“Did you know that the average weight of an American has increased twenty-four pounds since 1960?” (Stewart). Obesity is a growing issue in America and the government and society want to have a say in this issue. The government can not stop a person from becoming obese. In order to understand why the government and society is too involved in obesity, one needs to understand the physical and emotional effects society has on America, and how media affects views on obesity, and the government controlling food portions in schools. Society has an effect on American’s emotionally and physically. Over the years, society has set an example of how people should look. There is not a set size people should be. A lot of girls believe they are too fat because they look at supermodels and they are extremely skinny. For example, many girls are afraid to go in front of large crowds to perform or present because they believe they are not skinny enough. …show more content…
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
Obesity in America is a continually growing problem and even worse our own children are sharing in this problem. A commentary in the Washington Times reports that sixty million Americans are obese. What really is the meaning of obese? Obese is having a body mass index of thirty percent or more. In recent years, the percentage of obese Americans has risen. In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, the percentage of obese Americans rose from 22.9 in 1984-1994 to 32.2 in 2003 and 2004. The study also says if you throw in the number of "over weight" Americans (body mass index of 25 to 29.9) the total jumps to 66.3
In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time when Americans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto the treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obese Americans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 58 million
Why does America have an obesity problem? Do we blame it on ourselves, the government, or the supermarket? It is obviously and individual’s responsibility to keep one’s self healthy, but are there ways the government can strive for an overall healthier diet for Americans? Can we change the manipulative ways of Super Markets and persuade them to look past profit? The American government should put in effort to provide a better dietary path for American citizens by working on motivating individuals to make better choices in their diet, pushing Super markets and industries to work together to lower prices of healthier foods, and placing policies and banning unhealthy ingredients in junk foods. It may not be the governments fault, but obesity is such a big issue in American culture that we need to make some major changes and the government is the only one who can make that happen.
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.
This is a factor that many people overlook. Previous research has shown that, “the estimated annual cost of treating obesity-related illness in adults reached $147 billion in 2009.” (“National League of Cities Institute”) With the rate of childhood obesity growing, this number could become catastrophic. In fact obesity related illnesses cover a whopping, “21% of annual medical spending in the United States.” This amount of money can play a major role in our nation’s depth. Obesity is not only affecting the health of America’s individuals, but it is also affecting our nation as a whole. The government's job is to contribute to economic development and to the health and safety of people by maintaining and improving the state of the
Limitations do ourselves a favor by keeping us away from falling apart. Obesity is an issue Americans can’t avoid anymore, our country is falling into a status of healthy warning. Obesity is growing every second, and consumers do not realized the harm they provoke to their bodies when they buy junk food without control.
This source provides a lot of study based research information on several topics that relate to obesity. The article gives a lot of information about the battle between for fighting obesity and advocates that want Americans to make their own choices about the food they consume. This article covers a wide range of informative data from food served in schools, to the rise of industrial farming. The author is a freelance reporter that does not seem to have a bias for the obesity subject. Instead this author provides information for the government to regulate or not regulate the food Americans consume on a day to day base. The article’s audience could be made up of people looking to for the pros and cons of government regulations to help fight obesity. This source provides information to help anyone with some research material to in order to form their own opinion on the problems of obesity in this country. I found this source while using the CQ researcher website and searched for obesity in America.
Obesity is on the rise in American adults and children. Over 78.6 million Americans are considered obese (CDC, 2014). Health experts believe the obesity crisis has become an epidemic that needs to be controlled. Today many efforts are being made by Federal and state governments and some major companies to combat obesity in adults and children. For example, some major companies are rewarding employees with cash incentives for exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. The federal government has even considered imposing a “fat tax” on unhealthy food and beverages to help in the fight against obesity. In this paper I will discuss if the argument that obesity is an epidemic is sound, if a person’s weight should be a topic of public discussion, and my own personal view of how obesity should be addressed.
Good news! We’re Number 2! As declared by a 2013 report from the U.N., America has only the second highest obesity rate in the world at 31.8%, second to Mexico with an obesity rate of 32.8%. America has held on to the title of most obese country for over 60 years. From 13% obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased right up to 2013’s 32.8%.
Why are not more people worried about obesity in the United States? Obesity is a major issue in today’s society and people seem to be ignoring it. The government should regulate each person’s diet because the U.S. obesity would decrease, American’s health would improve, and people would eat healthier.
Obesity problems, which one-third of Americans struggle with, is a “HUGE” problem in our society, no pun intended. The problems they encounter are numerous, including being bullied, low self-esteem, and often are the subject of jokes, such as the one often used by children, “fatty, fatty two by four, can’t get in the kitchen door!”. Being obese not only comes with mental and social issues, but there are also health and financial problems - whether you are not able to get a job because of the way you look or develop health issues such as heart disease or diabetes. Having to purchase two plane tickets because the seats are too small for an obese person is an unfair practice.
The nation’s focus on nutrition education in schools and through assistance programs has done little to affect the more than two-thirds of Americans with obesity. As a result, supporters of a controversial fat tax have called for the intervention of the government to reduce the number of obese Americans and the burden that obesity
The American government tries their best to make sure the American public is safe. The American government has been tackling obesity by putting out guidelines of what to eat. The American government is doing as much as they can with the resources they have to get America healthy. Without these guidelines people would have much more trouble trying to figure out what is and is not healthy. Even with the guidelines that are given to the American public there is still a major problem with obesity. The American government is needed to make sure the American public is able to get healthy foods and not get an overabundance of unhealthy foods while doing physical activities
It is no surprise that obesity is becoming an increasingly important health concern. “Can you believe approximately 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 years are obese? How about this fact: approximately 60 percent of overweight children ages 5 to 10 already have at least one risk factor for heart disease? We are all to blame for this - parents, schools, kids - all of us.” With rising obesity, poor eating habits and technology, America is destined for an unhealthy future. History had proven the death sentences that obesity causes, but even death doesn't scare the human race from obesity. People continue to overeat and become more and more unhealthy especially in America. So as Americans continue to consume more and more food, and live life selfishly without regard to the consequences of such actions, America will continue towards an unhealthy future.
Maintaining a healthy weight is without a question the result of individual behavior. However, the “eat right, stay fit” mantra has used for decades with little concrete results to show for it. This message has been ignored in contrast to unhealthy societal tendencies we have come to accept. We need to encourage the government to address the larger context of how we live, not just what we eat. Aside from school lunch options, there is much more that our government should be doing. Every branch of government, from Washington D.C. to local mayors hold the power to, and should use it to, aid in eliminating obesity in the American populous. State policies and programs, where existent, remain weak. Federal policy lacks leadership and majority