Obesity Epidemic by Rosana Vazquez

Every New Year’s Eve people contemplate over what their new year resolution will be.

 It is very common to hear “ I want to eat healthier” every time January rolls around.

Although many people strive to eat healthy, statistics show that “The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% among adults and 18.5% among youth in the United States in 2015–2016.’’ (“Adult”1). Obesity is a major problem in the United States. Recently there have been  major concerns because the prevalence of obesity continues to rise with no signs of stopping.  It is very important to have a healthy balanced diet because otherwise you might face the serious consequences that come with obesity. It is likely that many of us have family or know someone close to us that suffers from obesity. Obesity is a big problem in America today. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this epidemic.

HISTORY

     Obesity is a fairly new epidemic in the United States, compared to the 241 years it has been thriving for. This epidemic has risen exponentially for the past few decades. In fact we can date the rise of obesity to the 20th century (“Caballero”1).  Benjamin Caballero states the following “ For centuries, the human race struggled to overcome food scarcity, disease, and a hostile environment. With the onset of the industrial revolution, the great powers understood that increasing the average body size of the population was an important social and political factor.”  (1).  This quote highlights the fact that it wasn’t until recently that obesity became a prevalent epidemic in the United States. Before the rise of technology that happened during the Industrial revolution, people were faced with the problem of scarcity of food and malnutrition (1). But as technology increased and food was produced at faster rates with added fats and sugars, obesity made it start as a rising phenomenon. Not only was food produced at higher rates , but a revolutionary idea had made it’s way into the food industry in the 1900s. To help combat malnutrition according to Caballero “In the first decades of the 20th century, studies of poor children indicated that dietary energy supplementation (adding sugar and fat to the usual diet) improved growth, which became an important approach to reduce malnutrition and improve industrial productivity.” (1).  After industries began adding higher portions of sugar and fat to their production of food, obesity started making it’s mark in American . Processed food was making its way into American households because it was a convenient and cheap source of food (Shapiro 1). After World War II technology allowed for food to be prepared quickly and efficiently. This lead to higher amounts of food consumption among Americans (1). Obesity continued to escalate throughout the decades. “Clear evidence of the alarming trend in obesity rates was provided by the regular, nationally representative surveys performed from the 1960s on. These data showed the continuing rise in obesity prevalence over the past 30 years ( 9 ). By the year 2000, 65 percent of the adult population had a BMI  above 25, and 30 percent had a BMI above 30 ( 10 ).” (“Caballero “1). Overall obesity is an epidemic that has become widespread in the past few decades, due to technological breakthroughs that have created a cultural acceptance of the consumption of excess amounts of food.

SOCIAL EFFECTS

     As records show, today obesity has become a large problem in the United States affecting a large portion of the population. This epidemic has severe side effects including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, along with many others. (“Adult”1).

Treatment for the effects of obesity such as heart disease are fairly costly.  The center for disease control and prevention states that “ The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are high. In 2008 dollars, these costs were estimated to be $147 billion.15” (1). Large sums of money are being poured towards treating obesity. This epidemic is taking away money that could be used to benefit other causes such as fixing roads or for fighting cancer. Obesity is a major epidemic that is not only expensive ,but it is also robbing people from going about their daily life freely. Obesity invites negative health risks that weigh people down. People with obesity have to be treated, buy medicine, and are constantly at risk of gaining another disease. Nothing good comes from obesity, it is a detrimental epidemic that has spread in the United States.

Not only does obesity hurt the United States as a whole because of monetary losses that go into paying for the treatment of obesity, but it hurts individual families as well. Families have to not only worry about the illnesses , but also about the costs.

      Shapiro states that people in the United States have higher rates of obesity compared to the rest of the developed countries around the world. (“Cutler”1). As Americans we should be paying close attention to obesity because we have such high rates of it in our nation. Nationally obesity is a top concern. Again it is very costly to treat obesity because of the multiple side effects it brings. Moreover as a developed nation we should strive to put an end to obesity because it is harming so many of the people living in it. We should push to limit the amount of people who fall ill, so we can maintain a healthy economy. If we continue to see an increase of obesity in our nation will fall in a detrimental decaying state.

PERSONAL EXAMPLES

    Obesity is an epidemic that can harm anyone, no matter the age. Young Tiger Green battled with obesity during the early years of his childhood. Helena Oliviero writes “Two years ago, Tiger Greene weighed 250 pounds. The weight was taking its toll on his body. He was taking six pills every day for pre-diabetes and thyroid problems. Tiger’s knees hurt; he was easily out of breath. And he was only 12 years old.” (“Oliviero”1). Green battled with obesity for years and was on the verge of having diabetes. Tiger Green turned his life around because he did not want to live chained down by the effects of obesity.  After Tiger Green started eating healthy and lost the excess amounts of pounds he had. He became happier and healthier after losing that weight. We see this when Oliveiro writes “Still, one of the biggest measurements of success is this: He no longer needs medication.” (1).

