Obesity can be looked at as a double headed demon in a way that not only is it an illness in itself, but is linked to 30 medical diseases including, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancers, and Alzheimer’s (pg. 173). More than two-thirds of the U.S. states (38) in 2010 had adult obesity rates above 25 percent (F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010). Engler states that, “Since 1990 the U.S obesity rate has doubled and approximately 127 million adults are now over-weight and 60 million are obese. During the same period the number of people who are severely obese has nearly quadrupled to nine million (pg. 172). According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, 1 in 3 U.S. children born in 2000 will become diabetic unless people start exercising more and eating less (Obesity and Health System Reform: Private vs. Public Responsibility). Capitalist nations are becoming very acquainted with obesity. With capitalism being such a competitive environment health issues are commonly overlooked simply because the main source of income is to produce unhealthy products because that’s what people in society are addicted to. Between 1985 and 2001 Canada’s issue with obesity doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent in men, and 6 percent to 16 percent in women (pg. 173). In America the poor are the main victims to obesity simply because unhealthy foods are the cheapest to buy and easiest to obtain. Fast food corporations have not only advertised their unhealthy food for years, but overtime made it even unhealthier to consume. Compared with 20 years ago a U.S. hamburger serving size has increased by 112 percent, and the most increased product is the cookie which has gone up to 700 percent higher in serving size (pg 175). As of 1996 the promotion of extra sized or larger portions has been a quarter of the 97 billion dollars spent on fast food.
Advertising is a key element on how these multibillion dollar corporations keep their costumers coming back for more. In 2001 it was recorded that Coca-Cola and Pepsi together spent 3 billion in advertising alone just to promote their “tasty” products (pg. 175). When it comes to advertising the main focused audience today is children. 40 percent of McDonald’s advertising is focused on attracting the young people of society. Engler informs the reader that, “Of 10,000 children surveyed, 100 percent of U.S, 98 percent of Japanese, and 93 percent of UK children recognized Ronald McDonald, with many of these kids believing that Ronald McDonald knows what’s best for their health.” This kind of advertising is setting up complete failure for a healthy lifestyle in kids today. Schools should be a singular factor of keeping kids in America healthy and promoting healthy activities in order to want to lead a healthy life. Regarding to restrictions, School lunches, and snacks sold during lunch should be healthy weather the kids like it or not. If kids go to school every day and are sold unhealthy foods all that is doing is building bad habits for children and young adults to keep with them for the rest of their life. Not only food in schools is a factor on keeping them healthy, Physical Education should be emphasized and required in order to learn about how to be healthy, and to become and stay healthy. Some odd years ago, walking was the most commonly way for someone to get place to place. This without anyone even noticing kept somewhat of a healthy activity for people to do, but now everywhere people go some sort of transportation is involved. Little activities like walking to the store increases a person’s exercise level but as the years go by things are made to make the average person have to work less and less. Yves Engler states that,
“A study released in September showed that in the 25 most sprawling U.S. counties people were on average 6 pounds heavier than in the 25 most compact counties. In the past 20 years the number of trips taken on foot in the United States has dropped by 42 percent. Now, fewer than 10 percent of children walk or bike to school regularly, down from 66 percent 30 years ago.”
Instead of promoting awful and unhealthy food, Corporations should make food that people still love to eat except make it healthier it’s really that easy. Dealing with obesity and overweight kids in the world, the school systems need to really buckle down on what is being served in cafeterias. Restrictions need to be reevaluated and taken in to consideration on what kind of unhealthy drinks and snacks are available to the students inside the schools. Not only do the foods need to be healthier, but the education of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle need to be highly enforced so lifelong habits do not occur in the children’s every day activities. Budget cuts have been going on forever throughout schools and sadly it’s gotten to the point where the physical education departments are the ones who are being the most affected by the cuts now which is making the obesity rate sky rocket. If food and physical activities aren’t implied in a positive and healthy manner throughout the school systems the government is simply cutting down the life expectancy of the youth in the world by setting them prone to chronic and death defying diseases that will take their lives. Simple tasks that are so easy to imply, but so commonly overlooked to improve the health of society as a whole is what is causing so many diseases to be more common in this world. The unwanted help of not only food corporations, but many other corporations including schools systems is what causes obesity rates to increase and flare up which is realistically shortening the lives of not only the youth in the world, but the world’s population as a whole.
Work Cited
Engler, Yves. Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations. They Say / I Say: the
Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. 172-80. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.
"F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010 - Trust for America's Health."Trust
For America's Health –Preventing Epidemics. Protecting People. 15 June 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/>.
Yang, Y. T., and Len M. Nichols. "Obesity and Health System Reform: Private vs. Public
Responsibility." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2010).Http://web.ebscohost.com/
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