Weight control is one of the most challenging problems facing American society. Obesity rates climb higher and higher while arguments about the reasons for this disaster seem circular. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as, “a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater” (U.S. Obesity Trends). The figures are shocking: as Alan Greenblatt reports, “nearly two out of three Americans are overweight or obese, and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled over the last 20 years.” Obesity causes a range of illnesses that lead to 300,000 deaths per year, and treating these diseases costs $117 billion annually (Greenblatt). There is no doubt that we are at the beginning of a challenging issue; however, there is still no unanimity in understanding the core of the problem. To stop this global danger we need to know its causes, but it cannot be done until the sources of the problem are clearly defined. Some blame fast food companies and lack of physical activity, whereas some prefer to lay the blame on the eaters themselves. It is still unclear even whether it is fat or carbohydrates that cause obesity. However, most of these discussions seem speculative. It is quite clear that the American lifestyle, with emphasis on consumption, is the main reason for growing obesity rates.
Indeed, the American lifestyle encourages consumption and it intertwines with the food industry. Heavy advertising imposes an image of a perfect consumer. People buy a lot and gain as much pleasure from their dollars as possible. On the one hand, fast food companies encourage consumption of their products, the automobile industry encourages the purchase of cars, and all other industries do the same. On the other hand, to consume, a lot of ...
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... one gets a clear picture of an animal that is fed off before being sold. An instinct of consumption cultivated by business giants has become a core of American lifestyle, and it makes Americans the obedient consumers of multimillion-dollar corporations.
Works Cited
Greenblatt, Alan. “Obesity Epidemic: Can Americans Change Their Self- Destructive Habits?” Congressional Quarterly Researcher 13 (4). January 31, 2003. Electronic resource.
Rohrer, Jim. Controlling Your Weight: The Thinking Consumer's Guide to Weight Control. Amarillo, Texas: Pharmasoft Publications, 2005.
“U.S. Obesity Trends”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Nov. 2009. Web. 31 Jan. 2010.
Wilder, Lora Brown, Lawrence J. Cheskin, and Simeon Margolis. Nutrition and Weight Control for Longevity 2007. The Johns Hopkins White Papers. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2007.
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
American health, specifically our obesity epidemic, has grown into a trending media topic. A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results containing a multitude of opinions and suggested solutions to our nation’s weight gain, authored by anyone ranging from expert food scientists to common, concerned citizens. Amongst the sea of public opinion on obesity, you can find two articles: Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss. Each article presents a different view on where the blame lies in this public health crisis and what we should do to amend the issue. Pollan’s attempt to provide an explanation pales in comparison to Moss’s reasonable discussion and viable
Throughout the past years and more here recently obesity has become a fast growing problem in the United States and around the world. Since this has become such a problem certain authors are starting to take a stand in how they think the solution should be fixed. The solutions are discussed in the following articles: How Junk Food Can End Obesity by David H. Freedman and What You Eat Is Your Business by Radley Balko. Both articles have clear and distinct arguments, but the argument by Balko entices his readers and has a clear purpose and tone that allowed his article to be more effective.
Obesity in America is a very serious problem affecting many Americans currently and is a problem that continues to grow each year. “Over the past 40 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the United States” (Wimalawansa). This issue is known to many but believed not be an issue to care much about but this is not true. Obesity in America affects everyone regardless if they are obese or not. In order to resolve the problem, we can slaughter all the adults that are currently obese in America.
Goldstein, Hesh. Why There is an Obesity Epidemic. 16 Nov. 2009. 12 Nov. 2011 .
"Obesity." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most U.S. states. By 2010, 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher, and 12 of those had obesity rates of 30 percent or higher. (CDC) Today, nationwide, roughly two out of three U.S. ...
Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999-2008. Journal of Medical Association. 303, 235-241.
According to the USDA, at the start of century 21st American people have increased their daily caloric intake by consuming five hundred calories more than in 1970. As cited by Whitney & Rolfes (2011), there are many recognized causes of obesity such as genetics, environment, culture, socioeconomic, and metabolism among others; but the cause most evident is that food intake is higher than the calories burned in physical activity. Excess of energy from food is stored in the body as fat causing an increase of weight. During the course of the last 40 years, obesity has grown enormously in the United States and the rates remain on the rise (pgs. 272-273).
8. Allison B.D. et al (1999) Annual Deaths Attributable to Obesity in the U.S. (Reprinted) JAMA, October 27, 1999 Vol. 282, No. 16.
2. Obesity dramatically increased in the 70’s due to a number of factors. After World War 2, lawmakers, big business and labor leaders, along with many ordinary Americans put mass consumption at the center of their plans for a successful post-war nation. The availability of frozen dinners and a variety and surplus of different foods skyrocketed. In 1977, the US dietary guidelines changed drastically, promoting our diets as mainly carbohydrate based. Over the years, the sizes of certain foods and our portions have blown up. Twenty years ago, an average bagel was 3 inches in diameter and only 140 calories. Today, the size of the average bagel has doubled, now 6 inches in diameter and over 350 calories. The health problems that stem from being overweight go way beyond the ones we usually hear about, like diabetes and heart disease. Being overweight can also affect a person's joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels. In the U.S. 68.5% of adults are overweight or obese, 34.9% falling under the obese category and 31.8% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese with 16.9% being obese (Overweight and Obesity in the U.S.). Figuratively and literarily, the obesity rate is a growing problem. The total economic cost of overweight and obese persons in the United States and Canada caused by medical costs, excess mortality and disability is approximately $300 billion per year. $80 billion of this portion is due to overweight, and approximately $220 billion is due to obesity. Approximately 90 percent of the total $300 billon comes from the United States. The Trust for America's Healt...
Metcalf, T., & Metcalf, G. (Eds.). (2008). Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders: Obesity. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Cengage Learning
Obesity and overweight remain the two major social problems in the United States. Apart from the fact that obesity and overweight are dangerous by themselves, they also cause a variety of negative health consequences. Our lives our overloaded with tasks and obligations, and we often choose to eat something fast. “Fast”, however, does not necessarily imply “useful”, and more and more people face the risks of becoming obese even at young age. Because obesity has already become a national i...
American culture is changing dramatically. In some areas it’s a good thing, but in other areas, like our food culture, it can have negative affects. It is almost as if our eating habits are devolving, from a moral and traditional point of view. The great America, the land of the free and brave. The land of great things and being successful, “living the good life.” These attributes highlight some irony, especially in our food culture. Is the American food culture successful? Does it coincide with “good living”? What about fast and processed foods? These industries are flourishing today, making record sales all over the globe. People keep going back for more, time after time. Why? The answer is interestingly simple. Time, or in other words, efficiency. As people are so caught up in their jobs, schooling, sports, or whatever it may be, the fast/processed food industries are rapidly taking over the American food culture, giving people the choice of hot
Over the course of the last few decades, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in the spread of obesity. Through the rise of large-scale fast food corporations, the blame has shifted toward the mass consumerism of these global industries. It is, however, due to poor lifestyle choices that the U.S. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity. In 1990 the percentage of obese people in the United States was approximated at around 15%. In 2010, however, it is said that “36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher”(Millar). These rates have stayed consistent since 2003. The obesity problem in America is