Introduction: Identification of the Obesity Problem
There is a growing problem in today’s society concerning the dietary habits and the health status of people nowadays, especially Americans. Recent studies show that more and more Americans are becoming obese due to the increased intake of unhealthy and processed food as well as the growing prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle brought about by technology and other factors. As of 2015, more than a third of Americans are obese and this percentage is growing larger by the day (“Adult Obesity Facts”).
The growing rates of obesity can be considered as a major problem due to a number of reasons. First, obesity is a precursor to more serious health conditions such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes, joint problems, apnea, asthma and other respiratory problems, and certain types of cancer such as ovarian, colorectal, and kidney cancer. As a result, the medical community has to spend more money in order to address this issue; thus, obesity can pose some economic problems as well (Hammond & Levine). In addition, obesity also brought psychosocial effects such as lowered self-esteem and confidence. It is also a cause of prejudice among the community, as obese people are looked down in society. This is because being overweight or obese carries the connotation that the person cannot take care of himself or herself, as well as the ideas of being thin as today’s standards of attractiveness (Vaidya).
Evaluation of Possible Solutions
Now that the issue of obesity has been identified and its consequences to the society had already been discussed, some of the solutions to combat this problem can now be addressed. In order to solve obesity, it is critical to determine what its causes are. As mentioned earlier, the primary causes of obesity are the prevalence of unhealthy foods and the growing rate of people who live an unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, addressing these issues may solve the obesity problem.
One way to counter obesity is to limit the consumption of unhealthy foods. For one, the government can impose a tax on junk food so that consumers will be less inclined to partake into them. In addition, healthier foods like vegetables can be subsidized so that the people will prefer to eat those. In theory, this idea can prove beneficial in many ways—the government collects revenue while at the same time advocating the limiting of these foods. However, the ramifications of these practices may be more nuanced than it seems. First off, there has been some research that imposing tax does not effectively reduce the consumption of junk foods (“20 Percent 'Tat tax' Needed to Improve Population Health, Experts Say”). Thus, taxing foods may primarily hurt the poor people as these foods are their main nutritional source however unhealthy they are. Secondly, subsidizing vegetables is not a good idea for vegetable farmers as it reduces their income, as they would face competition from other farmers that hope to benefit in the subsidization process (Haspel).
Another viable way to do this is that the government can provide information about the benefits of eating healthy foods and introduce ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. Since awareness of the issue is the first step to solving problems, making the public informed about the situation could improve the condition drastically. This is the main reason why health and physical education subjects in schools exist—to instill at an early age the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. In addition, public health campaigns can also be disseminated so as to include everyone in the process of spreading knowledge. However, the problem with this solution is that educating the general public proves ineffective at best, as evidenced by people’s attitudes regarding health nowadays, despite taking up classes during their school days and government programs. One plausible reason is that information campaigns can only change knowledge, but not the general actions and lifestyle of the people themselves (Gill and Boylean).
Recommendation
What is needed, therefore, is a solution that will target both of these problems at once: the popularity of unhealthy foods and the sedentary life. In other words, it is not enough to merely reduce the intake and target a general change in lifestyle at all as people will find ways to bypass restrictions. Conversely, promoting a healthy lifestyle will be insignificant in the long run if people do not completely avoid eating processed food. Obesity is a complex problem which cannot be solved by one or two solutions. A recommended solution can incorporate the benefits of the previous solutions as well as add new ones. For example, a better system of health education can be implemented—one that effectively explores the benefits of a healthy lifestyle while making learning an enjoyable experience. In addition, the government can continue to serve unhealthy foods; it generates revenue from the food industry, after all. However, they should make the foods that are viable and considered as healthier alternatives. Since people tend to consume what is in front of them, they should make the healthier options their primary choice, so as for people to pick them over the other ones. In addition, practices that promote healthy living should be made more accessible to motivate people to lead a more active lifestyle.
Works Cited
"Adult Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US Department of Health & Human Services. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html>.
BMJ-British Medical Journal. "20 percent 'fat tax' needed to improve population health, experts say." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 May 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515203023.htm>.
Hammond, Ross A., and Ruth Levine. "The Economic Impact of Obesity in the United States." Journal of Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity 3 (2010): 285-95. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047996/>.
Haspel, Tamar. "Farm Bill: Why Don’t Taxpayers Subsidize the Foods That Are Better for Us?" The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2014`. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/farm-bill-why-dont-taxpayers-subsidize-the-foods-that-are-better-for-us/2014/02/14/d7642a3c-9434-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html>.
Vaidya, Varsha. "Psychosocial Aspects of Obesity." Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine 27 (2006): 73-85. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16418544>.
