Within recent years obesity has become a major deal in society. Obesity does not only affect people’s physical lifestyles but also people’s mental lifestyles as well. People are beginning to ask why the current generation is struggling with overweight issues so much more than previous generations have struggled with it. Many people who have studied the issue of obesity and improper nutrition have credited the issue to laziness and unhealthy eating styles. The solution to this problem is not as easy as it might seem. One might think that being more active and eating healthier is an easy fix to the problem of obesity; however, the solution is much more complicated.
People tend to blame obesity on people making wrong lifestyle choices. For example, eating a Big Mac from McDonalds instead of eating a turkey sandwich, or eating a bag of Doritos instead of eating fresh fruit. For some people the only obstacle standing in their way of a healthy lifestyle is deciding to put down the bag of chips and pick up the carrot sticks. For many others the obstacle standing in their way of a healthy lifestyle is not as simple, but instead the obstacle becomes having to pay the extra amount of money it cost to have these nutritious food items.
Professor Ward from Flinders University addressed the situation well by saying, “With increasing obesity, governments tend to focus their attention on telling people to eat healthy, but the problem is that the more unaffordable healthy food becomes, then the more difficult it becomes for individuals to take the healthy eating option.” It is easy for society to point fingers at individuals and say it is the individual’s fault for not eating healthy, but because of the cost o...
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...etrieved from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/are-low-income-people-at-greater-risk-for-overweight-or-obesity/
Marketing and Communications. (2013, February 25). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blogs.flinders.edu.au/flinders-news/2013/02/25/when-the-cost-of-healthy-eating-gets-too-high/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-the-cost-of-healthy-eating-gets-too-high Orneals, L. (2013). Food deserts. Retrieved from http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/
Parker-Pope, T. (2007, December 5). A high price for healthy food. New York Times. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/a-high-price-for-healthy-food/
The nashville food truck project. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.thenashvillefoodproject.org/?page_id=23 Appendix B
Jordan, Andrew. Written 2013, Novermber 23. Lipscomb University.
ADJORDAN1@mail.lipscomb.edu
The problem behavior associated with individuals making bad food choices when presented with unhealthy food will need to be observed so that we may understand how to change this behavior as it is unhealthy and harmful to health overall. Are poor choices in different foods causing obesity? Making poor choices when it comes to food is an
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.
Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed.
Richard Balko and Mary Maxfield discuss personal responsibility, and choices in one’s health in their essays “What You Eat Is Your Business,” and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” respectively. Balko feels the government should not intervene in people’s food intake because it is an individual preference. Instead, Balko asserts that the government should foster a program to assist the American people to take on personal responsibility and ownership of their own health. Similarly, Maxfield paints the same picture that our culture now finds it immoral to eat what our body needs, therefore believing in the idea of eating less is healthier. Maxfield points out the multi-billion dollar campaign of corporations into advertising false hope into consumers by buying into eradication of fatness. Why has food have suddenly become a risky subject at the dinner table? And who is to blame? Is it everyone else or do we blame ourselves?
In “Don’t Blame the Eater”, by David Zinczenko and in “What You Eat is Your Business”, by Radley Balko both authors discuss and make their stance’s clear on their believed cause of obesity in America. On one hand, Zinczenko argues that it is not the consumers fault for putting themselves at risk of becoming obese or being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but that it is the fast-food companies fault. While on the other hand, Balko argues that we as individuals hold responsibility on whether or not we are putting ourselves at risk for obesity.
Everyone loves fast food, surgery desserts and indulging in sweet and salty snacks covered in chocolate. What people rarely think of is how unhealthy they may be eating and what they’re putting into their bodies. The consequences can be life threating if not taking the right procedures to maintain a healthy lifestyles. As we continue these unhealthy lifestyles they can be taken after by our children and their grandchildren. Children that continue in their parents footsteps or start these habits soon learn the finances as adults such as health costs. Radley Balko criticizes Americans in “What You Eat Is Your Business” for not taking their own responsibility regarding be overweight and how it’s become a public issue. He says the government is not
Obesity has become an epidemic in today’s society. Today around 50% of America is now considered to be over weight. Fast-food consumption has been a major contributor to the debate of the twenty-first century. Chapter thirteen, titled “Is Fast-Food the New Tobacco,” in the They Say I Say book, consists of authors discussing the debate of fast-food’s link to obesity. Authors debate the government’s effects on the fast-food industry, along with whether or not the fast-food industry is to blame for the rise in obesity throughout America. While some people blame the fast food industry for the rise in obesity, others believe it is a matter of personal responsibility to watch what someone eats and make sure they get the proper exercise.
