Causation of and Counter for the Obesity Crisis It is difficult to approach the problem of rising obesity in America without understanding what causes that obesity. There are many theories, such as laziness, negligent, absent or busy parents, or lack of healthy food and activity resources. Encouraging personal responsibility, being more active and subsidizing health food and grocery stores are some possible solutions that have been suggested. However, none of these theories explain why people fall into fat-forming habits. Obesity is in fact a socio-psychological phenomenon where behaviors that cause obesity are normal, even when looking obese is not. In order to change obesity trends, the American culture will need to adjust its outlook on …show more content…
John Hill, the director of the University of Colorado’s Clinical Nutritional Research Unit suggests that people who are considerate of a proper diet can maintain their weight even when on high-fat diets, but people on that same diet who did not show restraint gained weight. In the words of his study, “Restrained eaters, as compared with unrestrained eaters, avoided increases in energy intake and weight gain on the full-fat diet and lost weight on the low-fat diet.” The insufficient, aesthetic-based motivation coupled with a lack of restraint when eating and relaxing that many Americans display are huge factors in the obesity …show more content…
Some of his specific solutions may not work – for example, banning sodas sounds like a good idea, but what about high-sugar, non-carbonated drinks? Or carbonated drinks that are not unhealthy, like seltzer? – but the overall idea is correct. It is important to educate and train children to lead healthy lifestyles, as good habits are easier to keep when formed young. This is another point that Mrs. Obama agrees with, and she goes at length about obesity in children in her speech. However, it still remains that children surrounded by an obese culture are more likely to be obese, so the overweight adults need to be targeted too. She does briefly mention that clearer labeling should be required of fast chains,
The problem at hand is that even with the opportunities to be educated and change their lifestyle, eating habits are ingrained into these communities. The Weight of Obesity frames this theory successfully by taking readers through the steps of the obesity epidemic, and using her experience to assist in understanding
Who or what is to blame for the increase of obesity? Thinking Sociologically about Sources of Obesity in the United States by Robert L. Peralta examines obesity as a "disease" (Peralta 200). Peralta provides multiple possibilities to why United States citizens are becoming heavier. He argues that the government aid programs, availability, and cost of nutritious foods makes it difficult to eat healthy (200). Next, the article infers that obesity could be largely a social issue.
“Why Shame Won’t Stop Obesity” Obesity is a huge social issue in America, and the reputation of fast food and junk food doesn’t make it any better. More Americans are developing critical health issues due to obesity. In “Why Shame Won’t Stop Obesity” by Dhruv Khullar, Khullar states that shaming obesity will not stop it. We must recognize that we have created a food environment, but there is much we can do and should do to reverse that trend. I have to agree with Khullar and the statements that he made in the article about shaming obesity, why there is so much obesity, and steps to reverse the trend of obesity.
In “Obesity within the United Sates” Richard Dirksen defines obesity as “weighing roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight” (Dirksen 1). The psychical appearance of obesity is something that in most cases is easy to tell. But the side effects of obesity are what remain silent for long periods of time. In most cases people who are obese tend to shy away from others because they feel simply as, if they do not fit in. Yet they continue to live a gluten full life style regardless of what others think as it satisfies their hunger and taste buds which is starting to make obesity a more common trend.
The high obese population can be explained by culture, portion sizes, food companies and restaurant policies, diets, and traditions. Obesity is not only an individual issue; it is most importantly a national matter. It raises both individual and collective problems related to economic and demographic dynamics. Therefore, based on the alarming rate obesity is growing, it is crucial at this point to find a solution in order to slow down and hopefully stop this epidemic. Comparing diets of different countries and taking a look at the background story of American nutrition and regimes, it is clear that the American diet is very different from other nationalities and has worsened over the decades.
One of the main causes is the abundance of unhealthy food options. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores that sell highly processed and calorie-dense foods are ubiquitous, making it easy for people to consume more calories than they need. Moreover, these foods are often cheaper than healthier options, which can be a significant barrier for individuals on a tight budget. Another factor that contributes to the obesity epidemic in America is the sedentary lifestyle that many people lead.
The obesity epidemic is only becoming more world wide spread as years continue to pass. Obesity has dramatically caused many negative effects on America and the way we live today. Obesity is simply defined as having excessive body fat usually resulting in serious medical problems. More specifically, though, obesity occurs when a person's Body Mass Index (BMI) — or, their weight in kilometers divided by the square of height in meters — exceeds 30 or greater. Studies have shown that about 13 million children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese according to the article “Childhood Obesity: Can it Really Be Child Neglect?” by Abbie Goldbas.
Children 8 to 18 spend 44.5 hours on average weekly watching television and using electronics (Fredericks 11). People wonder why obesity has affected so many americans and this is just the start of the problems. Some of the many contributions to obesity are poverty, gender, genetics, physical activity and diet. About 13 % of children and 61 % of adults are overweight, and with obesity causing 300,000 deaths annually those numbers sound even larger(Nakaya 33). Obesity is an easy problem to fix because of all the research that has been done and all the resources there are.
Obesity is an ever-growing epidemic in the United States. Weights have been rising in the United States throughout the twentieth century, but the rise in obesity since 1980 is fundamentally different from past changes. (Cutler, Glaeser and Shapiro) Though it is not entirely clear what is to blame many scientists and researchers have a theory. The rise of obesity in the U.S. can be contributed to high priced fruits and vegetables, low costing processed foods, widespread increase in poverty, and a sedentary lifestyle.
With there being many efforts to aid with the growing number of cases of obesity in the United States, obesity is still a public concern that can affect just about anyone. Although obesity is thrown around in the news it is not clearly defined, the public knows little of its causes, the long-term effects, how to go about treatment for someone who is obese, and how to prevent its
Obesity has become a major dilemma within America, mostly childhood obesity which has become in my eyes an epidemic. Childhood obesity will bring about adult obesity, health issues, psychological problems, and will even damper on sociological issues when pertaining to relating to culture and other people on a daily basis ( ex: brings about bullying or being bullied, social issues with kids, and low self-esteem and confidence). These include but never restricted to the fact of physical, social, environmental, psychological, and health issues all within a wider scale mostly if the pattern of obesity starts at an early age and then progress to adolescence and adulthood. The factors given in obesity has once again become a worldwide issue and concern for family, friends, and the child.
About 70% of the American population is considered overweight or obese. It has always been an issue but most people are not fully aware of all of the different factors and risks that come with obesity and how it is severely hurting the next generation. Obesity seems simple but is actually
Obesity is a major problem in the United States, and with all the special privileges given to its people, America has become very lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how the rates on obesity has risen over the years in America. Obesity is a major problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people of every gender, age, and race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled rather tripled within the last twenty years due to the many privileges that the American people have before us. Something must be done to overcome decrease the
Fast food and unhealthy living are all problems with today’s society. We need to hunker down on obesity or it will drastically decrease our quality of life, increase our insurance costs, and our nation’s overall health. “How Obesity is affecting the World around YOU.” American Adult Obesity, 8 May 2011, americanadultobesity.wordpress.com/mark-public-argument/. “How Does Obesity in Adults Affect Spending on Health Care?” Congressional Budget Office, 4 Aug. 2015, www.cbo.gov/publication/21772.
As a hole there should be more restaurants that promote healthy food choices. Obesity in the United States is out of proportion and something need to be don , not necessarily at the point of government intersection but this needs to be fix some way somehow. ”public health experts say that an unhealthy diet and the lack of exercise are still the two biggest culprits. ”-Felix gusson.