Rhetorical analysis - Essay Example

The author begins the article by introducing the opinion of some researchers and scientists regarding the role of physical activity in addressing obesity, which is a growing public health problem. It is explained here that exercise does help prevent obesity marginally and that the main issue that should be focused on is ‘unhealthy eating’. The author uses expert opinion, citing the British Journal of Sports Medicine, to give credibility to the argument. Counterpoints are used to show the difference between physical activity and unhealthy eating in terms of preventing obesity.

The author appeals to the logic of the reader by demonstrating that physical activity is useless in preventing obesity if one continues with an unhealthy diet; for instance, he mentions that “while activity was a key part of staving off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia, its impact on obesity was minimal” (Triggle para 3), further stating that “excess sugar and carbohydrates were key” (Triggle para 4). Such appeal to logic is successful once backed up by expert knowledge.

The second part of the article talks about how experts hold the food industry, as well as commercial ads, responsible for the growing misconception about the effectiveness of exercise in preventing obesity. The author appeals to the emotion of his readers by showing how the commercial and food industry has let the people down through misleading information and images. He uses imagery, through citing some common images like ‘Big Tobacco’, ‘junk food’, and ‘sugary drinks’, in order to make the appeal stronger.

The statement of Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist from London, is somewhat expressive: “An obese person does not need to do one iota of exercise to lose weight; they just need to eat less” (Triggle para 6). This statement makes one think how greatly people are deceived into thinking that physical activity alone can curb obesity. The call for misleading ads also