    Unlike Tiger Green, Kyle Harris battled with obesity throughout adulthood. (“Community”1). He also had many illnesses due to the obesity, such as type two diabetes. Obesity limited Kyles daily life he states “ I couldn’t walk 100 feet without running out of breath. Enjoying outdoor activities was out of the question because I would get overheated quickly.” (1). Kyle Harris knew that obesity was taking a toll on his life and decided to make a changes in his life style, “I started eating smaller portions five to six times each day. I started walking more regardless of how I felt – just a few more steps every day.”(1). Obesity in his life was at such a high point that he had to undergo a surgical procedure to help combat the excessive amount of weight. (1).  After all that Kyle Harris went through because of obesity he can finally say “I am healthier than I have been in years.”(1). Kyle  Harris went from weighing 412 pounds to 225 pounds. Fighting obesity wasn’t easy, he had to deal with the pain of not being able to live an ordinary life because he had to struggle with being obese. Kyle Harris overcame obesity because he realized that he needed to in order to live a healthy life (1).

Solutions

      Many solutions have been proposed throughout centuries in order to combat obesity. Although there are high percentages of obesity in America, there are many solutions to overcome obesity. Everyone is different so fighting obesity has to be adjusted to what a specific body needs. (“Adult” 1). Although everybody is different, there are multiple things every person can change in their lifestyle that will lower their chance at obesity or help reduce their current state of obesity. Today we see many weight loss programs such as, Weightwatchers, that push towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Another factor that can contribute to get rid of obesity is exercise. Today we have more accessibility to valuable information that can help combat obesity than ever before.

    Everyone can lower their chance of becoming obese by eating healthier. Having a balanced diet is the key to prevent obesity. (“Obesity prevention”1). Since everybody is different adjustments to a specific person can be made. Overall a change in diet is necessary to overcome  obesity.  The Stanford health prevention care states that “Balance the food "checkbook." Eating more calories than you burn for energy will lead to weight gain.” (1). This demonstrates that both exercise and a healthy diet are important factors that help decrease the chances of obesity. Programs such as “Weight Watchers” have emerged to help people have healthier diets. (”Asp Karen” ). Programs such as “Weight Watchers” help people maintain a healthy lifestyle by providing meal plans and fitness routines.

    Exercise is a powerful tool against obesity because it promotes many positive side effects. The Harvard T.H Chan school of public health expresses the following  “Keeping active can help people stay at a healthy weight or lose weight. It can also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, as well as reduce stress and boost mood.”(“physical Activity”1). Being active is a great way to decrease the chances of obesity. By exercising we burn excess calories, that helps balance calorie input and output.  

Camus and Absurdity

   Albert Camus had a realistic look at life. He was a realist, to him obesity would be absurd because all you would have to do is fix your diet. To him obesity would have a simple solution, rather than being portrayed as a complex issue. Camus lived his life believing that death and suffering are inevitable. His philosophy showcases that life is absurd because anything can happen, whether good or bad. Obesity is an absurd epidemic because it can affect some people and not affect others who also have unhealthy diets.  

Conclusion

Overall obesity affects a large portion of Americans , it is a widespread epidemic. (“Adult”1). There are multiple ways to fight against obesity, we have programs such as “Weight Watchers” and other apps that help track people’s diet progress. As a society we should spread awareness in our communities to fight against this absurd epidemic that is affecting many homes in America. (1).

WORKS CITED

“Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences | Overweight & Obesity | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Aug. 2017, www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html#Consequences.

Asp, Karen. “WW. Weight Watchers Reimagined.” WW (Weight Watchers): Weight Loss & Wellness Help, www.weightwatchers.com/us/.

Caballero, Benjamin. “Global Epidemic of Obesity: An Overview.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 13 June 2007, academic.oup.com/epirev/article/29/1/1/444345.

 “Community Perspectives - Kyle Harris: My Story about Obesity.” Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Action Coalition , 3 Aug. 2018, www.obesityaction.org/community/news/community-news/kyle-harris-obesity-story/.  

Cutler, David, M., Edward L. Glaeser, and Jesse M. Shapiro. 2003. "Why Have Americans Become More Obese?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17 (3): 93-118.

   

“Obesity Prevention.” Stanford Health Care (SHC) - Stanford Medical Center, stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/healthy-living/obesity/prevention.html.  

Oliviero, Helena. “Teen Tells His Story to Inspire Obese Kids to Get Fit.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/www.ajc.com/entertainment/teen-tells-his-story-inspire-obese-kids-get-fit/jdEMdQBj7mi7rILs6ITyrJ/amp.html.

“Physical Activity.” Obesity Prevention Source, 12 Apr. 2016, www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/physical-activity-and-obesity/.  

Simpson, David. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/camus/.