Cause and Effect Essay on Obesity

I choose this topic because I think it is an interesting topic and everyone will like it. As can be seen, obesity is known as one of the most concern in the United States. Many children like to eat fast food, and adults do not have time to cook, so they usually choose to eat outside. Therefore, many people are obese, and they do not know how to balance their

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

Over one-half of all Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases. Women generally have more subcutaneous fat than men, but appear to suffer a greater cardiovascular risk from a given degree of fat than women.

Daniel Weintraub in the article, “The Battle Against Fast Food Begins In The Home”, claims that parents have to take the blame for their own children being overweight. Weintraub supports his argument by listing data and research of how parents provide these unhealthy meals to their children which makes the obese, “ But parents, not the fast food companies, not the government, are in the best position to fight the epidemic of overweight. The authors purpose is to point out that parents need to take responsibility of what they’re providing for their own children, and even though a McChicken in Mcdonalds cost a dollar, it is unhealthy to feed your children continuously, that takes in order for the children to know what choices they should make

He claims that the prevalence of fast food and the lack of healthier food alternatives is causing an epidemic of teenage obesity in America. In his essay “Don’t Blame the Eater,” David Zinczenko notes “Drive down any thoroughfare in America, ... you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit” (463). Zinczenko argues that there are no inexpensive and convenient alternatives to fast-food restaurants for teenagers. Especially for teenagers, unhealthy and fattening fast food

Fast-food industries may try to “target children in their ads”, but it ultimately comes down to the adults-the parents- choosing to dine at these places and pork up their kids on the high-sugar sodas, salty French fries, and greasy burgers. If they would just take the time to look out the window, they would see the healthy alternatives to fast-food, and how the alternatives are literally right in front of

“As Americans add pounds, critics are increasingly blaming the fast-food industry. Teenagers have filed lawsuits against McDonald’s, saying that the fast-food chain caused their weight gain and loss of health. A public health group in California has asked the governor to declare childhood obesity a state of emergency. But parents—not the fast food companies, not the government—are in the best position to fight the epidemic of overweight children.”. They are the consumer who chooses to get the quick, and easy fix. They do not realize they are compromising their own health, and their children’s health.

In article one Maia Szalavitz, wrote an article titled, “Viewpoint: Defining Obesity as a Disease May do More Harm Than Good.” She is a neuroscience journalist from Time Magazine, who talked about the harmful effect classifying obesity will have on one’s life, as well as others around them. In article two Dr. Keith Ablow’s article is called, “Obesity is not a Disease- and Neither is Alcoholism.” He is a psychiatrist and a member of the Fox Medical A-Team who talked about the solution to obesity, may be as simple as raising someone’s self-esteem. Both these articles talk why one should not classify obesity as a disease, but only one talks about the solution to solve the problem of obesity. Even though Szalavitz and Ablow are similarly matched rhetorically by taking a world-wide problem and discussing the issue of classifying it as a disease; Ablow is more rhetorically effective, because he uses more examples and evidence from different sources to back up his reasoning.

Obesity is a prominent issue not just because the public ignores it, but because the current consumer culture enables it. The key to solving any problem is to figure out the cause. The cause to obesity is simply the decisions made by the consumer and the producer. By examining the root cause of the problem, steps can be made to rectify the obesity epidemic in this country. One issue is, that companies are more concerned with what will make them fast, easy money than they are concerned with how their product will influence public health. Another issue is the decisions the consumer makes when buying food. Society is responsible with providing better choices, but it is up to the individual to make consistent, healthy decisions for themselves. However, the choice to eat something unhealthy has more complex roots with economics, time, and marketing. The means and resources are often not available to lower socioeconomic families when making the decision on what to buy. Like many daunting challenges that require reform, the obesity epidemic in this country is a complex problem with multiple variables. By examining the market-consumer relationship of the food industry, a few of the issues propagating the obesity epidemic can be studied and reformed.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in line with a growing number of health scholars, government and private philanthropic organizations support the notion, stating that many of today’s complex health problems may profitably be studied and addressed through approaches that emphasize collaboration with communities in exploring and acting on locally identified concerns (Minkler et al, 2003). There is no doubt that success and sustainability of the proposed research study on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among African immigrants in the United States using CBPR approach will likely benefit and depend on the collaboration of non-scientific trained community members. Yet, the argument continues to center on why non-scientifically trained

Obesity has caused great dilemma in America. It was known as an adult disease. “Over two thirds of adults are over weight or obese.”(Obesity, Jerry R Ballenttne) these numbers are increasing rapidly. Obesity is not just a appearance

Obesity rates are soaring throughout North America (What Is Obesity?, 2013). With obesity reaching almost epidemic proportions in the United States, and the threat of a global epidemic, we must watch this alarming increase carefully ( Health Risks of Obesity, 2013). Obesity is defined as: "…an excess of adipose tissue…" (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014). The two most common measures of obesity are Body Mass Index (BMI is a ratio of weight to height) and relative weight index, such as percent desirable weight (Body Mass Index , 2013). BMI is the most frequently used measure of obesity as it has a strong correlation with more direct measures of adiposity, such as underwater weighing (A Report of the Surgeon General, 2013). Some

Obesity is a prevalent condition in America that undeniably leads to a plethora of health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, and depression. However, while medical interventions can be useful for addressing obesity, treating it as a purely medical condition can decontextualize this growing issue. Additionally, it can support the use of ineffective but potentially harmful treatments by a group of disproportionately empowered medical professionals and industries, that are incentivized to maximize their profit. Obesity exists in the context of a society that moralizes eating habits and stigmatizes fat bodies, and the medicalization of obesity impacts not only those who are obese, but also those who become obsessed with avoiding obesity. Combatting obesity is hence a complex problem that should be treated with both medical and societal interventions, and a failure to do so will result in serious consequences.

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

With the ever increasing, waging war against stoutness. For many, the thought of Obesity putting an entire generation at risk of incalculable medical problems, has become an overwhelming thought. While yet, the masses continue to question if the pandemic is even truly considered a real sickness. In order to inform readers about this well-known pandemic named Obesity, which seems to be sweeping through the nation, and to better help readers understand the cause as to why it is ever increasing, with extensive research many reasons will point to readers as to why this condition may or may not be considered a disease after all.