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Nikole McGee

Mrs. Stanford

AP Language and Composition A108

11 January 2019

Approaching Obesity

The push for increased body positivity seems to be all the rage in 2018, and while body

positivity is good and necessary, different interpretations of this phrase may skew its actual

meaning. People who avoid the latter create stereotypes about what body positivity is, and these

stereotypes tend to overshadow the necessity of living a healthy lifestyle. Most prevalent among

the body positive community that are misusing its name include individuals who are obese.

Obesity has been an ongoing issue for years now that continues to affect a larger amount of

people every year. While this is a global issue, numerous studies have proven that Americans

have an especially significant number of obese persons in their population. The last population

study done in 2016 shows that 38.6% of the adults and 18.5% children in America are considered

to be obese. This is the equivalent of # obese Americans (CDC). Obesity is now considered a

disease, and some may go as far as to call it an “epidemic” because of its negative health effects

on the individual and on the population as a whole. It is unclear why this is such a massive

problem throughout the country, but its severity is obvious. Despite this, Americans choose to

believe that the root of the problem stems from laziness; a preference of the obese to be obese,

rather than a life consuming disease. Oftentimes, however, it is the circumstances of those who

struggle with their weight rather than their personal choices. As the expectations for individuals

to change are continuously unmet, the influences of commercial advertising, societal views, and

economical circumstances offer a better solution.

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No decision is made without being influenced, just as no idea is originated from thin air.

That being said, the “choice” to be obese cannot be blamed solely on the individual, excluding

all outside factors. Advertisement is an extremely effective tool of persuasion, and marketers are

experts on how to influence and sway an audience. Marketing is, without a doubt, a major

perpetrator of the obesity “epidemic”.The frequent targeting of children is a simple example of

marketing manipulation in the food industry. Knowing how impressionable the developing and

vulnerable minds of children are, marketers gear their advertisements to entice young ones,

rather than adults who "know better." The scholarly article entitled “A Crisis in the Marketplace:

How Food Marketing Contributes to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done” written by

Jennifer L. Harris analyzes the obesity crisis, specifically in children, and has concluded that the

most influential cause of this crisis lies with these marketing companies. Harris claims that food

marketers are targeting children on a large scale that is constantly expanding.

The messages conveyed in food marketing raise additional concerns. Unhealthy

eating behaviors and positive outcomes from consuming nutrient-poor foods are
portrayed frequently. Snacking at nonmeal times appears in 58% of food ads
during children's programming, and only 11% of food ads are set in a kitchen,
dining room, or restaurant. In addition to good taste, the most common product
benefits communicated include fun, happiness, and being “cool.” Even during
preschool programming on sponsor-supported networks, fast-food advertisers
predominate, and their promotional spots associate fast food with fun and
happiness. Child marketing makes clear that it is exciting, fun, and cool to eat
great-tasting, high-calorie food almost any time or anywhere, and there are no
negative consequences for doing so.(Harris 2009)

The foods being advertised are unhealthy and lack necessary nutrients needed for these growing

children. The habits that people develop as children often carry over into adulthood, so,

marketers use this to their advantage to essentially “create” long-term customers. Even though it

is very clear that food advertising largely contributes to the obesity “epidemic” within America,

government has not yet addressed this or placed any regulations on these advertisements. It is
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unclear why this is so, but logic suggests that the issue is avoided because of the shear magnitude

and size of the companies within the food industry and the benefits they bring to the economy.

Society consistently splits its views between accepting obesity and shaming obesity.

While it is true that one should feel comfortable in their own skin and be happy with themselves

physically, it is also true that if one’s physical appearance negatively affects their health, then

that person cannot be “body positive”. In other words, neglecting the negative effects of obesity

by soley accepting obesity is not a means of positivity. It is “common” knowledge that diet and

exercise are key factors of weight loss, but most heavily expressed is the need for more exercise.

If the argument stands that the inactivity of the obese is the biggest source of the problem,

studies done specifically on physical education say that, “No link between school physical

education and either the long-term health, body weight or physical activity levels of children has

ever been established.”(Gard & Wright 2005). This proves that as a country, America is not

approaching the matter correctly, and has not had success in addressing the issue. Many fallacies

such as this are advertised across the country, but the dangers of obesity are not a secret. The

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention follow a variety of surveillance systems in order to

uncover trends in public health, including systems that monitor nutrition, physical activity, and

obesity. Not only does the site raise awareness about this issue but it also provides resources to

help combat the issue that are easily accessible, outlining “Healthy Food Service Guidelines”,

“Early Care and Education”, “Community Efforts” and more. This proves that the government is

aware of the gravity of the health risks associated with being overweight and the issue should be

addressed in a very serious manner, but the measures in place are simply not enough.

