Passages quoted from the text (with page numbers)
Responses (interact with the text through analysis, predictions, evaluation, and connections, but don’t just summarize)
1. “On this count, most of the men in the room could rest easy. They had personal trainers, gym memberships, and enough nutritional awareness to avoid diets that were heavy in the foods they manufactured” (11).
This just confirms a horrible truth: the food companies are very much aware of the lack of nutritional value in their products, yet they continue to sell them to the less informed public. While Moss says the business men are able to “rest easy” when it comes to their weight, I find it difficult to believe that all the people in the room can “rest easy” morally.
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It isn’t that simple. The playdate dynamic has shifted from making forts and riding scooters up and down the street to sitting indoors playing games on various devices. The rise in technology correlates with the rise in obesity. In a society where it is considered normal for elementary school students to own an iPad, it is easy to see how the rates jumped up from 15 to 20 percent in a two year span. How can childhood obesity be controlled? The way I see it, it can’t. The last thing any parent wants to do is strip their child of their innocence by making them conscious of their weight. You can’t simply take away one kid’s Nintendo either because then he is left out of the group. Adults must choose the path for their offspring. Which is the worst option, a physically unfit child or an alienated one?
5. “Its most rabid devotees proudly call themselves Peppers, belong to a club called the 10-2-4—so named for one of the early advertising campaigns, which encouraged people to drink three Dr Peppers a day, at ten, two, and four o’clock—and make pilgrimages to Waco, Texas, where a pharmacist at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store invented the drink in 1885” (48).
After reading this I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Peppers and Muslims. Both groups were built around the worship of one element. For the 10-2-4 this item is Dr Pepper, while Muslims worship their god Allah. Islam and the 10-2-4 also both have a destination where
Profit-oriented leaders of new diet fads surely would be infuriated while reading the words of Michael Pollan in his work, Unhappy Meals—not necessarily because of his aim to disprove diet fallacies but, rather, the possible ramifications of Pollan’s words on their bank accounts. Explained in the article, the world’s understanding of diets and their effects on the human body has improved steadily—if not exponentially—throughout recent history. Here, the advocates of new diets claim the changing world and its understanding of health requires changes in diet; the human body will adapt to the new times. To counter, Pollan argues that is definitely true, but we have to be open to the idea of the death that occurs during the process.
With obesity rates increasing at a high rate, David Zinczenko, author of “Don't Blame the Eater”, tells his readers about his argument about how it's not the fault of the children consuming so much fast food. He works as a nutrition and wellness editor for ABC News. Before working for ABC News he was also an editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazines as well as editorial director of Women’s Health magazines. Past jobs and the job he has now put him in an appropriate position to publish his thoughts on obesity. His intended audience for this essay are the fast food industries and also the people who laugh at the children for trying to sue for being obese. Zinczenko has written an effective argument by establishing himself as an authoritative
Dr Pepper has come a long way from Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas back in 1885. According to the Dr Pepper Museum website, under “History of Dr Pepper”, the inventor was Charles Alderton, who was a young pharmacist working in the drug store. In his spare time, he had a hobby of mixing carbonated beverages for customers. Apparently, he
Michael Moss, an investigative reporter who enjoys reporting on food, wrote: “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food” (pages 471-494). This article reports on the ways that prepackaged food, especially junk food, is being designed to fit the customers’ needs and wants, as well as being something that the body craves. Moss provides multiple accounts throughout the reading in which people who have worked for or created corporate companies design foods just so they will sell. Moss expresses his thought in a clear manner to the reader so he or she will understand that Moss worries about the growing obesity in America and places the blame on junk food corporations. Though junk food corporations have a great part in the growing obesity,
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States as well as in many other industrialized nations. Childhood obesity, though, is not limited to affluent countries and is increasingly being found in developing nations as well. Although diet plays an important role in exacerbating the problem, the failure to make healthy choices in food selections is not the only problem. One of the unfortunate consequences of innovations in telecommunications and video game technologies has been an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for many American youths, a trend that has been further reinforced by participation in social media networks. In this environment, it is little wonder that many young people become overweight, but the implications of obesity in childhood have lifetime implications, making the need for studies of childhood obesity and the identification of evidence-based interventions a timely and relevant enterprise. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning childhood obesity, the stakeholders that are involved and several potential evidence-based interventions that have proven effective in the past. Finally, a list of policy recommendations based on this analysis is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.
In order to combat childhood obesity, parents need to take action now. One way parents can get involved is to encourage their children to be physically active. Turning off the televisions, video games and internet is the first step. Getting involved with your children’s activity level will promote good relationships and provide motivation. Making physical activity fun, by having competitive games or introducing your children into organized sports and recreations, will promote the physical activity needed to assist in fighting childhood obesity.
America has been faced with the growing obesity epidemic. This is becoming very wide spread among all races and class levels due in part to the abundance of inexpensive food available and how easily people are becoming persuaded to but things they do not need. David Zinczenko published article “Don’t Blame the Eater”, Zinczenko argues that fast-food industries are not doing their job to provide clear enough nutritional information for hazardous food.
