Erikson Pagtaconan - Obsessed Obesity



Erikson Pagtaconan

Jon Salunga

English

June 7, 2013

Obesity in the United States

In today’s society, obesity has become a growing problem for many individuals. In the past few decades, rate of obesity increased by up to 30.5 percent. We live in a society where being obese is killing off more of the population than smoking itself. A study done by the Center of Disease Control concluded that since the 1980’s, one-third of the American population has become obese. America has been considered the “fattest” country around the globe (Klein 29). During this time, society in the United States was beginning to change. People had started to become obsessed with their own image, and have begun a dieting trend as a result. However, even with this trend occurring, the amount of fast food restaurants had tripled as well. According to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association, fifty-eight million people in America weigh over twenty percent of their own body’s ideal weight (Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of many individuals have become deadly, producing gluttonous children, insatiable adults, and a corrupt food industry focused on simply feeding our hunger.

The food we eat in America is main factor contributing to this epidemic. The desire for junk food has rapidly replaced the need for fruits and vegetables. Junk food is defined as foods that contain sugar, sodium, chemicals, and fats. Fast food is not only limited to just snacks; fast food was put on the list when the amount of fat, calories and sodium exceeded the nutritional value. American’s are spending $4.6 million per year on potato chips, and $23.5 billion a year on unnecessary sweets (Brownell). About 46% of Americans eat out every night, and one-third of them choose to eat fast food. Today, McDonalds has over 26,000 locations in several countries and Pizza Hut has 10,000. The media is also bombarding people everyday with eye-popping advertisements that persuade consumers to buy fast foods and junk food. People cannot even buy groceries without seeing candy bars next to the checkout counter. When people are in a rush, they can easily purchase fast foods without even getting out of their cars. The food industry is taking the initiative to make the consumer’s life easier in order to provide a way to sell to busy working men/women. However, it does not make preserving our health any easier. A fast food meal such as a McDonalds Big Mac contains 965 calories, which is more than double the amount of fat and sodium a human needs in a day (McDonalds). The food is providing unbeneficial ingredients for the human body. This is the main reason our country is obese, when the foods the industries produce are harmful to our health. Junk food may not necessarily be toxic, but when it is eaten on an everyday basis, it can be deadly.

Obesity is not only present in just adults, but also children as well. Many children in today’s society are overweight, which can later lead to health complications in the future. Some include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure. Children who are overweight tend to feel insecure, and as a result become victims of bullying by “normal” children. They get teased, judged and criticized for their appearance and often it is not always the child’s fault. Being overweight may run in that child’s family, or they live in an environment where physical activity is not encouraged. Most children spend their time locked up indoors, wasting their time playing video games or watching television, and at the same time they are consuming large amounts of junk food (Weight Management). The CDC preformed a study described in the book Fat Land, in which it showed that children who watched television for over four hours a day contained a higher BMI (Body Mass Index), than children who watched less than one hour a day. During 1944, the center for disease control conducted a study on exercise patterns, television time, and the weight gain of 4063 children between the ages 8 through 15. They concluded that the less a child exercised, the more they watched television. Survey’s, reports, and studies during this time showed how many children had started developing habits that could later lead to a dangerous obese lifestyle if not stopped (Critser 73).

In, “Weigh Less, Live Longer,” a health report done by Harvard, discusses how many people are unaware that their food intake and diet is related to many psychological factors. Studies have shown that people who are more anxious, depressed have a tendency to eat more. When a depressed person eats to get better, they gain weight, and being overweight can in turn worsen the depression. Obese people are often isolated from others and have trouble being included in events. They are discriminated against which only adds on to emotional strain that overweight people have to deal with. Their depression caused by being obese can lead to a sense of hopelessness, which makes them feel like it is impossible for them to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestlye (Why People Become Overweight). The book, Food as a Drug, describes food as powerful, psychoactive substance and “one way to view eating disorders is to appreciate that food is a complex mixture and that the body responds to food as it does to chemicals, such as those found in alcohol and drugs” (Food as a Drug).

Many Americans are trying to fight obesity, however they are still unable to overcome it. How will we ever win when the numbers of obese individuals are increasing everyday? The cartoons on the labels of junk food are distracting children from the plain view of vegetables, and adults are surrounded by advertisements for huge, unhealthy meals everywhere they go. In today’s society, the media and industries have carved the idea of, “you must consume,” into our brains. Being obese is very unfortunate and the things that they have to go through everyday such as being judged and having a tough time performing activities that regular people are capable of doing can lead to further emotional issues. Obese people have to constantly walk through life being reminded of their damaging habits and their life can seem hopeless. It is important to start developing healthy habits early on in your life so that you will not have to go through these health problems and make your life longer lasting. The problem of obesity is not just food, it is about an entire lifestyle.

Brownell, Kelly D. and Christopher G. Fairburn, ed. Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford Press, 1995.

Critser, Greg. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.

Klein, Calvin. “Big Country: the Roots of American Obesity.” The New Republic. Sept 19, 1994v211 n12-13 p28 (5). Health and Wellness Resource Center. William J. Squires Library,2 February 2006

Poston, Walker and Keith Haddock, ed. Food as a Drug. New York: Hawthorne Press Inc., 2000.Rosalyn, Carson-Dewitt, MD. "Obesity." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Second Edition.Jacqueline L. Longe, Editor. 5 vols. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2001. Health andWellness Resource Center. William J. Squires Library, 2 February 2006.

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