Child Obesity as a National Problem in the USA - Essay Example

19 August 2009 you want fries with that Introduction The research made by Michael Pollan describes eating behavior patterns and problems associated with unhealthy food intake and poor diet followed by American people. In human physiology, eating is one of the most essential processes in our life which supplies human body with energy and mineral elements. Every epoch nation creates its own values and standards towards eating and eating habits based on cultural and economic perspectives. The beginning of the 21st century is marked by obesity problems and overweight affecting American population. Statistical results and research studies suggest that obesity becomes a national problem which affected millions of adults and children around the country. Obesity is an epidemic. It tends to have more negative than positive effect on the economy and can greatly reduce ones life expectancy. The best resolution to eradicate this spreading disease is by educating people about a healthy diet and regular exercises, starting with the younger generations. Aside from surgery, a healthy lifestyle is the only option that will work (Sugarmann and Sandman 1403). This paper will discuss the background of the disease, some preventative measures that can be taken as well as a proposed solution and proposed policy. The policy that will help the nation to improve their eating habits is to educate the public on the dangers and medical quandaries that obesity causes and to help eradicate this epidemic from our nation. Obesity Defined Obesity is defined as: "an excess of body fat, and is distinct from "overweight" (Toth and Schwartz 13) which means an excess of body weight. When contrasted with smoking and drinking, obesity at first seems like a less serious health problem. Obesity is not only more hazardous than smoking and drinking, but it also leads to a higher cost for health care and medicine. Statistics also show that obesity contributes approximately 740,000 deaths from heart diseases, 540,000 from cancer, 158,000 from stroke, and 59,000 from diabetes are mainly contributable to obesity. In many cases of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, female patients often feel pressure because they cannot accept their appearances and eventually starve themselves to stay in shape. Obesity is one of the main reasons for increases in suicides in the United States (CDC) (Pollan 2003). Pollan questions: "Since the raw materials of soda and popcorn, French fries and even hamburgers represent such a tiny fraction of their retail price (compared with labor, packaging and advertising), expanding portion size becomes a way to multiply sales without adding much to costs" (Pollan 2003'; see appendix 1). Prevalence For adults, obesity is a result of unhealthy eating behavior they follow from early childhood changing nothing during their mature years. Important detail is that people possess unhealthy eating patterns from the yearly age which lead them to overweight problem in near future. As a result, mental and physical health problems arise when two conflicting values are being absorbed by a child such as becoming more desirable if one is slim and beautiful, as opposed by a baser instinct to indulge one's gastronomical appetite (Toth and Schwartz 13) 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. Many of people 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 image contrasts with media images of ideal body and the importance of physical attractiveness and supported by clothes manufacturers who "popularize" baggy life style. The problem is that many children consider that doing exercise is less delightful than other unhealthful alternatives such as watching football game with KFC. In epidemiological studies, it is observed that weight cycling increased the risk of mortality, and particularly cardiovascular deaths. Abdominal obesity is typical for men and also associates with high dietary fat intake, low exercise, and smoking (Sugarmann and Sandman 1403). Causes of Obesity Obesity is a direct result of unhealthy eating and eating disorders. As western pop culture is shipped abroad to sell western commodities, the problem went as well like unwanted freebies that are stuck and taped around a product. Some Black, Asian, and Hispanic individuals are plagued by unhealthy eating habits because they simply wish to achieve the same physical attributes of celebrities they idolized. Many researchers underline the impact of school nutrition programs on child obesity epidemics. Most of them are heavy eating who pay no attention to quantity of food. Most of them eat three times more than an average person which results in obesity problems (Toth and Schwartz 44). Most of obese people suppose that fitness programs do not help them preferring to blame society in low morals and advertising agencies in misleading information. Most researchers parallel child obesity epidemics with development and growth of fast food industry which became a distinctive feature of the American life style. Fast food life style is dangerous because it results in disbalance of nutrition and causes eating disorders. All fast food contains high cholesterol level which is the primarily cause of obesity. Limited physical activity worsens the problems of obesity (Sugarmann and Sandman 1403). In the past several decades, obesity has not been as high as the CDC reports (61%) because Americans' lifestyle habits before were associated with more physical activities. For example, Americans would walk to work or school since these buildings were built close to residential areas. Americans today have sedentary lifestyles and spend hours surfing the internet, playing computer games, or watching TV. In addition, a large number of American middle class now live in suburban areas, so they usually have to commute to work. Advanced technology allows some people to get their work done on computers without leaving home, adding to the sedentary lifestyle. As a consequence of sedentary living habits and poor diet, a person's physical condition or endurance is relatively poor, and so he or she often feels lazy (Toth and Schwartz 44). Recent studies prove that there is a strong genetic component to obesity. The discovery of the genes accountable for obesity in several animal models (specifically the ob gene, which is responsible for leptin, and the gene for the leptin receptor) has radically energized this field and led to a growing of research on the regulation of body weight. Researchers find that there are a number of genes that may be responsible for human obesity. Though, the importance of these genetic issues must be kept in perspective. The recent increases in the frequency of obese people are not due to changes in genes, but arise from changes in the environment (Pollan 2003). In his book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All, Schlosser underlines that the fast food problem in society, culture, and identity is presenting all Americans with dilemmas- that are badly in need of clarification and resolution of real life values and ideals Schlosser wonders whether it is politico-cultural choice for American citizens or expansion of the fast food empire like McDonald's Corporation. Pollan describes the life style of people and food preferences