In a world overcome with war, terror, and hostility, perhaps one of the most troubling and expanding issues is obesity. Children, adolescents, and adults are becoming increasingly unhealthy and overweight. The effects of obesity pose the same ultimate threat as most world issues do: death. In fact, according to Radley Balko, obesity indirectly accounts for on average 400,000 death per year. These increasing numbers are a huge problem for American’s and society as a whole. Obesity is starting out younger and sticking with children as they grow up. In order to stop this cycle, the government needs to take a stand and create and enforce stricter regulations on diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyles.
It is no secret that obesity is a dangerous …show more content…
The government should strive to create an environment in which individuals WANT to change for themselves, not because they are forced or feel pressured. However, some policies such as taxing junk food, could potentially have a beneficial outcome. Those who struggle from obesity often blame high prices on “healthy” foods as the reason why they turn to cheap, low nutritional value alternatives. Taxing junk food could cause people to turn to lower priced, healthier alternatives while still leaving the option to choose the taxed junk food still instead of completely prohibiting it. The regulation of food ingredients is also an effective way to alter, influence and inform society of their eating habits. According to Health Affairs, the state is widely regarded as authorized to determine the safety of food, “technical” food additives, or obscure food ingredients about which the average American would know little- leaving them unable to exercise reasonable action. When food and it’s contents are well advertised and exposed to society, people can make educated choices on their dietary habits and what they choose to consume instead of blindly putting food into their body. DB Resnick sums it up like this: , it is unfair to …show more content…
“Marketing to children is well established to encourage kids to want advertised products, pester their parents for them, and believe that those products are what they are supposed to be eating” (McKay 2012). Often times kids are misled by commercials and advertisements that lead them to believe they should be eating fast foods and sugary drinks. The term “personal responsibility” is invalid for this age group because most often they are too young to know better- they are feeding off what their parents give them. Betsy McKay puts it like this: “ The biggest disservice that public health has every done Americans is to make them believe that they and their kids were fat because the schools, the food companies, the fast food restaurants, and the government made them that way. It stripped people of their hope and empowerment, and it left them resigned to never try anything other than an occasional “Lose 40 Pounds in a Week Turnip Diet”. A responsible government would instead steer kids and their parents into the right direction by advertising proper diets for kids unable to make their own health choices, women who are breastfeeding, and how low income parents can properly feed their
It is no secret that obesity is a dangerous …show more content…
The government should strive to create an environment in which individuals WANT to change for themselves, not because they are forced or feel pressured. However, some policies such as taxing junk food, could potentially have a beneficial outcome. Those who struggle from obesity often blame high prices on “healthy” foods as the reason why they turn to cheap, low nutritional value alternatives. Taxing junk food could cause people to turn to lower priced, healthier alternatives while still leaving the option to choose the taxed junk food still instead of completely prohibiting it. The regulation of food ingredients is also an effective way to alter, influence and inform society of their eating habits. According to Health Affairs, the state is widely regarded as authorized to determine the safety of food, “technical” food additives, or obscure food ingredients about which the average American would know little- leaving them unable to exercise reasonable action. When food and it’s contents are well advertised and exposed to society, people can make educated choices on their dietary habits and what they choose to consume instead of blindly putting food into their body. DB Resnick sums it up like this: , it is unfair to …show more content…
“Marketing to children is well established to encourage kids to want advertised products, pester their parents for them, and believe that those products are what they are supposed to be eating” (McKay 2012). Often times kids are misled by commercials and advertisements that lead them to believe they should be eating fast foods and sugary drinks. The term “personal responsibility” is invalid for this age group because most often they are too young to know better- they are feeding off what their parents give them. Betsy McKay puts it like this: “ The biggest disservice that public health has every done Americans is to make them believe that they and their kids were fat because the schools, the food companies, the fast food restaurants, and the government made them that way. It stripped people of their hope and empowerment, and it left them resigned to never try anything other than an occasional “Lose 40 Pounds in a Week Turnip Diet”. A responsible government would instead steer kids and their parents into the right direction by advertising proper diets for kids unable to make their own health choices, women who are breastfeeding, and how low income parents can properly feed their