PROSE & CONS: OBESITY

Obesity has become a real problem in the Unites States. Over one-third of U.S. adults are obese, the percentage of overweight children and adolescents has tripled since the 1970's, and more than one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are now considered overweight. There has been an ongoing debate about whether or not the companies are to blame or if it is we. It is not a debate that can be settled so easily for the answer to the question it is a hard one.

One would say that we are to blame for obesity because we made the choice to eat those fatty foods. In the article "Obesity is no one's fault but your own" it says that two obese teenage girls from New York tried to sue McDonald's because it is their fault that they are obese. It later says that "you don't have to ace home economics to know that Big Macs, salty fries, and soda pop do not liken a well-balanced meal." So it was their own fault for eating McDonald's more than they should have.  There are other consumers who know it's their fault and are trying to fight back. In the article "Consumers Take Responsibility for Obesity " it states that 74% of consumers surveyed have changed their eating habits due to concerns about health and nutrition, with 86% concerned about the nutritional make-up of their food. They are trying to make a change with their health and not be one of third Americans that are overweight.

Others say that the companies are to blame for this nation’s weight problem. In the article "Fast Food  – Is it the Enemy?" it states that "Unfortunately, people do not know the consequences of fast food. They are unaware how the extra fat in their diet can lead to cardiovascular disease. They do not realize the supersized fries may be the reason why their pants are tight." That is be blamed on the advertising that the fast food companies do. In the article "TV Food Ads: To Blame for Childhood Obesity?" it states that "$3 billion dollars is spent every year by fast food companies to place ads targeted towards children on television". That's a lot of money and it's also a factor to childhood obesity. Do you know how many commercials there are for fruits and vegetables? Close to none. You can see who runs the TV advertisement to young kids.

I am on both sides of this argument because I mostly side with it is the person's fault. It is the people's fault for not caring what they put into their body and becoming lazier. Think of your body as a well-oiled machine. Which do you think will operate more efficiently, the one that stuffs itself with fast food or the one that eats a balanced diet? Of course it’s going to be the one that eats a balanced diet. Then there's people who argue that "oh but it's cheaper and it's on the go" well that may be true but just because it's cheaper doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you. I'm not saying don't eat fast food just to cut back to only eating it once and a while. Also try and exercise. It's good for you and it will help lower your chances of obesity because you're physically active. Exercising alone might be boring that's why you grab some friends to take with you and have fun.

These are the two sides on the ongoing debate about obesity in this country. As you can see there is no simple answer to this debate or solution for that matter. Only time will tell what will happen to this country whether the obesity rates increase or decrease. This is a serious problem that will require everybody's help to solve.