The Surgeon General’s call to arms to have a fitter and healthier lifestyle had a great impact on the country. For a long time, doctors and health practitioners had been telling us that we need to curb obesity in order to live healthier, longer lives. Obesity is a condition that we tend to ignore, but the Surgeon General forced us to examine the problem afresh. The paper created a lot of media attention and brought focus on the issue of obesity. The fact that Benjamin had the first lady with her during the launch of the report showed that the issue had the attention of the highest government circles and would be addressed by the Obama government seriously (Mitchell & Arvantes, 2010).
The report and media coverage that followed its publication created a sense of urgency in the audience - the general American populace. It brought to light the effects of obesity on the people, and how it negatively impacts their lives. It also inspired more research to be undertaken in order to understand the impact of obesity in the lives of those affected. More studies were later published in reputable health journals that showed the negative effects of obesity on the people (Masters et al., 2013).
Persuasion is the process of altering or reforming attitudes, opinions, views or behaviors toward a predetermined outcome through voluntary compliance. Persuasive arguments in this case create a call to action for reform by enabling people to embrace new ideas. It must be noted that persuasion directed at reforming attitudes works if the audience is shown the benefits of embracing the positive ideas in one’s arguments.
References
Masters, R. K., Reither, E. N., Powers, D. A., Yang, Y. C., Burger, A. E., & Link, B. G. (2013). The Impact of Obesity on US Mortality Levels: The Importance of Age and Cohort Factors in Population Estimates. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10), 1895-1901.
Mitchell, D., & Arvantes, J. (2010, February 5). Surgeon General Offers Vision for Healthy, Fit Nation : Physicians Play Key Role in Goals Outlined by Nation's 'First Doctor'. AAFP News. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20100205obesity-conf.html
