Cultural factors are a contributing factor in the cause of the obesity epidemic in America as it continues to be a reoccurring topic of conversation due to a high prevalence of overweight individuals. Culture, the learned values, beliefs, attitudes and practices in which are well accepted by society, is looked upon as a fast-paced lifestyle in the U.S. compared to other cultures. This expeditious lifestyle where convenience, easiness, and quick fixes seem to be right for any situation supports America’s obesigenic society, leading to increased health problems in the future. In addition, social and physical norms are also components of culture that tend to exude pressure on individuals, constituting a somewhat stereotypical reflection of oneself. Due to the composition of the fast-paced American lifestyle and unrealistic expectations for physical appearance, culture has become a compelling force in the expanding obesity community.
In Food & Nutrition: Customs & Culture written by Paul Fieldhouse1, Fieldhouse summarizes many of the issues that coincide with growing rates of obesity. After great evaluation of the psychological aspects of food choice, Fieldhouse recognizes the affect social norms within American culture have on imperfect eating practices. It appears that physicality is utilized to make judgments of one’s eating habits rather than overall health status. He believes the nation’s mission to lower occurrences of obesity is mainly to decrease future health problems, but this also underscores the cultural norm of thinness in the U.S. “Although the considerable effort which is devoted to treatment and prevention of obesity is predicated largely on the desirability of preventing physical health problems, it is at least pa...
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... are just not to be the main focus. In conclusion, cultural factors widely contribute to America’s obesity epidemic as busy lifestyles are highly influenced by learned values, beliefs, attitudes and practices. These external factors do not accommodate the nation’s ideals of image, therefore one is to rely on internal factors to beat the obesity epidemic and decrease future health issues.
References
1. Fieldhouse, P. Weight disturbances. Food & Nutrition: Customs & Culture. London: Chapman and Hall; 1986: 202-204.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult obesity facts: August 2013. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html. Accessed February 10, 2014.
3. USA Today. Obesity in America Summary Statement: 2006. Available at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/educate/challenge/2006winners/winner2-page1.htm. Accessed February 10, 2014.
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
Obesity is a serious epidemic that majority of Americans face. The dangerous of obesity should not be taken lightly and addressed admittedly. However, the big question is how or why do some individuals stay skinny or become fat. The movie Weight of The Nations, Part 2: choice helps us explore this unanswered question to give us a better understanding of how this problem has gotten so out of control. This movie targets the obese society in America. This documentary uses scientist to research and address techniques to help people prevent weight gain and loss unhealthy weight. Most Americans want quick fixes to this problem, but have to realize big changes take time, but offer big results. Over all, the idea is to get people motivated by positive results to live a healthier live style.
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
Fumento uses humor to open the article by stating “the Land of the Fat, Home of the Broad” is how America should be defined. However, this statement might offend people who are obese or anyone in general. Fumento shows that he is unhappy with those people who have been carelessly giving out information on the low-fat diet and claims that much of the obesity epidemic can be laid at the feet of the food industry, diet-book authors, and government health officials. Throughout the piece, Fumento expresses his concern about the rising obesity epidemic and claims that health officials must stick to science if they want to help defeat the epidemic, but “first, do no harm.” The impact of the increasing obesity statistics have concerned Fumento so much that he has also written his own book, “The Fat of the Land,” to discuss this controversy. In the book he discusses the misinformation given out to the public on loosing weight and how they reap billions in profit. Intrinsic ethos takes a positive toll on Fumento’s argument which creates a better chance of getting his point across to the
Did you know that 35% of the United States population is considered obese? Also, 66% of the population is considered overweight or more? (Saint Onge 2014) Even more frightening, in 2012 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than one third of children and adolescents in America were overweight or obese (CDC 2014). The media sources used investigates the political, scientific, historical, and cultural reasons behind the childhood obesity epidemic in America. Obesity is a rapid growing epidemic in America and these sources present the facts causing this epidemic. As well as how the children of the American society are being wrongly influenced by the media, especially advertisments. (Greenstreet 2008).
In order to take a sociological viewpoint into account when one examines obesity, first it is important to understand how obesity is recognized in current society. According to today’s news articles and magazines and advertisements and other mass media about health and healthy life, one can easily realize that a great number of people have an eagerness to be healthy. Also, one can assume through these mass media about health that everyone wants to be attractive, and they are even prone to transform their own behaviors to gain attractiveness. This is because most people live a life where social interaction is frequently required and must engage themselves into social interaction every day of their life. Therefore, based on these ideas and proofs throughout this mass media, obesity is regarded as one of the characteristics that is disgraceful and undesirable in society.
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.
Wardlaw, G.M. and Smith. Contemporary Nutrition: Issues and Insights. 5th Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, pp 85, 2004.
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.
Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).
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...
The Obesity Myth: Why America’s Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to your Health, Ney York, Gotham Publishing, 2004, Paul F. Campos, p.87-88
There is an episode of Disneyland in California. One of the popular attractions, “It’s a Small World” got an upgrade in 2008. This was because an obesity of Americans. Boats frequently sank because of overweight guests, so they needed to fix it (Marcos). This story clearly illustrates the obesity crisis in America. In today’s world, 65% people in America are obese, and this percentage is the highest number in the world (Overweight). In contrast, Japan’s percentage of obese people is 3.6% (Overweight). I had doubts with this problem that what makes Americans obese compared with Japanese, and what are the differences between American food culture and Japanese food culture.Thus, I decided to research about the characteristics of American food
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