(2015) obesity is becoming a public health problem in the world (p. 258). Obesity is increasing in adults from 15% to 30%, 5% to 18% in adolescents and 6% to 19% in children as stated by (Ferkel, Judge, Stodden, Griffin, 2014, p. 219). Obesity occurs when someone has a poor unhealthy diet or no type of physical activity. If an adolescent consumes plenty of fats and sugars but does no type of physical activity to burn off those calories than most of the fats and sugars will be stored inside their body as fat. 1 out of every 3 adolescents are now being considered obese; by reason of, children spending more time using technology instead of going outside to take part in physical activity. Physical activity is very important to burn off calories and fat which can be helpful when trying to prevent obesity or also treating it. Obesity is increasing rapidly throughout the nation making it a public health problem; obesity develops when someone has an improper diet, lacks of physical activity and their emotional
Obesity has increased rapidly throughout the years, especially in the United States. As of today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults in the U.S are considered to be obese. We all know that obesity is becoming a serious issue in the lives Americans. The effects of obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and in serious cases, death. So the question we can all ask is, “What is the cause?” The cause of obesity can come from, but is not limited to, some of these things: eating habits, lack of exercise, or a medical condition.
Ever since the creation of the golden arches, America has been suffering with one single problem, obesity. Obesity in America is getting worse, for nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight. This obesity epidemic has become a normal since no one practices any type of active lifestyle. Of course this is a major problem and many wish it wasn 't in existence, but then we start to ask a major question. Who do we blame? There are two articles that discuss numerous sides of this question in their own unique way. “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko is better than “Don 't Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko due to its position in argument, opposition, and it’s reoccurrence in evidence.
In the UK as well as in other developed countries, obesity is becoming a growing problem this puts pressure on health services and affects individuals’ ability to work, and contribute to the economy. The government feels the pressure to act by taxing unhealthy foods and drinks, and by setting up educational campaigns, (Stephen Adams, 2011).
We make personal choices about what and where to eat. The government is not going to eliminate the unhealthy food because we think it is the cause of obesity. Ultimately, we must decide to either stay away from unhealthy food or eat them in moderation. Despite all the efforts of education, media and guidance it doesn’t prevent us from grabbing that cheeseburger with fries on the way to work. In his essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko argues that society should take full responsi...
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...
Not only is food education important, but also genomic education. For instance, ninety percent of lung cancer cases begin from smoking. Accordingly, personal obligation is a considerable aspect in determining the risk if somebody gets lung cancer. Individuals can even get lung cancer while never smoking a cigarette. Moreover, this obscures several health policy debates. I believe that a small amount of obese individuals are hereditarily preset to become obese and most likely will come to be overweight regardless even if they followed a strict diet plan. Some are hereditarily susceptible to obesity in that they must be vigilant about their nutrition, which may evade obesity. Furthermore, many have no inherited traits contributing to obesity, but through careless eating habits become obese. Radley Balko, a senior editor at Reason, states, “We’re becoming less responsible for our own health, and more responsible for everyone else’s” (396). Individuals consistently buy fast food around the country, choosing the decision to consume foods that can cause obesity. There is the false economic belief that it is less expensive to eat fast food than to purchase healthy alternatives at a grocery store. Fast food is less expensive in the beginning, yet costs significantly more at the end; I am simply discussing nourishment quality here, not the consequent health insurance costs it puts on the obese. No one needs to reprimand the individuals who end up getting obese on account of no deficiency they could call their own, yet neither would anybody like to exonerate obese individuals from personal
Obesity occurs in all countries and it is one of the gravest problems in modern society. Obesity problems have become one matter of concern for individuals all around the world. What is more is that Obesity rates continue to rise all around the world. One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. Obesity is also due to lack of exercise and lack of education and awareness. Therefore obesity has various effects including the risk of suffering from a range of health conditions, increased expenditure on health care and lack of self-esteem.