The Controversial Issues of Obesity, Food, and Health

Weight is a part of every human beings life. Every one weights something. In society, it is commonly found that people mistakenly judge their health based on their weight. America has thousands of health experts and nutritionist who claim themselves as protectors of health, “helping a nation stricken with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer” (Maxville 443). They believe that eating is simply for fueling the body and you should eat mostly plants, but not too much. Maxville uses the vast theory of health experts to tie in the point that, “each of these maladies is tied to our diet and essentially our weight. As a culture we no longer discuss healthy eating without also discussing unhealthy weights” (Maxville 444). While Maxville believes that the bigger issue is not weight, but linking nutrition and body type. While, Pollan warns readers of eating too much, he never mentions that it is equally as fatal to eat too little. Pollan states in his essay that overeating is the “greatest threat” to our survival. Maxville uses Pollan’s statements on the topic of weight to prove that being unhealthy should not be tied solely to being overweight, because being under weight is equally unhealthy. To further discredit the claims Pollan makes linking weight to health, Maxville states, “A growing group of academics who

When it comes to the topic of obesity, most will readily agree that it is a growing dilemma. This argument has many writers bringing different responses. Two explanations are debated in What You Eat is Your Business by Radley Balko and Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko. Both pieces create a good stance on the topic of obesity. Balko’s piece, however, has a better all around flow, organization and consistency.

Obesity has been framed as a topic of personal responsibly for a long time. For many, the fundamental notion has always been that if you stop eating junk food and eat “healthy”, you will maintain a healthy weight. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s 2007-2008 Health and Nutrition Examination survey, it was found that 73.7% of all Americans 20 years old or older were overweight, obese, or extremely obese. That is a lot of fat people and it is hard to believe that fast food alone is responsible for 70% of adult Americans being overweight.

There are a variety of factors that can cause an individual to accumulate such high stores of fat (Wright & Aronne, 2012). Early researchers of obesity argued that the most common cause of obesity is a high caloric intake, or the consumption of high-calorie foods, that outstrips calories burnt via exercise (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). In other words, people accumulate excess body fat when they eat more calories than they burn, meaning obesity is caused primarily by the consumption of foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value, and a sedentary lifestyle (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). More recently, however, researchers are recognizing the complex array of variables that interact to cause obesity, including environmental, social, and political factors known collectively as the social determinants of health (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). For example, research finds that our lived environments have been restructured in recent years to promote a culture of overeating: today, high-calorie fast foods are often more affordable than nutritious options, and are made conveniently accessible in the form of food trucks, pubs, and vending machines strategically placed on school grounds, college campuses, and near apartment buildings (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Often, these foods are served in excessively large portions intended to promote the very over-eating that causes obesity (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Moreover, the low priced, processed, ready-to-eat meals available in grocery stores tend to appeal to low-income families who cannot afford to purchase more expensive produce or take the time away from their work to prepare home cooked meals (Wright & Aronne, 2012; Drewnowski et al., 2016). Thus, recent research suggests that the

As seen during the eighteenth century, the presence of excess body fat was envied and very rare; seen only in kings, the rich, and the wealthy as a sign of power and prosperity. Once food shortage was no longer relevant, the 20th century re-assessed this “sign of power” as a sign of ill health, and was then documented in medical practices as the chronic disease known as obesity. As we look at the roots of obesity today, causes of the disease cannot be attributed to a single origin. However, there are many daily influences that justify our nations expanding waistlines; the most obvious being an unhealthy diet. The role of food in our society has altered the way Americans perceive nutrition. Meal times are advertised as social events; an instance of mindless eating, with little awareness on stopping when you’re full, and overeating as a result. Portion sizes are much larger than nutritionally necessary, and lack in substantial protein, causing you to

The obesity epidemic in America is a serious problem. Over the years there have been many proposed solutions to help reverse the effects obesity has on American society. The cause of this problem is most often blamed on fast food alone. However, upon closer inspection, the problem is not just fast food. It’s the rest of the American diet. With a society so deeply permeated with food culture, it becomes extremely difficult for the average American to avoid fast food and junk food at all costs. In addition, most proposed solutions suggest for Americans to stop eating unhealthy foods altogether. This solution is not effective in a place like America where food is as apart of American culture as the American flag itself. The best solution to help

