“Obesity, observed in human populations through the ages, has been both admired and reviled.” In the biblical perspective, gluttony was considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but in the Western Biblical sense obesity was considered undesirable and shameful. “Corpulency is not only a disease, but the harbinger of others. Those who are constitutionally very fat are more apt to die quickly than those who are thin” (Hippocratic Corpus). Aristaeus was the first to use the word “diabetes” to describe an affliction of melting down of the flesh and limbs into urine. In the Italian Renaissance era obesity, in certain societies, was often considered the privilege of the upper classes. In many different parts of the world it was a custom to fatten up young girls and women to make them more desirable. Nowadays in schools the fat boy or fat girl is often a subject of mirth and bullying.

Food shortage was once a major concern. Technological advances in food production came about after the Second World War which led to a new era. This new era was characterized by the overabundance of inexpensive food and relatively little physical activity. The processed food industry began to capitalize on our need for fast convenient food. Less meals were being cooked at home and more calories from fast food were being intaked. Unhealthy ingredients in fast food such as salt, fat, sugar, and corn syrup were increased. This led  to many cases of obesity. To make the processed food taste better with less fat was by adding large amounts of sugar and corn syrup. 

In the article Pueblo Health Department Tackling High Youth Obesity Rate with Assessment Plan, by Josue Perez, there is a specific plan currently set in motion in Pueblo County, Colorado to help the youth to eat healthier foods in schools. Perez first indicates the obesity rate in students of Pueblo County Districts 60 and 70. According to a 2019 study “38% of 4,677 Pueblo County students had an overweight or obese body mass index,” and “of that 38% measured, 22% were obese.” In another survey by the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment they found that obesity surfaced as a priority in the concerns for the community. With that, the PDPHE is trying to get more healthier and affordable food to feed the youth in their schools.

There are many reasons one may have low self-esteem or lack of confidence. According to the article Self-Esteem and Confidence, it all starts in childhood. Being shamed for the lunch a child has in school often makes a child feel singled out which “can lead to anger, depression, and shame that carries into adulthood.” Teens for example are more likely to attempt suicide if they are overweight, or believe themselves to be. This is a result of having low self-esteem. As for confidence, every person has thoughts of doubt in their ability to do something. We need to take charge of ourselves and discover the things that we are good at and embrace them. Most of us that choose not to work to improve ourselves begin to be comfortable with staying in our own “comfort zone” because we are afraid of failure and rejection. If we want to get out of this unhealthy cycle we need to accept the fact that rejection and failure is a part of life. Instead of giving up we need to take it as a challenge to improve ourselves.

Nation at Risk: The True Toll of American Obesity

According to the video, “Right now in the U.S. 1 in 3 adults, 1 in 4 children is obese.” We are the 2nd most obese nations in the world. It is predicted that “by 2030 over half of Americans could be obese.” This means a rise in health problems related to obesity such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Because of this rise in health problems, “today's children will be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents.” Americans eat about 500 more calories daily than they did in 1970 and 35% of our calories are solid fats and added sugars. In the 1970s sugary drinks made up 4% of the U.S. calories while today they make up 11% of our daily calories. Fast food is a big contributing factor to obesity. The fact that not everyone is physically active does not do us any good, “only one in three adults gets the recommended amount of weekly exercise.” Technology has an impact on children and adults staying off their feet which means that Americans burn 130 fewer calories daily than we did 50 years ago. In low income areas there are twice as many fast food chains than there are fresh food stores. In order to turn this epidemic around we need to have more grocery stores available, parks to get the youth staying in good physical shape, and investment in nutrition education.