Sara Langenberger
Mrs. Northouse
Advanced Composition/W131 B3
13 November 2014
Amanda Spake and Mary Ray Worley: A Comparative Critique
Obesity has become one of the most debated topics in science and in the human pursuit of fat versus thin, unhappy and unhealthy versus happy and healthy. In Amanda Spake’s article, “Rethinking Weight,” she claims 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, struggling to conquer their expanding waistline, all while a debate heats up over whether obesity is a disease or a risk factor. In Mary Ray Worley’s article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance,” she states a person can be obese and healthy at the same time. Spake’s article focuses on the process of defining how obesity should be classified …show more content…
Worley states 90 percent of people who lose weight will gain it back, and there is no evidence to support the ideal that losing weight will improve a person’s health, nor a person’s appetite, metabolism or self-esteem. People who are overweight need to embrace their weight and be happy with who they are. By doing so, a person exudes high self-esteem and confidence and size becomes less important. Worley realizes that all the years of dieting made her body rebel in fear of starvation. She stopped dieting and picked up exercising just because she feels good exercising. Losing weight was no longer a goal, but rather a happy side-effect.
In Spake’s article, she takes a very scientific approach in laying out the two differing opinions on obesity: obesity as a biological problem (disease) that deserves to be prevented and treated as any other disease or obesity as a risk factor that brings on disease, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and heart conditions. Spake uses the story of a woman, Maria Pfisterer, who has spent most of her life fighting the battle of the bulge, as a backdrop for the debate whether governments and insurance companies should pay for healthy weight loss programs or continue to pay for secondary diseases caused by …show more content…
Worley discounts science by stating, “…none of these studies take into account the physical implications of the social ostracism and body hate that are a regular part of most fat people’s lives (Worley 165).” Worley continues with an overarching statement of “…fat people are often reluctant to seek medical attention because health professionals are among the most prejudiced people around (Worley 165).” Worley’s personal opinion weakens her argument and credibility by providing no factual data to support her claim. Spake states, “A majority of Americans – now 64 percent – are overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health and makes them sick or kills them (Spake 154).” This statement is very powerful and needs no explanation.
The topic of weight is very broad. These articles address obesity acceptance, the proper tools for losing weight and exploring the benefits of losing weight. Spake provided a great deal of scientific evidence to back up all areas discussed. Worly provided an amusing view of obesity, but fell short in seeing the severity of the obesity epidemic.
Langenberger 5
Works Cited
Spake, Amanda. “Rethinking Weight.” Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Ed. Christine R. Farris and Deanna M. Jessup. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. 154-160. Print.
Worley, Mary Ray. “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.”
Mrs. Northouse
Advanced Composition/W131 B3
13 November 2014
Amanda Spake and Mary Ray Worley: A Comparative Critique
Obesity has become one of the most debated topics in science and in the human pursuit of fat versus thin, unhappy and unhealthy versus happy and healthy. In Amanda Spake’s article, “Rethinking Weight,” she claims 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, struggling to conquer their expanding waistline, all while a debate heats up over whether obesity is a disease or a risk factor. In Mary Ray Worley’s article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance,” she states a person can be obese and healthy at the same time. Spake’s article focuses on the process of defining how obesity should be classified …show more content…
Worley states 90 percent of people who lose weight will gain it back, and there is no evidence to support the ideal that losing weight will improve a person’s health, nor a person’s appetite, metabolism or self-esteem. People who are overweight need to embrace their weight and be happy with who they are. By doing so, a person exudes high self-esteem and confidence and size becomes less important. Worley realizes that all the years of dieting made her body rebel in fear of starvation. She stopped dieting and picked up exercising just because she feels good exercising. Losing weight was no longer a goal, but rather a happy side-effect.
In Spake’s article, she takes a very scientific approach in laying out the two differing opinions on obesity: obesity as a biological problem (disease) that deserves to be prevented and treated as any other disease or obesity as a risk factor that brings on disease, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and heart conditions. Spake uses the story of a woman, Maria Pfisterer, who has spent most of her life fighting the battle of the bulge, as a backdrop for the debate whether governments and insurance companies should pay for healthy weight loss programs or continue to pay for secondary diseases caused by …show more content…
Worley discounts science by stating, “…none of these studies take into account the physical implications of the social ostracism and body hate that are a regular part of most fat people’s lives (Worley 165).” Worley continues with an overarching statement of “…fat people are often reluctant to seek medical attention because health professionals are among the most prejudiced people around (Worley 165).” Worley’s personal opinion weakens her argument and credibility by providing no factual data to support her claim. Spake states, “A majority of Americans – now 64 percent – are overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health and makes them sick or kills them (Spake 154).” This statement is very powerful and needs no explanation.
The topic of weight is very broad. These articles address obesity acceptance, the proper tools for losing weight and exploring the benefits of losing weight. Spake provided a great deal of scientific evidence to back up all areas discussed. Worly provided an amusing view of obesity, but fell short in seeing the severity of the obesity epidemic.
Langenberger 5
Works Cited
Spake, Amanda. “Rethinking Weight.” Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Ed. Christine R. Farris and Deanna M. Jessup. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. 154-160. Print.
Worley, Mary Ray. “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.”