Varun Roperia

Claire Manning

Michael Munch

Kurt Schumacher

Hunter Hale

Arno Roessler

Cause and Effect essay: Obesity.

         Current statistics show that 58 million people in the United States are overweight¹. This is an unacceptable number of overly-large individuals representing The United States of America, greatest nation on the planet. The rest of the world mocks America for this stereotypical view; that of the ill-informed, overweight consumer. Instead of taking action to curb this epidemic of obesity, many Americans choose to blame the fast food industry, parenting, and anything but themselves. We contest that while this epidemic of overweight people was exacerbated by all these choices, it is not the major cause behind the existence of such an embarrassment to humanity. Being overweight is a choice, not an obligation, and is currently a sad effect of all of these problems. 
            One of the main causes for a rising number in overweight Americans comes from a lack of proper health care and developmental guidance from the parental unit. It is true that there are certain genetic factors that predispose individuals to being overweight, but this does not mean the offspring are doomed to an inescapable fate; this is not ancient Greek saga where our destinies are chosen for us. The main flaws in the actions of parental units are their unacceptable methods of teaching their charges. Instead of instilling proper eating habits, parents allow their children to eat whatever they want, and sit them in front of TV instead of signing them up for sports and other activities. This is not a revolutionary concept. Physical inactivity is obviously listed as the leading cause of obesity²; it is rather ridiculous that it even needs to be included on any such list. It will not take too much effort to lead a healthier lifestyle, even the Weight-control information network says on their site that, “losing as little as 5 percent of your body weight may lower your risk for several diseases, including coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you weigh 200 pounds, which is only 10 pounds”³ . Parents often cite their own busy schedules, and the convenience of using the television as a babysitter, but the fact is that this laziness on the part of parents ensures that their spawn will likely continue the trend of obesity, and give us more of the stereotypical obese American, scarfing down deep-fried Twinkies and Big Gulps until their heart gives out. 
            The United States of America is a nation founded upon the principles of democracy and capitalism, and as such any industry with a market will grow and exist to sell itself. The fast food industry is no exception. The American people provided the industry with the clientele base it needed to expand. The industry in and of itself was not created as part of some sort of conspiracy to fatten up the American public. On a similar line of false thinking, some say that it is the responsibility of the industry to not make food that is “too unhealthy.” This concept is laughable at best; if the American people truly desired healthy food, they would have exerted consumer pressure on the fast food industry at its birth in Southern California. Instead, the pressure was exerted on lowering prices, and the industry (as all industries do in an ideal market) shifted in that direction based on the wants of the consumer. If doing so resulted in food of lesser health quality, then so be it…this is what the American people wanted. Blaming the fast food industry for being overweight is thus ludicrous, you might as well blame someone for selling glue…they did not tell you to sniff, and you did not have to. Likewise, the free market of the great United States of America means the consumer does not have to eat fast food. It is their choice, and thus there responsibility to enforce moderation. Simply choosing healthier foods such as “vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat meat and dairy products more often”³ would greatly reduce the epidemic of American fatties.

            The true cause behind obesity is no external factor, but rather the mindset of each overweight American consumer. The fact is that obesity is no acute illness. It does not sneak up on the victim, displaying no symptoms as it takes hold. You require no examination to detect it; simply look down. The fact is that the obese of America and the obese worldwide all suffer from the same thing; they, for the most part, do not acknowledge their problem, and when they do they simply accept it as opposed to doing something about it. Only through action can we hope to change this thought set, because the very societal values of America needs to be changed to address this main cause.

            Obesity is a plague that has been inflicted upon the American people. There needs to be a solution, and it needs to be put into effect immediately, before the arteries of the entire country are clogged with bacon grease and hot pockets. The effect of the American lifestyle, parental choices, and personal acceptance is a disturbing increase in obesity. In an effort to promote proper weight distribution among the country, we have come to the conclusion that crystal meth, or the "El Segundo Diet" as it has become known as fondly here among the meth-addicts of El Segundo, should be promoted as a prescribed drug to spur on weightless in the obese around the country. If people can afford such large quantities of food and handle the other opportunity costs (to use economic terminology) that result from being overweight, they can certainly afford such a treatment. At the same time, the government will be able to tax said narcotics and thus boost revenues. The health risks of methamphetamines will definitely be heralded by critics of this idea, but the fact is that being obese has even worse effects such as, “premature death, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, breathing problems, arthritis, and reproductive complications”⁴. As such, a drastic measure, such as the one outlined above is needed.

 

Endnotes: since this is all on one page of an electronic document, we put them all here. -Varun Roperia 12/7/08 12:15 AM 

 

            1. National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion, “Defining Overweight and Obesity,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm.

 

            2. National Institutes of Health, “Public Education Materials: Aim For A Healthy Weight,” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm.

 

            3.Weight-control Information Network, “Do You Know the Risks of Being Overweight,” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/health_risks.htm.html.

 

            4. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “The Surgeon General’s Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity: Fact Sheet – Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences,”  Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html.

 

Bibliography:

this should be in hanging indents... I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek tone.

GRADE 95/100 

National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion. “Defining Overweight and Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm (accessed December 3, 2008).

 

National Institutes of Health. “Do You Know the Risks of Being Overweight.” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/health_risks.htm (accessed December 3, 2008).

 

National Institutes of Health. “Public Education Materials: Aim For A Healthy Weight.” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm (accessed December 3, 2008).

 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “The Surgeon General’s Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity: Fact Sheet – Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences.”  Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html (accessed December 3, 2008).