When I go to someone’s house for the first time I like to see what treasures they have sitting on their bookshelves. After checking for a cute dog and politely accepting a cocktail, I casually make my way to the shelf to see what I can borrow. I know it’s not just me, books and stories are part of the fabric of humanity. There are books that make you laugh, books that make you cry, and some books you don’t bother finishing. Sugar, Salt, Fat by Michael Moss is none of the above. Sadly, this best-selling book falls into a category of horror that surpasses that of Stephen King. It falls into a category that, as of late, is even more terrifying…non-fiction. This Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter has taken a fascinating
In the article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” the author David H. Freeman demonstrates how so many people are very poorly informed on the facts of processed foods and how bad it is for one’s health, he goes on to explain how wholesome foods are supposed to be primarily better for the health of an individual, but that is not necessarily true. In our society, we loudly blame processed food companies mainly directed at fast food companies, for the sole contribution to the increasing rate of obesity. Freedman argues how it is not just fast food companies that are playing such a huge factor, but also the “all-natural organic” stores, like Whole Foods, that we love so much. Its clear most American’s see “all-natural, processed free” products and there is a huge chance that we purchase that product, simply because the advertising draws us in. Another thing he does is gives great examples of how more healthy stores may actually have products that are more harmful than not. He also mentions many different articles that he has read throughout his essay to show the
“The Pleasures of Eating,” by Wendell Berry is an informative piece challenging us as consumer to be more aware of what we are eating. Berry points out most times we are unaware of the processes of food production which puts our health at risk. One of Berry’s strongest arguments is that most times as consumers buy food without asking critical questions that will affect the nutritional value of the product. Consumers are so passive that they buy some of the most expensive foods with very little protest. We have become so trust worthy of the food industry that we see no need to be critical of types of food products they give to the public.
The environment of a family has an impact on a person’s health. “Research has shown that families who eat dinner together regularly consume more fruits and vegetables, fewer fried foods, and less soda than those families who do not eat dinner together.”(Dietz, 2001) Families that are stable are often more effective in being their own support system and creating a more stable environment. Families pursue the use of technology, restaurants and fast-paced eating as well as single parenting and parental denial. The media and technology promote sedentary behavior. Technology is prevalent in the cause of childhood obesity. While it is a convenience, and in some cases a form of entertainment, technology should not be replaced with active activities because it is a leading cause in childhood obesity. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 10 percent of preschool age children and 15 percent of 6- to 19-year olds, can be considered overweight. Twice as many are on the brink of the statistic, making childhood obesity a societal epidemic.” (Can, 2011) As sociocultural evolution carries on, the epidemic of obesity increases. Obesity in children also has psychological consequences such as negative physical self-perceptions, lower feelings of self-worth, and in some cases higher incidence of behavioral problems
These powerful alliances requires the consumer to navigate through the confusing food environment and to pay close attention to nutritional facts, labels, and to carefully and consciously be mindful of advertisement of all sorts of media. For farmers, its a crippling business system that destroys their profession. For consumers, who do not make a conscious effort where they shop and what they eat subjects themselves to a lifestyle that can progressively lead to obesity and many other life threatening diseases. The politics of obesity and disease within the food industry is a public health concern.
Another environmental cause of childhood obesity is the lack of physical activity. The problem is that physical activity has been replaced by video games, television, social networking and other technology. (Child Obesity Statistics) “It’s proven that children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity.” (Hosten) The American Heart Association they recommend “all children age 2 and older should participate in at least 60 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day.” They also recommend “if your child or children don't have a full 60-minute activity break each day, try to provide at
Children now spend more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen whether it be a television, computer, smartphone, or playing video games (cite). No I didn’t stutter, no I’m not exaggerating, seven and a half hours a day, can you believe that? As sad as it is, I’m unfortunately not surprised. Society continues to rapidly evolve as we continue to become consumed by technology and the latest iphone. I’m not going to lie, I do love my iphone and I fall guilty to spending more time than I would like on my phone, watching tv, or on my laptop. Obesity is a serious problem in the United States, more than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities, and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth. (cite) This is an interesting piece of information. Most likely parents who do not exercise, do not motivate their children to exercise either. That’s why the percentages for adults and adolescents are so similar. Our youth need to be guided in the right direction, so we have a healthier world for future generations to come. Children are easily influenced so it is extremely important that we instill in their young minds the importance of exercise and being physically active. If children see their parents on their phones for hours on end, watching tv or
In today’s society, technology has played a big role in everyone’s lives and has taken over. Kids today stay inside and play on the computer, watch TV, play video games, or mess with tablets and smartphones. Several people find other, more entertaining things to do than play outside and be active. Some of the times, physical education in schools is the only physical activity students have on a daily basis (“Obesity”). Kids and teenagers would much rather be wrapped up in a social network than going for a job or going to the gym. Back in the day, playing outside was one of the few entertainments. Parents have no discipline and let their children do what they want to their bodies. Technology has caused people to be less active and not as self-controlled causing them to be obese or overweight later in life.