The documentary, “The Weight of the Nation,” is a series that is broken into four parts regarding the risks of obesity, the choices that contribute to obesity, the childhood obesity epidemic, and the challenges that our society faces in treating and preventing obesity and all of its related illnesses. I think it was strategic to break this documentary into separate sections because obesity is such a multifaceted issue and it impacts people of all ages and races. There are also many diseases that could be prevented if people understood how dangerous it is to be overweight or obese. The first section of the documentary is titled, “Consequences,” which is appropriate because it looks at the dangers of being overweight and the accompanying health issues. This section focuses a lot on the scientific and physiological aspects of obesity and explains some very concerning statistics.…
Enter the twenty-first century: Greek yogurt, quinoa, juice cleanses, and Fitbits. Eating healthier and making the right choices at mealtime have gained popularity. And food companies have evolved to meet the demands of the customers who want all-natural, organic, GMO-free products. Yet despite this push to eat healthier, it appalls me that our efforts are being reversed by our very own government. O’Connor writes that the federal government subsidizes foods, like corn and soybeans.…
Within the last thirty years, the rise obesity has become a major topic of concern in the United States. While many argue that this increase in size is due to disruptions in the “energy balance model,” which states that the obesity is due to a combination of eating too many calories and not exercising enough (Smith & Cummins, 2009), Julie Guthman argues in her book Weighing In that this definition focuses too much on the individual’s actions without looking at the broader health consequences derived from the built environment, agricultural policies, and neoliberal capitalism. However, although Guthman does offer some excellent points, specifically with her political ecology perspective in the alternative food movement, she does little to…
The first source is an editorial cartoon drawn by American journalist Harold Jackson. The author conveys that those who think they are doing a lot to help our planet, in reality, are not doing much at all. Within the cartoon, an overweight man is sitting on a chair. This highlights that the man is a sedative individual who consumes a lot. Stereotypically, obese people are regarded as lazy and careless.…
“Rethinking Weight,” by Amanda Spake was featured as a cover story in the February 2004 edition of U.S. News and World Report. The article brings a critical debate among obesity researchers into question: whether or not obesity should be classified as a disease. This dispute is significant to the future of America, and many Americans themselves. The positions of the government and insurance companies on the classification of obesity as a disease will determine the assistance granted to obese and overweight Americans, which have become the majority of the population: 68.5% of Americans, according to the Food Research and Action Center (Overweight and Obesity in the U.S.) Spake states that insurance companies should pay for medical expenses caused by obesity due to it being a biological “disease” and due to the fact that most obese Americans are unable to cover medical expenses themselves.…
He adds that there is also a lack of education as to what should or should not be consumed, in particular among poor individuals. Even if there is reference to what should be consumed people do not know how to understand the labels. Both authors bring forth valid ideas for why obesity has drastically increased in the past few years. While also discussing if this growing issue should be seen as a public or private issue. Although, both writers present valid points neither succeed in presenting completely effective ideas.…
2. Thesis: Obesity is a huge issue in the worldwide and in the United Sates, understanding the significance and consequences of this problem is the key to eradicating it. My paper will address obesity, what it is and what causes the problem. Then it will address the causes of obesity and the health issues that accompany the epidemic. Lastly it will move into who or what is…
The laziness of this generation has allowed for obesity to expand across the country. We create television shows based on the lives of obese people, and we promote living this way in order to gather attention and popularity. We should be explaining the severity of being obese. This common disease is not acceptable. Obesity is a disease that should be fixed in culture today; it can be solved with price changes of foods, education to all, and eating habits…
Obesity is a disease that plagues America’s old and young more than any other country in the world. Despite efforts to resolve this issue from the communities affected, and by local, state, and federal government this epidemic has yet to come to an end. The most common solutions offered to address the obesity epidemic are ones derived from an economic and dietary approach. Although seemingly worthy solution are commonly agreed upon, however pinpointing an incontestable culprit guilty for this monstrosity cannot be so easily done.…
The Obesity Epidemic in America Obesity in the United States continues to grow at an alarming rate and is currently at an all-time high. Approximately 66% of Adults are overweight and 36% are considered obese while 33% of the children and adolescents in America are overweight with a staggering 17% of them are obese according to the Center for Disease Control in November, 2015. Due to this epidemic, sociology has taken a look into the major sociological perspectives and I will be addressing some of the problems that the obese run into due to economic and social hindrances as well as the conflict theory perspective and interactionist perspective in this paper. According to the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FRAC) more than one third of American adults are obese with a staggering 17% of children and adolescents (FRAC & JAMA)/…
In Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, he explains the journey of how corn developed to what it is today. In 1866, “corn syrup . . . became the first cheap domestic substitute for cane sugar” (Pollan 88).…
Title In “Does This Tax Make Me Look Fat” by Jeff Osborne, the author considers John Ridley, Eric Topol, and Governor Jan Brewers idea to place a tax directly on the overweight persons to reduce the national problem. After considering their solution to creating a smaller proportion of obese people in the U.S., Osborne gives his readers insight on how he feels about their perception of the problem (647-648). Although both of the gentlemen as well as the Governor pose a sound plan, Osborne argues, their proposal is highly unlikely to raise revenue and make humans healthier (648). Even though Osborne does not agree with the strategy of placing taxes on overweight humans, he does express the evolving concern for the obesity complication…
In this scholarly work, various approaches shall be laid to bring out the perspectives between public health and economics in obesity. Due to the varying economic status of the people, thus different lifestyles, people can be rendered obese. In this regard, those individuals who take…
Fatphobia in 1984 The world of 1984 by George Orwell is one of scarcity: of freedoms, of privacy, of peace of mind, of basic goods, of any of life’s pleasures at all. All but the few of the Inner Party go without in one way or another – often in a great many ways, one of which is frequently enough or quality food. In such a world then, would it not make sense for the overweight to be few and far between? As we see in the real world, aside from places of extreme starvation, that is not the case.…
Every day we interact with food; we consume food, grow food, purchase food, play with food, and throw out food. Food is something that consumes our lives, and plays a big part on how we live. Because of the big part it plays in our lives the media has taken food then has made it into something else that is going to affect our body negatively. We are persuaded to eat healthy, eat fast, eat cheap, and still have that perfect figure without breaking the bank. Some eat because they are “too skinny”, some eat because they can, some don’t eat because they are “too fat”, or because they can’t afford to eat.…