As our society advances and adapts, we continue to come across many social issues. We have just recently abolished slavery, but the after effects of racism still exist, making life difficult for those of color or immigrants in specific areas of the country. Racism is just a small part of the adapting "American Culture", there are many other sociological issues, like that of the obesity epidemic. In Chapter 2 of Gendered Media: Women, Men, and Identity Politics, Ross asks the following question in regards to the obesity epidemic, "But who (or indeed what) is really responsible for the increasing of obesity of our citizens and therefore slimming down our expanding waistlines? The individual or the state?" The blame is constantly shifting between …show more content…
The curbside service, or delivering of food to a customer in a car, started in the 1920s and by the 1940s the service had gone nationwide. By the 1950s, the U.S was suffering from what was referred to as the "Fast Food Industry Boom", franchises were popular for their nationwide standardization, unified advertising, etc (Colburn 2014). As the Fast Food Industry boomed so did obesity and heart disease rates in America. During the 1960s (only a decade after the Fast Food Industry Boom), obesity among adults more than doubled, likely increasing the chances of diabetes, heart disease, etc. The Fast Food Industry had attached itself to the roots of American culture, and it was growing faster than anything at the time. This lifestyle had begun to destroy the lives of families and was the beginning of a war that we are still facing today. Now the big debate that many argue is, whether it's the consumer's fault, the providers' or those helping the …show more content…
As a business grows, it only makes sense to expand; supply must meet demand after all. The issue many Americans face, including myself, has to do with convenience. Our quest for the easy way out has put us in the position we are today, and we are teaching the youth to do the same. Teaching the youth to follow on the path of those before us, will not stop this epidemic. Fast Food is no longer affecting a small portion of society, it is now affecting the world. Fast Food chains are located in every business hub, tourist destination, and metropolitan area in the world. According to the World Health Organization (2015), international obesity rates have doubled since the 1980s. The lack of nutritional knowledge and bad habits passed from generation to generation, have made this an international crisis and a crucial social issue (Whitney 2002). There are several ways to come back from this crisis, we need to call on the government/state, be conscious of the examples we set, limit advertising, and keep an eye on our
Obesity is the most preventable health issue in America. It is considered the main problem in the United States and also has been around for centuries. Despite the fact that countless individuals are unaware about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese. When discussing the obesity epidemic in America, many people name fast food companies as the number one cause, but there are several factors besides fast food that further deepen the obesity epidemic. Medication, stress, psychological issues all contribute to the obesity epidemic in America.
Adult overweight and obesity have become a worldwide issue that has very dangerous consequences on health. World Health Organization defines obesity as the “epidemic of the 21st Century”. WHO reports show that 1.9 billion people with 18 years age and older are overweight, and 600 million of them are obese. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem today that results from overconsumption of high-fat food and sugary food with lack of exercise. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reports show that the obesity rates are above 20 percent in all states. Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue because of their high rates of mortality and morbidity. People who are considered overweight or obese are at increased
Obesity in childhood has become a global epidemic in developed and developing countries, and is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st Century (Chan, Deave, & Greenhalgh, 2010; Fleming & Parker, 2015). One-quarter of all Australian children between the ages of five and seven in 2007-2008 were overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABOS], 2015). Obesity in childhood is known to have a significant impact on both physical and psychological health (Wieting, 2008). These children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non‑communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age (Hoey, 2014; Perpich, Russ, Rizzolo, & Sedrak, 2011; Throsby, 2007). It is widely
The nation has developed a cheap food model. The kind of food Americans eat is the kind that is most profitable, commercial. This source of nutrition has caused over eighteen percent of children in the nation to become obese or overweight. If the obesity epidemic is not taken seriously the nation will have to pay the price. Not only adults but future generations are at a higher risk of developing severe heart conditions earlier than past generations. If improvements are not made, our children will die younger than us.