In a country full of so much diversity it is illogical to assume that obesity can be

controlled solely by individual choice and declined by individual change. Based on

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circumstantial influences, sometimes obesity cannot be avoided. Evidence shows that the

majority of obese individuals in the country live on or below the poverty line (Drewnowski

2005). The scholarly article titled “Economics of Obesity: Dietary Energy Density and Energy

Cost.” proves that obesity is largely influenced by the American economy. This does not affirm

the stereotype that poor families are “lazy” families, instead it affirms that the price that comes

with living a healthy lifestyle is proving to be detrimental to these lower-income families. Foods

that are less energy-efficient and overall less healthy tend to cost less, making it easier for

struggling families to fall into unhealthy eating habits and making unhealthy products more

desirable to the general public. J. Eric Oliver is another author that would agree that obesity is

more than an individual issue. In his book entitled “Fat Politics: The Real Story behind

America's Obesity Epidemic”, Oliver has come to the conclusion that obesity is often

approached from the wrong angle, and should be recognized as a political issue in addition to an

individual and economic issue. His book is composed of nine chapters that dissect the issue of

obesity, identify it, and propose ways to combat it. Oliver considers obesity an epidemic because

of the mass amount of people affected by the disease, killing over 400,000 people every year.

Oliver also sees this epidemic as a political issue because of the way that it affects our economy

as the government spends billions of dollars each year trying to cure such disease (2005).

Some claim that obesity itself isn’t a major issue at all, but the negative attention that it

receives is the true problem. For example, the scholarly article titled “Epidemiology of

Overweight and Obesity: Public Health Crisis or Moral Panic?” argues that this negative

attention creates moral panic within the population that is unjustified. Author Paul Campos

claims that there is not enough current research on the issue to prove that obesity influences the

mortality rate within America. Essentially, arguing that the obesity “epidemic” is not necessarily
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as dangerous and impactful as it is advertised to be (2005). This however, is untrue. There is a

substantial amount of evidence that relates obesity to negative health consequences. The Center

for Disease Control and Prevention lists the following health detriments associated with obesity:

● All-causes of death (mortality)

● High blood pressure (Hypertension)
● High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides
(Dyslipidemia)
● Type 2 diabetes
● Coronary heart disease
● Stroke
● Gallbladder disease
● Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
● Sleep apnea and breathing problems
● Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, and liver)
● Low quality of life
● Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders
● Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning

Each of those listed have the potential risk of leading to death, which is why the mortality rate

among obese individuals is so high, approximately 400,000 a year as stated previously, and

continues to grow. The “moral panic” surrounding the obesity epidemic has not scared the

American people or the American government enough because neither are taking large enough

action to combat the issue. The fact is, obesity is so prevalent in our society that it is becoming a

trend and it is killing people. The only way to begin reversing this to promote change not only in

the individual but also in American marketing, society, and economy.

Based on the research conducted over the last several years it is obvious that there is no

single solution to combat the issue of obesity. The disease itself can be caused by many different

factors, so in order to fight it, all of those factors should be analyzed. By blaming the individual,

the American government creates a single solution for this diverse problem, and until change is

instituted in multiple mediums, obesity will continue to pick off these “weak” individuals.

Marketing companies, American society and American economy are just as much to blame for
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ignoring the severity of the issue as is the individual who does not practice a healthy lifestyle.

The government must find a way to adjust food pricing because families that live in poverty are

often forced to eat unhealthy food items simply because it is the cheapest option. In addition to

this, society needs to realize that if it focuses too much on self acceptance that people will begin

to ignore self care and most importantly, marketing laws need to be adjusted because companies

encourage unhealthy eating habits far too often. More and more research suggests that once these

influential factors begin to change, obesity and mortality rates will decrease. This being said,

changing these things may not have positive impacts, in fact it may not have any impacts at all.

There is no proof that taking such measures will alleviate the issue at hand, simply because there

is no precedent to follow, but it is evident that current combatants are not enough.
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Works Cited

“Defining Adult Overweight and Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 June 2016

Drewnowski, et al. “Economics of Obesity: Dietary Energy Density and Energy Cost.” OUP

Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 July 2005,

“Fat Politics.” Google Books,

books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DtQ0olwnQ4AC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=reaso

n for obesity epidemic in

america&ots=uaRiEGGvlx&sig=kGMDSt7XLtBrT7uI2vToPY4z770#v=onepage&q=rea

son for obesity epidemic in america&f=false.

Gard, Michael, and Jan Wright. “The Obesity Epidemic | Science, Morality and

Ideology.” Taylor & Francis, Routledge, 28 Apr. 2005

Harris, Jennifer L., et al. “A Crisis in the Marketplace: How Food Marketing Contributes
to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done.” Annual Reviews,
Paul, et al. “Epidemiology of Overweight and Obesity: Public Health Crisis or Moral

Panic?” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 8 Dec. 2005,

academic.oup.com/ije/article/35/1/55/849914.