Obesity As A Public Health Issue

We often hear of how obesity is an epidemic in the United States. After all, the US contains one of the highest populations of obese citizens in the world. This, in tandem with all the other extenuating health problems that occur with obesity, which themselves can incur more trips to the physician, increaseing the uses—and costs—of healthcare, prompt a great deal of outcry against the US healthcare system to treat obesity as a public emergency. However: should it be treated as such? Should something like a person’s eating habits be targeted as a public health problem—i.e. something everyone has to take on, and not just the person with poor eating habits? Do we want a healthcare system having that kind of involvement—and to some extent control—over the lifestyle choices of people? What are the net …show more content…
In few words, Radley Balko conclues that obesity in America should not be treated as a public health problem; and that its extreme involvement in public life to eradicate obesity would generate only a waste of money and enable people who make poor health choices to keep making poor health …show more content…
Yes, obesity itself can lead to a range of other health problems. Certainly our society must get better at giving people healthier alternatives in their food supply, and in healthcare education. But there are public health issues that could require very sudden, serious attention in order to ensure they do not get out of hand. +++++++++++
At the same time, it is true as Balko’s critique of obesity as a public health issue would show, a more elaborate, even more regulated and better funded healthcare system cannot ensure that people will make better health decisions on their own. If people want to help themselves overcome their own particular health problems, then it is up to them, primarily, how much they are going to help themselves—not the healthcare institutions that serve them.