Why Is Obesity a Serious Problem - Essay Example

Why Obesity A Serious Problem and How Should We Solve It Introduction Obesity is one of the medical condition thathas elicited a lot of concern from individuals to the health officers in terms f the danger it posses to the population. One of the major contributors to obesity is the consumption of junk foods associated with sedentary lives (Raj, 44). These fast foods contain high level of calories in them and if consumed by those who do not exercise, chances are that they will deposits more of these calories which always results in to obesity. The effects of obesity on the population health are increasing becoming unbearable ranging from development of diabetes to hypertension and high blood pressure (Critser, 67). To some extent, obesity has also contributed to the loss of work hours in the work places not to mention the billions of dollars used annually in managing those with obesity (EOPUS). Concerns have been raised over the contribution of fast food companies like McDonald in the development of obesity. They have been accused of giving adverts that do not contain warning signs as that of cigarette and that thus the contribution of fast food to the worsening human population in America is comparable to that of the cigarette, which was fiercely fought in America generation after generation (Kava, Gilbert, and Elizabeth, 34). Obesity is thus feared to be taking the lead as one of the health hazards in the US particularly among the children and if remained unchecked, the country will not only spend much of their resources in medication but will also lose a significant segment of their population (Washburn, 98). This paper has considered the following essays on obesity to assert the dangers associated with obesity. “Do not blame the Eater” by David Zinczenco In the essay, Zinczenco starts by recounting in his own life experience about the separation of his parents that made him lead latchkey life. From school he did not have any option but to seek the services of the fast food stores; MacDonald, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. This kind of life he says made him develop obesity but thanks to his joining one of the Health Magazines that prompted in him the need to take precautionary measures in the type of food he eats. He enumerates the problems that come with obesity and the statistical report from the Center for Disease Control about the expenses incurred by the government in treating obesity related diseases. The writer also gives a substantial recount on the children who have filed a civil litigation about the companies that are dealing in fast food for contributing to their worsening health. He takes issues with the companies that are dealing on these fast foods. He argues that fast foods are posing danger equivalent to that of tobacco and they do not contain warning signs on them to serve as a reminder to the public that the fast foods are harmful to health. Instead, he says, the fast food stores have even increased their adverts to enable them make more sales. He give the example of MacDonald and Burger King for spending well over $ l billion in multiplying the cost of maintaining good health in the country. He concludes by stating that the companies would do much good to themselves and to their esteem customers by providing them with the nutritional information about the products they deal in so that they can make informed choices. Without this, he posits that we are likely to witness increasing number of sick population who are obese and angry coupled with a series of litigious concerned parents. “Food as Thought; Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield In this essay, a very dissenting opinion about the relationship between what is considered unhealthy eating, obesity, and healthy eating has been given a dramatic perception. Contrary to what is conventionally believed to be factual, the author holds a contrary opinion about eating and posits that there should be no moralization of food and that the development of obesity and unhealthy eating are independent things that should not be used to draw inference about each other. The author argues that the definition of healthy eating has been altered at the behest of well-known food industries together with some nutritional science and journalism due to the hovering confusion amongst the people on what healthy eating is. The author has taken a different belief on what is responsible for obesity and other food-type related conditions and developed his own “eating algorithms” which he claims is providing a plethora of dinners as opposed to the conventional ones which are known for specifying concrete menu. Whereas the author shares the need for healthy nation and body, he significantly differs with the fact that the primary factor that should be considered in eating is heath. This he asserts brings about a departure from the cultural reason for eating which was mainly to provide energy for the body. He considers taking health as the first primary concern when eating is being too much pathological about food for no apparent reason. In that reference, he also differs with the opinion that Body Mass Index (BMI) should form the primary criterion of determining the fat content in an individual’s body. BMI is a ration of the body’s total mass and the height squared, there are ranges that are given for reference purpose, and this helps individual in monitoring their body weights in avoiding obesity. For example, the range of 18.5-25 is considered normal; 30-35 is overweight while above 35 is considered obese. The author in this regard argues that research has proven that those with extremely lower BMI are