In the current age of modern living, luxurious life as well as superior technology, Americans are coming face to face with social problems that affect them each at a personal level. One such social problem is the issue of obesity and what it has led out society into in recent times. The recent past has witnessed an increased number of cases of obesity; it affects children, the youth, and even the older generation. But the most talked about obesity in present day America is child obesity. That is especially because there has been a growing number of child obesity today more than it has been in the past. Much of the blame for these rising numbers is directed at the change in people’s living standards and lifestyles. Even if it is the richest and most powerful country in the world, America has become a laughingstock of its neighbors and the rest of the world because Americans are deeply immersed in unhealthy eating habits that are becoming visible through their disfigured backsides and bulging stomachs (Saguy 34). Sadly, obesity is threatening the health of Americans from all walks of life, and thus, it has become everybody’s problem.
According to research conducted in 1980 by the Center for Disease Control, a quarter of the total adult American population had become overweight, in the early 1990s, the number had doubled and today, that number is thrice as much as it was in 1980. The situation has gotten worse because emerging trends show that children under the age of fourteen are increasingly becoming overweight. Americans have shown that they are aware of this problem, and that is the reason fitness centers are popping up in every other street corner in most major cities and towns. Television and radio stations have given exercising and fitness a lot of attention than the case was about thirty years ago. But is seems as if the American society is not doing enough to curb this problem. Just like in the 1980s when fitness centers mushroomed throughout the country, the problem was not contained at that time and instead it got worse. Just like the situation is today. There seems to be a missing link between the sensitization of the masses and the very actions of Americans who seem to be eating the wrong food even when they know it is not goo d for their health. Surprisingly, fast food restaurants are becoming many and bigger and that means that Americans are helping in running them
Obesity is not a respecter of anyone; it affects people from all walks of life, from young children to the elderly, rich or poor and does not choose race or gender. Children are becoming obese at an alarming rate. Lifestyle diseases are beginning to affect them from early on in life, and it is not surprising that there is an increased number of children suffering from diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension and heart diseases (Boero 76). There are very many teenagers within our borders who are a lot more insecure, many of whom who are not confident in their skin and weight (Saguy 43). Many of them have suffered at the hands of their parents, peers and the general public because a lot of attention is directed to them all because they are bigger than they are expected to be! The youth, have not been spared either because they are always under the watchful eye of the wider society that looks at them suspiciously or telling them there is something they need to do to cut on their weight. It is as losing weight is an overnight journey. The elderly too, have their demons to deal with because they are always seen as irresponsible having had to accumulate a lot of weight knowing very well it is dangerous.
In an effort to sensitize the American Society about this very serious social issue, there are people who have come out to raise awareness about this silent killer that many would rather they never discuss. The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, came up with an initiative called Lets Move! Through this initiative, she wants to raise awareness about the health of the American children through solving the obesity problem by first focusing on a specific generation which will in turn help influence future generations. Former President Bill Clinton also joined the campaign against obesity after his open heart surgery in 2004. Through his Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, he helped start a movement to address obesity and particularly childhood obesity. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has conducted campaigns that encourage children to exercise and chose healthier food options. These two have chosen to create a generational change that targets children so that they learn from an early age how important it is to make healthier decisions as pertaining to what they eat and how they exercise.
The initiatives of Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton were fuelled by the fact that American parents have become ignorant and are not wise enough to make good decisions for their children. Many of them do not have time to prepare healthy foods, thereby ending up purchasing canned or already prepared meals that a laden with excess fats, salts, and sugars (Saguy 87). Besides, they are too busy looking for money to take care of their needs and those of their children, so much so that they ignore the basic principles that ensure the good health of themselves and that of their children. According to the work their initiatives do, it becomes all too clear that ignorance and negligence have made obesity a social problem because many Americans do not take necessary precautions before the problem gets out of hand. Worse still a lot more people feel helpless and do not know what to do to change their situation because it is not the easiest thing to do to lose weight unless one gets fully committed to the challenge.
Research shows that everyone as at risk of suffering from obesity, but the most affected people are the members of low-income families. Today people eat on the move; gone are the days when families could prepare proper and well-balanced meals because there is no time to cook. Others do not have the money to buy healthier foods. In fact, fast foods and canned ones that are rich and calories are a lot cheaper than natural foods. People who belong to low-income category find it a lot cheaper to buy these unhealthy foods. Many of them are often lured by the fact that they are already cooked and are cheaper to buy (Boero 82). Besides, there are lots of fast food restaurants than there are restaurants that offer the organic and healthier options. It is also noteworthy that the unhealthy foods are the most desirable as compared to those that are healthy because they are sweeter and addictive. Thus, convenience is given priority over eating healthy foods.
I chose to talk about this social problem because it is one thing that I see and feel every day of my life. On the count of every three Americans at least, two are overweight. Through those statistics, I see shortened the lifespan of people who have a potential of living longer. I have come to learn that for every extra body weight one has, there is a high likelihood that their lifespan is shortened by a couple of days or weeks. It is not like it is abnormal to gain weight because ideally for children to grow they have to put on more weight. The problem is that they put on a lot more weight than it is necessary. It is for that very reason and many more that I chose to focus on this topic so that I can learn more about this problem so that I get to know how it can be addressed. Researching and learning more about this social issue makes me understand how much more of a problem it is because it seems as though many people do not see it as a problem.
High-income countries have proven to have higher rates of obesity as compared to middle or low-income countries. I feel as though this problem has not received sufficient attention, and that is the reason it is getting worse by the day. Obesity is a social problem that many do not recognize because many seem to care about because it is all about lifestyle. Many people are leading sedentary lives, many more are eating unhealthy foods without a care, and some even suffer from metabolic problems that they seem not to give necessary attention. Worse still, many of them are just out rightly lazy and do not want to do the right thing in as far as getting the right food to eat is concerned. People have the power to determine what to eat and what not to eat, whether to exercise or not. Unfortunately, many would rather they chose the wrong path that will lead to obesity and ignore the right one that is healthier and fulfilling. It is all about the choices people make. Unfortunately for many, it is a lot easier to do the wrong thing always. In as far as obesity is concerned, it is a social problem that many Americans seem to neglect, and the result of that are their overweight bodies. It is about time that people changed their lifestyles for the better. And this topic is meant to serve as an eye opener to this very serious social problem.
Works Cited
Boero, Natalie. Killer Fat: Media, Medicine, and Morals in the American “Obesity Epidemic”. New Brumswick: Rutgers University Press, 2012. Print
Saguy, Abigail. What’s Wrong with Fat. New York: OUP, 2013. Print
