factor is Diabetes increases the risk of heart failure, kidney failure, strokes, blindness and the need for limb amputations.
