War On Fat

The War on Fat

Imagine a world where a school aged child can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. A world where soda companies make millions of dollars a year by placing soda machines in schools, where 30 percent of adults are considered obese, and where obesity is killing more people than smoking. What if you were told this is not in your imagination but is the world we live in today? Obesity is the second leading cause of death in the United States.

Since the 1960's, obesity in America has more than tripled regardless of sex or race. Today, 69 million American adults are considered obese. In addition, childhood obesity has doubled for children between the ages of 2 and 5 and tripled for 6 to 11 year olds in the past 30 years. Obesity causes over 300,000 deaths a year and costs the country $117 billion dollars, prompting health care providers and the government to label it an epidemic. The healthcare community defines obesity as being 20 percent or more over a person's ideal body weight, which is based on their height. Researchers found that the two main causes of obesity are the overabundance of food and people's inactive lifestyles. Other causes include genetics, lifestyle choices and environmental factors. These disturbing statistics have driven many to seek a solution for a problem that is clearly not going to go away by itself. Obesity moved across the nation without regard to sex, race, and age, or so it seemed. However, it strikes some groups more than others. "Culture, ethnicity, gender, and race, of course, also play their role in determining obesity rates" (Critser 110). Studies show that minorities in a lower socioeconomic category are more likely than whites in a higher socioeconomic bracket to become obese. Since the 1960's the only food not to decrease in price is fruits and vegetables. Obesity also is most likely to occur in the suburbs and the inner cities. African-Americans and Hispanics have higher population rates in the inner city than whites. "Hispanic children consume the most food" (Body 72). People who live in neighborhoods without sidewalks and bike paths, usually those in the city, are less likely to walk or bike anywhere. "By one estimate, 65 percent of students walked to school 30 years ago. Today, only 10 percent do" (Gardner). This leads to an increase in the sedentary lifestyle that is a major cause of obesity. Instead they are forced to use cars and buses to get around and usually do not have access to gyms or places to exercise. There has been a decrease in the number of school playgrounds. Most high schools do not require juniors and seniors to take physical education.

Obesity brings with it many problems. Obese people have a 50 to 100 percent chance of dying prematurely. Along with the health complications is the financial aspect of obesity. Many obese people claim disability and receive Medicaid. As taxpayers, even those who are not overweight, we all are all paying for obese people in America. Over $117 billion went towards funding obesity victims. Those billions of dollars could have been used in other places to prevent and control this epidemic. For those that choose to leave the house many can not find modes of transportation to fit their size, and walking is too difficult. They often get tired easy and find the best way to avoid these situations is to keep their sedentary lifestyles rather than face the world. Lifestyle choices include choosing where you want to eat for dinner and what you want to eat. Some people are raised in families where all they eat is high caloric foods. They learn this behavior and continue living it because it is all they know. The fast food chain has rapidly increased as well. "Everyday in the United States, roughly 200,000 people are sickened by a food borne disease, 900 are hospitalized, fourteen die..." (Schlosser). Fast food restaurants are the worst places to go eat at. "In many cases, it may simply be the most obvious manifestation of an infectious disease" (Schlosser). Other lifestyle factors include excessive alcohol intake, reduction in physical activity, marriage, and the birth of a child. Hi-tech advances in the home make cleaning and cooking easier, as a result decreasing an individual's energy expenditure and escalating the risk of obesity. America has become a country of ease were people can do their day to day chores and everyday jobs with expending the least amount of energy and calories. Today most jobs require an individual to sit in an air conditioned office or stand behind a cash register. In past decades food has been readily available but manual labor was needed to produce food. Today, food is produced in excess, but the work is no longer needed. Individuals sit behind their desks, eating, in consequence gain excess weight and not burn it off.

As the percentage of obese Americans increases many sectors are starting to feel the pressure to do something about a problem that is an epidemic. Several Americans feel it is the government's job to control this health problem. "About 61 percent of Americans are overweight enough to be experiencing health problems as a direct result of that weight" (Critser 4). They do not believe that it is within the government's power to control what people eat by taxing foods, cutting down on the promotion of high caloric foods within the food stamp and school lunch programs, and by prohibiting candy and soda sales in schools. On the other side of the issue are the people who believe obesity is the problem of the private sector and say that it is not the government's business. They believe will end this obesity epidemic if obese people make a personal decision to eat smaller portions, eat healthy foods and exercise. There is also a third party in this argument. This third party believes that government should take some responsibility in helping to trim down the obesity rate, but the majority of the responsibility lies within the private sector. America has very large portion sizes in restaurants, a problem that leads to overeating, and increased caloric intake. "Fast food makers would have to spend a great deal of money reforming their products to meet USDA limits on fats and sugars in school lunch foods" (Crister 46). Although people know