Obesity Argumentative Analysis

How would you feel if I told you that there is no one state with an obesity rate lower than 20%? Take this information and compare it to twenty years ago when every state had an obesity rate lower than 15%. Obesity has become not only the number one cause in death, but according to David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of “Don’t Blame the Eater”, it is the number one cost in health care with numbers rising well over 100 billion dollars a year (196). There are many people we could blame, such as the food industry or the government, but before we start pointing fingers elsewhere, individuals need to stand up and take personal responsibility for their own actions and health. Either way it is evident a

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

Obesity is becoming one of the biggest problems in the country, but there has to be reasons for it. It can be the economy, society now, or people and companies. It’s time that our country starts to realize that we can’t live like this anymore. We need to see what is causing the sudden rise in obesity, and what we can do to fix it. Education of risks and solutions can be very helpful. Obesity is killing so many people, yet is still 100 percent avoidable. Our country is beginning to care less and really let themselves go. The fast food industry, supermarkets, and schools are the ones at fault for the spreading problem of obesity.

advertisements everyday on the television constantly being persuaded into having their parents buy them the unhealthy food. Harper Collins argues that " the problem of childhood obesity has grown dramatically in recent years, with between 16% and 33% of children and adolescents being obese or overweight due to unhealthy weight gain due to poor diets and lack of exercise" (parag. 1). These percentages aren't very good when every day almost ⅓

In 2012 CDC statistics show that “over 35 percent of adults and 32 percent of children in the United States of America are recorded as obese (30kg/m2), the obesity rate has doubled since 1971.1” Not only is epidemic growing in numbers of victims but also in expenses. The United States spent 147 billion dollars in 2008 on medical expenses costs and that does not include the programs that fight against the problem. “In 2003 over 300,000 died due to obesity related health problems, diseases and cancers.6” One of the most important battles we wage on American soil is the war for citizens to be fit, and it nearly always starts in the childhood. Since 1971 the problem of childhood and adult obesity started to grow annually due to many reasons related to our ways of living. Now the food industry, including fast food has been getting more and more unhealthy due to unnatural modifications. What Americans eat is not organic anymore and is taking its toll on American lifestyle. The fast food industry has been making advertisements and foods focused upon youth. Since the original commercials directed towards children, it has nearly tripled since the rise of technology. Technology has been growing rapidly as obesity is, statistics show that with the advancement of technology, the population starts to slow down, stop exercising and eating healthier foods. As long as there is childhood obesity, there will be adult obesity, with effects on children causing obesity, there will be a

People all around the world suffer from overweight or obesity. Whether it from food choices or inactivity it all comes down to one thing the food industry. The food industry produces mass products that are shipped to grocery stores, than go to our homes, making them liable for some of weight gain and obesity in America.

Obesity is one of America’s problems that we struggle with every day. Even other countries see America for obesity and how much junk food and pop we consume. Our first lady is even trying to help fix this problem. Schools are gaining healthy lunches and changing up a few things in how make what school’s eat. That’s a great step, but you can always avoid school lunches. I know that people can’t force people to eat healthy. But I realize that how we are is really not anyone’s fault, except ours. Obesity is how much self control people have and how we handle our food options.

Obesity has increased a lot over the years and health problems have not gotten any better. “... [T]he average person has increased 24 pounds since 1960” (Stewart ). The government has a reason to be concerned and worries about our obesity rates raising. Society likes to include themselves in every problem America has, and since obesity is a growing problem in America it is understandable why society wants others to be healthy. Even though it is understandable why the government wants to be involved, society and the government is too involved in the growing issue of obesity. The government cannot have a say in how someone wants to live their life. “A New Jersey woman, who now tips the scale at 604 pounds, said it’s be a “fantasy” to gobble her way to fame and someday weight 1,000 pounds” (Li). The government cannot control how people want to live their lives whether it be healthy or