There is a new epidemic running through the U.S. This epidemic is childhood obesity. In the last ten-twenty years, more and more children have become obese/overweight. A study done by the CDC states, “The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” With all epidemics, there is a rush for a quick fix. The quick fix for this epidemic is liposuction, but after a couple months they regain the weight. They then tried dieting, some patients try to diet but keep going back to eating unhealthy and keep the weight on. There is one more thing they can
Imagine being at a friend’s funeral, where the parents had to lamentably bury their young child, all due to poor food and health that has dispersed throughout America. Although America is one of the most prosperous countries in the world, it is also the unhealthiest country. The world’s view of American society consists of people having a Big Mac in one hand and holding a remote control in the other. Obesity has begun to be a growing epidemic that has been in debate. The definition of obesity is the condition in which an individual has an abundant amount of grossly fat and being extremely overweight. Obesity has since been officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association an action that could put more emphasis on the health
Obesity in america has become a big problem. Americans have become a victim of fast food and we have seen this ‘happy meal’ so to speak, kill as many people as cigarettes do. The business men and women who feed people this fattening food, know that fast food is unhealthy and not nutritious. So why do they keep feeding people this junk? In fact its simple, if a person gives someone a dollar and in return that person gets food that is fast, cheap, and affordable, then therefore that person is going to keep buying right? That is how the fast food industry sees it in their eyes. As long as they keep receiving millions of dollars while giving people ‘affordable’ food, they are going to keep giving us the junk that gets us fat and unhealthy. People
A contributing issue to this epidemic is that the labor force has become extremely efficient requiring that both parents in many households join the pool of available workers - leaving several young impressionable children home alone to source equitable nourishment for themselves. Both youngster and parents alike are bombarded with numerous hotdog and burger practitioners promoting their speedy meal choice no matter where they seem to go: be it to work, gas station, school, home, and even while on vacation. Vendors today can be seen on location at just about every street corner, during most television commercials, pop-ups on websites, even through snail and e-mail. According to Fast Food FACTS a Rudd Center for food policy and obesity website reported that McDonald’s alone “spent $900 million in media in 2009, an increase of $100 million from 2008.” (131) With numbers in the billions encouraging people to select a cheap and fast food fill up, how can one person resist the calls? Government must become the protector of the weak; therefore, their leadership support will be needed to help
If we want to dramatically decrease childhood obesity policies and behaviors need to change as well. Fast food is a big problem that comes to mind. Cara B Ebbeling, PhD from the article, “Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure states”, “The rise in consumption of fast food, in developed and developing nations, might have particular relevance to the childhood obesity epidemic”. Ebbeling also states, “Although there are no data on fast food and obesity in children, adolescent girls who ate fast food four times a week or more consumed about 770–1095 kJ (185–260 kcal) per day more than those who did not. A large fast food meal (double cheeseburger, french fries, soft drink, dessert) could contain 9200 kJ (2200 kcal), which,
Obesity has started to rise not only in America, but also worldwide. America has begun consuming more fuel, more electronics, and most importantly, more food. Not just any food though. Americans are eating unhealthy foods and eating them more consistently. This means our energy intake has increased while our output has decreased or stayed constant, leading to an increase in weight for both adults and children. Obesity can lead to an increase in all kinds of health-related illness. Obesity is one of the highest causes of preventable deaths, only second to smoking. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as NHANES, is carried out by the Center for Disease Control to estimate obesity using BMI, or body mass index. In 1960, the data from NHANES showed that only 13.4 percent of Americans were obese and 0.9 percent were extremely obese. In 2010, NHANES showed that 36.1 percent were obese and 6.6 percent were extremely obese. This is equivalent to a 170 percent increase in obesity and a 600 percent increase in extreme obesity (Fryar). This increase in obesity can be attributed to increased portion sizes, advertisements, and technologies that have created an inactive lifestyle.
Obesity has always been a problem since the beginning of civilization. Indulgence and scarcity are the primitive examples of how such a problem had formed. Now, obesity’s causation had evolved to more than just the simplicities. The U.S. is today’s modern examples of the modern epidemic. It’s become such an issue, to the point where the government is taking certain measures and employing programs to combat obesity. However, their methods are proven ineffective due to socioeconomic division among the poor who are unable to afford to change their lifestyle.
When discussing the obesity epidemic it is important to consider potential cultural issues. Obesity describes body weight which increases the probability of developing adverse health effects. Terms such as race and ethnicity generally catalog populaces on the foundation of common features. Conventionally, race separates the population according to biological features including skin color, genetics, and other common characteristics. Conversely, ethnicity categorizes in accordance with cultural individualities such as religious beliefs, dietary restrictions, common language, history and ancestry. Although they are used to describe separate characteristics, both race and ethnicity are social paradigms that are constantly evolving and are crucial
How the world eats has dramatically changed and continues to do so becoming quicker, faster, and more efficient. Therefore this must be the best way for our food to evolve or is it. America is having an obesity epidemic that is now spreading to other nations. Some major things have to be changed to fix this problem. From the movies and T.V. shows we have watched there seems to be two major trends.The first one was food inc which showed horrific images of how our food is made in order to convince people to eat better. The other was cooked which showed how fun it can be to cook in order to convince people to eat better.
In recent years, topics that relate to diet, nutrition, and obesity epidemic have been covered by experts in the United States. Different experts advocate various, and sometimes conflicting strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. One approach to this obesity epidemic is that being overweight is caused by the “obesity genes”. Yet some disagree on this approach and insist that parental influence play a bigger role in obesity. Obesity is a major global health condition that involves excessive body fat. Obesity is the main cause of some chronic illness. Following this further, childhood obesity can be linked with type-2 diabetes and studies also indicate it is associated with an increase in mortality in adulthood.
The book of Obesity Epidemic, will best relate the assumptions of CDT because it really relates to the perceptual process of obesity. How the people process information based on what they believe on for a very long time. Obesity is shaped by global manufacturers and local environment, and the overall aim of the Obesity Epidemic is to evaluate the current logical obesity status and draw a best recommendation to stop it. Although the book highly specified manufactures and corporations relative to the U.S. unhealthy diets, the main blame was strongly recognized to be the Americans. Today, the standard of weight gain continue to rise and obesity are stationing a growing threat and now considered to be a chronic disease. In the efforts of feeling