predisposed to death than those with higher BMI, then what is the worry of having the BMI of individual high? The author concludes that not much emphasis should be given on the type of food we eat. Trust yourself, trust your body, meet your needs is his final remarks. “Fat is a Feminist Issue” by Susie Obarch The author of this essay, Obarch posits that obesity is not gender sensitive and in this case, it is for the women. She says that being fat only becomes an issue in the women and that one suffers isolation and invalidation when is obese. It is pointed out I the essays that inability to control, appetite, impulse buying and eating are the cardinal factors that contributes to the overweight in women-they suffer from the problem of compulsive eating. In the essay being obese has been described as a social disease and a feminist issue that is all about mothering, strength, sex, assertion, boundaries, protection, and rage. The author writes that the social perception of women contributes to the problem of being fat, that women are mothers and should take a central position in the family implicates them much as far as obesity is concerned. For a woman to have children she must have a husband and to have a husband you must be in the desired shape. To get a man, a woman is obliged to conform to the requirement of the men about shape, size, and other issue relating to general body appearance. In this sense, they have too view themselves as commodities and objects that are only useful when in the right shape to desire. A woman must then evaluate herself carefully in anticipation of what want to see in them and try as much to satisfy the external requirement. This can be corroborated by the desirable women in the 1960, slender, skinny and flat chest. To achieve the requirements, women of the time use to abscond food, using ace bandage to bind the breasts and ironing the hair, the trend in 1970s changed and women were to have curly hair and full breast. Women’s body are expected to alter just like it does for the clothing every season otherwise, you are doomed to be considered an outcast. “What you eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko In the essay the author denotes that what you eat is your own business, this is because it does not matter on what you eat for you to be obese. That you can develop obesity even if you are not intending to no matter the type of food you eat. In this context, the food ones eat has no role in the development or not the development of obesity. He considers obesity not being driven by other factors like the type of food one is consuming, it occurs irrespective of the type of diet or food-junk or not junk. “Obesity almost as Bad as Smoking” by David Satcher In the Article by Satcher, he concluded that the problem that is caused by obesity could be compared to that of smoking. He says that obesity will soon contribute to many treatable diseases just like it happens with smoking. He give the figures the in the US alone, about 61 percent of the adult population are obese while about 14 percent of the corresponding adolescent population are also obese (Satcher, 13). The article further points that the condition of obesity should be treated as a disease. The problem of obesity is not confined to an individual but extend to the national level where it consumes about $117 billion annually (Satcher, 28). Satcher states in the article that obesity is manageable if individuals will take personal responsibility to do what is required of them-to take the initiative to change the way they eat and avoid sedentary lifestyle, he says that being selective on the type of food you eat and doing exercise in the gymnasium is a prerequisite for avoiding obesity. It also take a social responsibility to fight the problem of obesity, community based programs should be encouraged amongst the citizen to enable them realize the need to take such care (Satcher, 34). If remained unchecked, obesity will impair the productivity of the citizen while huge sums will be spent in managing the condition. Conclusion Obesity is said to occur when there is excessive storage of fats in the body past the normal level, leading to tremendous increase in the body weights. Consumption of junk foods coupled with leading sedentary life has been complicated as the facilitating factors in obesity. Due to the occurrence of obesity, other life threatening conditions has emerged and this makes obesity one of the most complicated medical conditions in the life of human beings. Obesity in most countries U.S and Saudi Arabia included accounts for significant proportion of the national income in terms of treatment and management. Following the problems associated with obesity, individuals are advised to consider what is termed healthy eating to survive the tragedy of the condition. Works Cited Critser, Greg. Fat land: how Americans became the fattest people in the world. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003. Print. Kava, Ruth Ann, Gilbert L. Ross, and Elizabeth M. Whelan. Obesity and its health effects. New York: American Council on Science and Health, 2008. Print. Raj, Manu. "Obesity in children & adolescents.(Report)." Indian Journal of Medical Research 1 Nov. 2010: 52. Print. Satcher, David. "Satcher: Obesity almost as bad as smoking - CNN." Featured Articles from CNN. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . Solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity report to the President.. Washington, D.C.: Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011. Print. Washburn, David A.. "Obesity: Causes, Mechanisms, Prevention, and Treatment.(Book review)." The Psychological Record 22 Mar. 2010: 43. Print. Read More