Obesity has been identified in the 21st Century as one of the most serious health epidemics. Being obese is also one of the most preventable diseases today. Several factors contribute to a person becoming overweight: lack of exercise, excessive caloric intake, and genetic heredity. Personally, all three factors contributed to my disease. Overcoming obesity has been one of the greatest learning experiences that I have encountered. During my five year journey to a healthier lifestyle, I have recently been called to bring justice to this socially debilitating crisis. Passionately, I feel compelled to assist others in the same predicament that once ran my life. The effects on your health, personality, and behaviors are incredibly different when comparing and obese individual from one who is of a healthy weight. Another component identified through this journey, is the oppression that occurs and is felt by obese people. Oppression is a consequence of discrimination. Acceptance in society is challenging for an obese person, buying clothes that fit is hard, and fitting in an airplane seat is excruciating. I am compelled to stand up to these types of oppression and bring justice to it.
The people suffering from obesity and other eating disorders are the audience of adult learners that I would like to focus on for my Capstone. One can be the reverse of the other. The epidemic rise of diabetes in overweight people, binging for the obese, purging in the bulimic and starving in the anorexic are all eating disorders that have become commonplace in our society. Learning to develop a healthy relationship with food is a necessity for survival. If you think about addictions with drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes there is the ability to stop them and eliminate from them from life, but not when it comes to food. Everyone needs food to survive.
Instrumentally connecting together Adult Learning Concepts with this health epidemic is critical for overcoming the challenges that this group of Adult Learners face. Teaching them a new way can create transformational learning to achieve success. An exciting component of this topic of study is that there is not a great deal research being done about learning theories to overcome obesity, but there is a tremendous amount of data on how excruciating this disease can be. I am committed to finding answers and solutions to help people in this arena. Learning how to live a healthy lifestyle in terms of eating and exercise will ultimately affect personality and behavior in positive and productive manners. Adult Learning theories and overcoming obesity can be an interesting connection to helping to this audience.
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