Healthy Eating and Obesity - Assignment Example

Healthy Eating and Obesity 1. The video under consideration tells us the story of an Australian who decided to change his life through changing his eating habits and adopting a healthy lifestyle. His unhealthy way of living had lead him to obesity and health problems, and he decided to change something. The long hard road towards weight loss is illustrated in the video: the scheme adopted be the hero included fasting and travelling through the United States. The task is to give up eating and drink fresh juice for 60 days, spending 30 days in New York and driving across the U.S for another 30 days. After overcoming difficulties and succeeding in juice fasting, the narrator also undertook the task to help an American driver he met during his trip. The message conveyed in the video includes the necessity to plan one’s diet including right products into it. Moreover, if people were aware of the properties of the products they eat daily and the rules of how to plan their nutrient budget, the problem wouldn’t be so disturbing. At the same time, the narrator conveys the message based on his own experience: if one wants to be healthier and get rid of weight that causes discomfort and health issues, it only takes motivation and time. 2. The documentary under consideration deals with an extremely relevant social phenomena of nowadays – increasing level of obesity and health problems caused by abnormal eating habits and – what goes hand in hand with these two – necessity to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays people – similar to the man in the video – confuse priorities placing wealth and many other aspects higher than health, although health is the primary value we all have and any further achievements are possible even if this one is present. Unhealthy eating including junk food addiction and sedentary lifestyle increase the threat of various diseases’ development and obesity. As it was illustrated in the movie, the obesity level growth has already overrun the borders of the U.S. (which is virtually the homeland of fast food) and spread on Australia. That is why people gradually start thinking about this problem and taking measures either to fight or to prevent it. 3. The problem under consideration is, in fact, a product of many societal forces including family, media and culture. Family as an influential factor might act either positively or negatively as eating habits and priorities on the “local” level are formed by the family and adopted by a person in childhood. Culture and media in particular probably produce the most profound effect on eating habits and way of living: people live the entire life surrounded by media, TV and Internet are an inevitable and inseparable part of the modern culture. Food corporations advertising their products attract people’s attention to unhealthy food and displace physical activity (Obesity and the Media). The modern mass culture promotes the idea of hedonism, literally encouraging people to live for eating rather than eat for living. Furthermore, the crazy rhythm of life which has taken roots in the modern culture makes people spend less time on their health and on careful choice of what they eat. 4. To my thinking, this problem is the matter of personal decision as well as outer influence. To talk about governments, not all of them do their best to eradicate the issue of obesity as it - although it is sad – brings much economic benefit to fast food corporations and the cost of governmental programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle among the citizens might be high. However, some governments, e.g. Australian government, undertake the initiative and create numerous programs including Healthy Weight Program, Healthy Lifestyle Program (HELP), Minjilang Health and Nutrition Program etc. (Closing the Gap). However, it also takes much from people to change their lifestyle fundamentally and give up unhealthy habits. Thus, people are actually in control of this issue - fighting obesity or preventing is absolutely accomplishable task, only enough motivation and support is needed. 5. Looking from the functionalist perspective, one could assume that this social issue benefits certain parts of the society such as health care workers, medicine producers, and food-producing companies. Obese people tend to have more health issues and thus are a juicy contract for healthcare institutions – this includes psychoanalytic specialists and psychologists as such people often have problems with self-esteem and self-perception. At the same time, this issue is beneficial for fast food corporations like McDonalds and others as they virtually earn money on the growing level of obesity: people eat junk food, then gain weight, this causes stress and appearance dissatisfaction – and as a result, they continue eating and consuming the companies’ products. Moreover, if we talk of people who don’t have such health problems, this issue might act as a preventative measure that would keep them from engaging in unhealthy eating and bad habits in future. 6. As for the conflict perspective, to my thinking, this problem might be explained as a struggle for benefit and influence. Both media and economic “players” struggle to win attention of people regardless of what consequences this might lead to. However, weight issues and health problems create a gap between people – those who are slim and those who are not. This affects people’s mental state and alienates them from the normal life. In general, unhealthy way of living originates from economic and cultural factors that struggle to win the influence in the society. And, of course, it is the modern society and economy that create this crazy rhythm of life when people don’t have enough time for a normal lunch or physical exercise. Works Cited: Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, Healthy lifestyle programs for physical activity and nutrition, 2012, from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2012/ctgc-rs09.pdf ‘Obesity and the Media’, UCSF Children’s Hospital, from: http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/obesity_and_the_media/index.html Read More