The eating habits that Americans have are either healthy or unhealthy. The healthy individuals are probably the ones that work out, eat the right foods, and watch their daily consumption. While the unhealthy ones are probably, just eating whatever is in their face at the time, drive everywhere, and don’t watch their daily intake. Because of this fact, it is easy to see why obesity is becoming a huge part in the nation. The authors are trying to prove that “Americans eat everywhere, all day long-an average of five meals a day, including snacks” (2012, p. 621). Many people don’t think they are actually eating a lot because their proportion size is smaller than a normal meal but if someone were to look back in the past they would find that the size would be much smaller. There are many consequences that come from being obese, the authors only use one but it is one that really puts a prospective on things. “Obesity already reduces the current life expectancy in the United States by four to nine months…Obesity rates among children and teens could knock off as many as five years from todays average of 77 ” (2012, p. 620). Knowing this statistic helps the reader, look at their own life and think about what they could do better. The authors helps the reader to become aware of how bad eating habits can affect the rest of someone

For example, if a fire started, then one would go to the source of the fire and extinguish it there. Thus, humanity must fix the origin of the problem to defeat obesity: children. Unhealthy eating and physical habits tend to begin during early development stages in children. Fast food can play a role in a child’s life, for example, Pollan says, “The French fry did not become the most popular “vegetable” in America until industry relieved us of the considerable effort needed to prepare French fries ourselves”(583). By depending on fast food during growth stages, children are prone to develop poor eating habits. Consequently, children who develop lousy health habits have an increased likeliness of developing obesity. Beebe and Thompson also state a statistic that says, “By the time they reach 15-19 years of age, obese children incur medical claims that are 29 percent higher than those of healthy-weight kids”(1). Another statistics by Dailey and Ellin states, “But considering that the U.S. has already become a size XL nation- 66 percent of adults over 20 are considered overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”(577). When both statistics are examined together, they show that as Americans get older, obesity rates only increase. However, if students are able to acquire knowledge about health and eating from a young age, then it will create lifelong healthy

The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”

Obesity is a big topic in American society, it has grown over the years and it has become very well known. It has become an American concern and the food industry has been an easy target to blame for this “epidemic”. The truth to this is that it can be easy to blame the fast food industry, but the real truth it is, that obesity has become what it is now because our society has let that happened; the government, the citizens, the food industry's. They have all played an important role to what it is now obese.

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.

Historically, food was used primarily as a means to gain energy (Maxfield). Food today is designed to be cheap, fast and tasty. With these new traits, food has become more than just a survival tactic. Entrees and desserts have taken over family celebrations, weddings, graduations, social gatherings, and pretty much every other kind of social activity you can think of. America has turned into a society of eaters- eaters of high calorie, high sugar and high fat- and the results have produced obesity. So, what exactly is obesity? how can it be prevented? and what can be done to reduce it? “The Elephant in the room—pandemic obesity” by Kaye K. Gaines and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield provide insight to these common questions regarding obesity.

In the last decade, obesity has become an out of control epidemic. America has been ranked number one in a top ten list of the world 's most obese countries. Fast food restaurants are one of the main causes due to the unhealthy, addictive food it provides to its customers. Since fast food franchises have been expanding at such a rapid rate, it now makes it harder to live a healthy dietary lifestyle. Fast food has affected many societies in positive and negative ways. Its innovation prolonged these effects and may be worse to certain societies from a health and social standpoint. Due to the increase in popularity of the fast food norm, obesity percentages have risen, along with other health-related illness and overall activity in the daily

Obesity among Americans has been a growing issue in the United States predominantly over the past decade. Many may argue American’s are obese because of poor food choices, over-eating, genetic disposition, lack of exercise, or the environment which one lives, while others blame it all on fast-food chains and restaurants. Throughout my research I have come to find a lot of facts and statistics about fast food consumption causing obesity. Statistics show that without a doubt the United States is the most obese country in the world.

Media plays a massive role I the epidemic, the sheer amount of advertisement that the public see for fast food and unhealthy foods have an effect, especially on children. Health risks are growing and psychological problems are rising. Obesity is weighing heavily on the country’s healthcare system and economy. Society’s perspective on obesity is unlikely to change, its understandable that some think it is self-inflicted but its important we shed some light on the medical issues that can also cause obesity. One of the biggest problems seems to be how accessible and convenient unhealthy foods are. At this present time obesity is killing three times as many people as