Obesity is a very growing concern in our country, and it has a not just individual problem rather it also affects us all as a community. From so many heart tribulations to spinal and other health problems, obesity is not at all without concerns. This is the reason why we are seeing people from very young ages fighting with the consequences of Diabetes.
Fortunately, Obesity is not a concern that affects me personally, but there are people in my life who could qualify as obese and their troubles are not exceptional to me. These are the people that I think complaint more about back problems, and I have also heard them complain of problems in performing day-to-day activities. These people face greater trouble standing up as well as sitting down, and they also tire after only a little bit of physical activity. Unfortunately, these are also the people who have to deal with some very long term problems that are beyond repairs like diabetes and high cholesterol.
There are also a number of impacts of diabetes that concern us all as a community. For instance, diabetes demands greater cost that the country expands by way of medical expenses. Individuals that suffer from this particular anomaly are also left in a condition which is less than fit to serve in the US workforce and in some cases; they may also require special consideration similar to that which is extended towards people who become disabled. There also a very high death rate which could directly be attributed to obesity. Research states that in people less than the age of 70, obesity is the second most leading cause of death, and to look at it reasonably, we would not be wrong in saying that all of these deaths are in fact preventable.
Poverty could be considered as a valid reason why obesity persists in our society. This is because we are well aware of the nature of the present day food market and in this food market, fast food is cheaper that the healthier more organic food and people that come from low-income households can only afford this type of food and the option of trading money for health is not available for them. Low-income households also have to work for long hours to keep up with their basic needs; which leaves them very less time and opportunity for physical exercise.
When aiming towards the solution, we could try and reduce the price gap that exists between the unhealthy fast food and the healthier home-cooked one. This is so that the households that live on lower incomes could also, at least, have the option to make the healthier choice for their families. The second option would be to implement the minimum wage policy more strictly so that the chances of any household being able to afford the necessary utilities could increase and there can be some if not much money to spare on a healthier meal which could be prepared at home.
The functionalist sociological theory states that there a number of parts of the society which fit together. The action of one part could have a consequence on another part of the society. We have described poverty here as a factor that makes the problem of obesity worse in the society, and this assumption is based on the functionalist perspective. Here, the parts of the society that fit together are the employers and the labor force because the implementation of policies that these employers undertake could directly affect the lifestyle options of the labor force. So through the implementation of these policies by the employers, the problem of poverty and consequently obesity could be made better or driven towards even further deterioration.
The deaths and consequences that we suffer through because of obesity are very much preventable and by definition, there is a lot that could be done to avert these consequences and events from being repeated. Our plans just need proper strategizing and implementations to be driven towards the solution of the given issue.
References
Chan, T. (n.d.). Obesity Consequences. Retrieved March 04, 2016, from Harvard School of Public Health: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/
