Should Obese People Blame Society and Advertising for Their Problems - Essay Example

01 August 2007 Should Obese People Blame Society and Advertising in their Problems Recent years, obesity and weight problems become a national problem forcing many Americans to blame fast food restaurants and their doctors who do nothing to prevent their weight gain. Statistical results suggest that around 30% of Americans are clinically obese which results in extra 300,000 deaths each year (Obesity Statistics 2007). Side by side, littered all around us are the never-ending growths of unhealthy food products that seem to scream "eat me!" all the time. It is not surprising that there is a steady rise of individuals being affected by eating disorders. At the turn of the millennium about "58 million overweight, 40 million obese, and 3 million morbidly obese" (Obesity Statistics 2007). (Position) Some researchers and overweight people are blame unfair advertising and lack of medical attention to their problems which cause overweight, low self-respect and psychological problems. (Argument) To refute this position, it is possible to say that obesity and overweight problems are closely connected with the lifestyle, eating behavior patterns and attitude towards obesity problems and a social image. For most people, obesity is a result of unhealthy eating behavior they follow from early childhood but changing nothing during their mature years. In general, obesity is defined as weight at least 20% in excess of the range suggested in standard height weight tables or a body mass index greater than 27 (McIntosh 4). As a result, mental and physical health problems arise when two conflicting values are being absorbed by an individual such as becoming more desirable, if one is slim and beautiful, as opposed by a baser instinct to indulge one's gastronomical appetite (McIntosh 34). Researchers found that: Innumerable environmental changes that foster eating more frequently have occurred: the availability of more food and foods with higher energy content, the growth of the fast food industry, the increased numbers and marketing of snack foods, and an increased time for socializing along with a custom of socializing with food and drink" (Kaplan and Dietz 1579). Many of children feel that they are not good enough, they are not capable of doing anything right, and have an illusion that their appearance is always scrutinized by others, have an incorrect perspective that they would be happier and life would be better if they could just lose weight. Negative body images contrast with media images of an ideal body and the importance of physical attractiveness. In this case, many obese people prefer to blame society and advertisers paying to attention to their sedentary lifestyle. Obese people may overeat, feel bad about doing so, but then eat again to feel better. This is referred to as binge eating (McIntosh 8). In reality, obese people do nothing to change their life and improve their health. The foundation of weight control programs for children is the child's and the family's knowledge of which foods are most likely to cause or maintain obesity. Since parents bear the responsibility for buying and preparing foods, they must always be included in nutrition education efforts. Most obese people prefer to blame society and advertising agencies in their problems paying no attention to quality and quantity of food they eat, fitness programs and positive self image. Some critics state that obese people "blame the kindergarten teachers, the coaches, the friends and physicians who goad fat people into a maze of diets from which they may never return" (McIntosh 510). From ethical standpoint, this position underlines inability of overweight people to look at the problem objectively and start exercising. It is morally wrong to blame everyone around you in personal failures and laziness. This has come to a point when borderlines between needs and wants are just a blur. A lot of things obese people value and do run after are shaped by what they see and hear (McIntosh 51). "Far too many people appear to have accepted the determinants of the problems of overweight and inactivity, and rely on "treatments" in the forms of myriad ineffective diet remedies and nostrums" (Kaplan and Dietz 1579). It would be highly unfair and downright inaccurate if media alone would be blamed for this illness. What is most commonly observed then among sufferers is their low self-esteem. They see weight reduction as the only way for them to be accepted and loved. It is true that most fast food restaurants popularize and promote unhealthy eating behavior which can lead to obesity problems. Most food, proposed in such restaurants, is fat-saturated with high caloricity level. In spite of advertising efforts to promote health conscious menus or calorie free diet, hamburgers and fried potato are the most "dangerous" products sold by fast foods. Researchers found that: "massive portion sizes, and high energy density; palatability; and high content of saturated and trans fats and low fiber content" lead to obesity problems (Fast Food and Obesity 2004). But most of the obese people eat three times more than an average person which results in obesity problems. Most of obese people suppose that fitness programs do not help them but prefer to blame society in low morals and advertising agencies in misleading information. Limited physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle worsen this problem leading to obesity and obesity-related disorders. For instance, type II diabetes accounts for 90-95 % of all diagnosed diabetes, and can usually be controlled by special measures including physical activity and diet (McIntosh 35). The most important fact is that many parents do not realize health problems until their family doctor becomes conscious of such problems as high body mass index of their children (McIntosh 102). The anger and aggression towards society and mass media (advertising) can be explained by the fact that overweight people are socially marginalized and excluded from normal social interaction. Health problem become a social scourge for them affecting their behavior and relations with others. Unfortunately, many obese people do not want to take into account doctor's advice seeing medical staff as enemies (McIntosh 34). It is often observed that those who need treatment most are more apt to enlist last or do not seek help at all. But there is grave danger and hazard to a person's health that possesses this problem. Obese people can feel that they are not good enough, they are not capable of doing anything right, and have an illusion that their appearance is always scrutinized by others, have an incorrect perspective that they would be happier and life would be better if they could just lose weight. Do you ever think that some obese people enjoy their condition creating a specific culture of shabby cloths and lifestyle Blaming others can be seen as a protective measure to ensure their social respect and recognition. In sum, many obese people are responsible for their health problems and body index. They have no right to blame society and advertisers because they do nothing to change their lifestyle and eating habits. Where media is largely responsible for promoting this culture, one can still trust its power to reverse it to bring a more positive and healthy outlook of beauty avoiding unnecessary blames and aggression. Obese people blame only themselves but express their anger publicly trying to take revenge upon everyone who differs from them. Works Cited 1. Kaplan, J.P., Dietz, W.H. Caloric Imbalance and Public Health Policy JAMA 282 (1999): 1579-80. 2. McIntosh, E. N. American Food Habits in Historical Perspective. Praeger, 1995. 3. Obesity Statistics. 2007. Read More