Obesity's Widespread Effects

According to the World Health Organization(WHO), obesity is one of the most serious public health issues of the 21st century, globally affecting 42 million children under the age of five years in the year 2010 alone. Obesity is a topic that has received much attention in recent years. It has affected many people in the past, is affecting people now, and will continue to affect people in the future unless actions are taken to change the way obesity is dealt with. For most people, the concern lies with their right to eat how they choose. This is a relevant concern, but allowing individuals to have that choice has led to higher health and medical costs for the individual, as well as for government programs. Obesity is no longer simply a choice for an individual; it is involving the national government. People have a right to eat how they choose, but when their choices negatively impact the lives of others, it becomes imperative to control and stop this harmful epidemic and bring it to a halt.

Many factors are claimed to cause obesity. One of the first excuses people use is genetics. Indeed, each individual is born with a certain number of adipose, or fat cells (Information Plus, 23). However, this does not constitute obesity. The number of fat cells stays constant during an individual’s lifetime, but the amount of fat within the cells can be controlled by dieting and exercising. Therefore, genetics alone is not the legitimate cause of obesity. People also have a tendency to blame the environment for contributing to obesity. Environment does influence the ease of access that people have to unhealthy food options. However, laying the blame on the environment only masks the most significant cause of obesity, personal cho...

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