The government presently has programs in place that are meant to urge people to deal with their weight. Cities generally have parks which supply free exercise-related areas to the public. While the government offers resources for people to challenge obesity, the government should “let each [person] take responsibility for [their] diet and lifestyle.”(Balko) An individual, not the government, pays the consequences of obesity in their value of life. In fact, the government should not pay for any backlash of obesity, because it removes a person’s own accountability, but “we’re likely to make better decisions when someone else isn’t paying for the consequences.” (Balko). Obesity does not occur in a day or a week, but through a sequence of choices and routines, which form a lifestyle. A law highlights a problem and provides a solution, this procedure is often efficient in dealing with the problem. But as for the growing problem of obesity, solutions suggested are usually short term regulations which cannot always connect a multi-generational problem. Instead of taking away temptations, such as fast food chains or unhealthy foods, the government should continue encouraging people to live a healthy life. The benefit of healthy living is that it is not limited to today, if prioritized, healthy living can become a long-lasting

They argue that many public health campaigns have made the problem of obesity worse by minimizing how difficult it is for individuals to lose weight. This book challenges governments to abandon top-down planning solutions in favor of bottom-up innovations to confront the obesity crisis. From XXL, the section that speaks of all the risk involved with being obese is the perspective used in this report. It recalls various facts helpful to readers so they can understands what is behind the struggles of obesity. These facts include the approximate death a year in the United States, the various illnesses and disabilities of obesity, how bullying affects the obese individual, etc. XXL is a great source of information for anyone looking to research

Although specified in the documentary “Hungary for Change”, in a day we eat hundreds of calories, but that food lack nutrients because we are eating countless amounts chemicals that are deteriorating our bodies. Not to mention numerous food products contain sugars, aspartame, MSG, and high-fructose corn syrup. Consuming a high dose of these ingredients can severely damage your nervous system, brain, cause allergies, seizures, and weight gain. In the article “The impact of food advertising on childhood obesity” it positions how “research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity.” Following up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “obesity has other than doubled among children ages two to five from five to twelve percent and ages six to eleven from six point five to seventeen percent.”

Proposed solutions include integrating physical activity into everyday life in every way, promoting marketing of what matters for a healthy life, promoting greater availability of healthy foods and beverages, enlisting employers and health care professionals in the fight against obesity, and strengthening schools as the "heart of health."(Michael L. Marlow 4) Although the plans seem simple and like common sense it can’t work without the entirety of society changing. Our examination of the obesity issue demonstrates that government intervention is often ineffective in dealing with individual failures, and in some cases is counterproductive. (Michael L. Marlow 5) This statement itself proves that we must work together to make this change, people follow trends that are popular so if they’re not part of the majority often times they will want to change to fit in with society's

“If and when the public chooses to use government power to offset the factors that promote obesity, we can do so. A day may come when we decide to limit advertising of unhealthy food, strengthen lifestyle teaching in schools, and create stronger financial incentives to adhere to lifestyle recommendations. The more eager we the people are to fight the obesogenic environment, the more responsive and effective our governments will become” (Medscape General Medicine, vol. 9, no. 4, 2007).

There is a problem within America with obesity in children and teens. Teens and children’s obesity rate has begun increasing rapidly over the years since the early 70s. Child obesity is a problem because of the dangers and risks it poses and is to the child's health. Some of the risks are: Depression, Diabetes, Heart Problems, Muscle Pain, Back Aches, High blood pressure

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015), “the rate of obesity among adults and children have doubled since the 1980s” and “approximately one-third of the US adult population and nearly one-fifth of children between the ages of 2-19 are classified as obese”. The government can take a different stance to reverse this issue by redirecting subsidies to food companies influencing the food market, promoting a preventative stance (instead of reactive) on health care coverage tax breaks, and changing the children’s public school curriculum and regulating the practice the “food industry” spends on advertising unhealthy and processed foods to children. Research indicates that although personal choices may lead to healthier habits, the influence government currently has regarding the obesity epidemic can have a heavier impact on reforming our culture of unhealthy lifestyle habits.