Advertising and Obesity

Obesity is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass.[2] According to data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), during the years between1988 and 1994, 45.3% of American white males and females, 60.1% of black males and females, and 64.5% of Hispanic males and females were obese.[3] Since obesity has been rising at an epidemic rate during the past 20 years in the United States, reducing its prevalence among adults to less than 15% has become one of our country's national health objectives for the year 2020.[4]

This recent epidemic of obesity has created many health problems nationwide, such as increased rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, among others. Clearly, trying to attack this problem just on the individual level will not yield satisfactory results. Approximately 280,000 adult deaths in the United States each year are related to obesity, and obesity is also related to the causes of some cancers, such as colon, rectum, ovary and prostate. [5]Given the increasing prevalence of these diseases and the enormous growing social and economic costs of obesity, a part of the national budget needs to be set aside to provide educational and advocacy programs to help people and communities deal with this problem.

The diet industries participate actively in reducing obesity by promoting the use of diet pills, low-fat recipes, surgical treatments to reduce fat, and topically applied creams. Even though obesity is often the result of an unhealthy lifestyle, the media have chosen to tackle the problem by promoting the quick fixes mentioned above, instead of by challenging the exercise and food choice habits that promote obesity. A...

... middle of paper ...

...l be a powerful tool to help resolve public health problems as well as social problems.

Sources Consulted

[1] Dam, Julie K.L., and Wihlborg, Ulrica, Weigh to go!, People Weekly, January 15, 2001.

[2] Stunkard AJ, Wadden TA. (Editors) Obesity: Theory and Therapy, Second Edition. New York: Raven Press, 1993.

[3] Center for Disease Control. HHS Issues Report on Community Health in Rural, Urban Areas. retrieved on October 10, 2001.

[4] Center for Disease Control. Obesity and Overweigh. retrieved on November 14, 2001.

[5] A Public Health Epidemic.

[6] Working Woman, September 2001, Special Anniversary Issue.

[7] Dam, Julie K.L., and Wihlborg, Ulrica, Weigh to go!, People Weekly, January 15, 2001.

[8] Weight Loss herbs: That Work and they're SAFE! Prevention, August 2001.

[9] Understanding Adult Obesity. November 14, 2001.