which shape culture, attitudes and even personal communication. Schlosser states that Fast Food Empire hides many drawbacks and disadvantages unnoticed by the population but changing its core values and cultural traditions. As the well-known critic of fast food and environmental disasters, Schlosser sets the task of clarifying the dynamics of culture through a discussion of what he regards as fundamental presumptions at its core. Readers perceive the information and facts presented by the author as credible and trustworthy. First, there is the presumption, by which fast food commonly and easily comes to substitute for American life style. This discursive shift has resulted in a cultural politics that is patronizing to the population and fast food. Schlosser's second presumption is what he associates with fast food proliferation and expansion, whereby Americaness has come to be associated with fast food bars. In this description, there is acute irony and desperation portraying a region as fast food paradise (Schlosser 23). Understanding how to prevent this disease and why it is so dangerous and unhealthy is the key to eradicating the problem. Putting the information out there will not necessarily solve the problem. People do not always do what is best for them even if it involves such a harsh health risk. Many people become set in their ways, and are reluctant to change. Therefore, for this option to work, people need to not only have access to the information, but put it to use as well. Many people have unhealthy eating behavior caused by consuming of fat saturated food with high caloricity level. Limited physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle worsen this problem leading to obesity and obesity related problems. 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 (Sugarmann and Sandman 1403). Health Risks Today, many families have a possibility to buy and eat healthier fat free food in contrast to low-income families which are used to buy lower-price fat saturated food. That is why more blue collars suffer form obesity than white collars. In addition, families with high income usually visit more expensive bars and restaurants where they order fat free dishes, but the popular place for low income people is fast food restaurants. The effect of fast food on risk of obesity is tremendous. It was proved that fast-food habits have strong, positive, and independent associations with weight gain and insulin resistance in young people (Sugarmann and Sandman 1403). Genetic factors have a great impact on child obesity epidemics and health-related problems. So, specific consumer culture and eating habits are the major causes of child obesity epidemics and overweight. Every year, adult obesity costs 100 million dollars to American government. High unemployment rates and high level of low income families increase the risk of obesity. Poor education and absence of equal opportunities with "white" majority is the main factors limited the equal distribution of economic and social resources. Obesity leads to developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. These risks of obesity are strong in individuals under age 40-45. Obesity in adulthood increases the risk of coronary heart disease (Pollan 2003). Throughout the book, Schlosser uses vivid and sticking examples of cultural decay. Schlosser argues that the logic of economic and cultural changes deprives people a chance to choose their life style and even thinking. Using such symbols as Academy Boulevard, Schlosser invites readers to reflect on the significance of culture and fast food values. There are those who now seek to mobilize the ideal of fast food, invoking 'a core of ideas around which appeals to the "natural" heart of life can be based (Schlosser 91). Schlosser underlines that the majority of first restaurants were directed towards kids' preferences and tried to attract this target audience. The author called this audience, "trusted friends" who were exploited and manipulated by large fast food chains of the 1950s-1980s (Pollan 2003). "While "Fat Land" does an excellent job connecting the dots between government and corporate policies and the fattening of America, by the end of the book the problem has largely, and somewhat inexplicably, been redefined in terms of personal responsibility" (Pollan 2003). Similar to Pollan, Schlosser appeals to readers using vivid examples of fast food culture and its disadvantages such as false cultural traditions, unhealthy food patterns and poor communication patterns. In general appeal can be described as an emotional impact on a reader which helps the author to persuade or impress him by unique facts and arguments. In this case, Schlosser unveils true nature and business goals of McDonald's corporation as a test area. The need for unskilled work, especially in late afternoon and evening shopping times, opens the way to after-school and weekend jobs for millions of Americans. These mature concerns are offset by the amount of fast food and snack foods consumers bought--burgers, fries, corn chips, ice cream, cookies, soft drinks. Pollan vividly describes the American Way of life and unveil false ideals and inadequate food preferences of the American nation. Schlosser gives an account of the significance of fast food in the construction of the national culture. The author underlines that fast food chains founded after the Second World War represents a real obstacle to the creation of more accommodating and cosmopolitan cultural order (Pollan 2003). Conclusion The information mentioned above and statistical results demonstrate that unhealthy eating and sedentary life style is culturally constructed and influenced by cultural peculiarities and established traditions. The results and research studies vividly portray that child obesity is a national problem which have a deep historical, social and economic roots. Ideally, health policies should be tailored for children and young adults in order to prevent obesity epidemics. Where media was 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. This option would be used only as a last ditch effort and can be very dangerous and expensive. Although this is an alternative, surgery must be the absolute last course of action a person can take to lose weight. There are many risks associated with this type of surgery such as: leaks, bowel obstructions, perforations, and even death. With risks that are this severe, a patient must be absolutely certain they have exhausted all other efforts and are willing to accept these risks. The American public should be taught, starting in elementary school that overeating and a lack of exercise can lead to the disease known as obesity. Works Cited Schlosser, E. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All- American Meal. Harper Perennial; Reprint edition, 2002. Sugarmann, S. D., Sandman, N. Fighting Childhood Obesity through Performance-Based Regulation of the Food Industry. Duke Law Journal, 56 (2007), 1403. Toth, M. E., Schwartz , R. C., Obesity, Disordered Eating, and the Bariatric Surgery Population: Implications for Psychotherapy. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 9 (2006), 43. . Pollan, Michael You Want Fries With That January 12, 2003 http://www.michaelpollan.com/article.phpid=10 Appendix Healthy Fast Food = Fat Food Read More