This assertion journal is in response to the Washington Post’s article “U.S. Obesity Epidemic Continues to Grow” from July 17, 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701462.html
The world is getting fatter. That is a fact, not a prejudiced remark or a biased opinion; it is a fact. Between 2005 and 2007, the obesity rate among adults has increased a staggering 2 percent. The article was written in 2008, so it may not seem current but the statistics are still shocking. If every year the obesity rate increased 1 percent, within 10 years 35 percent of this nations population will be obese. First I should define obese. Obese means very fat or overweight as defined by dictionary.com. So these numbers released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control do not include overweight statistics. To be blunt, America is fat and getting fatter every day.
That’s a problem, and a fixable problem. The rate of obesity increases with age, so putting America on a diet starts by reaching out to the youth. Kids should love to play; just 30 minutes of exercise a day helps reduce weight. The CDC recommends incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our daily diets. That’s not so hard. So we have to cut back on our morning Wawa or McDonald’s runs. It may seem like a sacrifice now, but you’ll be thanking yourself when you don’t have diabetes in your twenties. Reaching out to America’s youth is important in keeping this nations health in check. Obesity causes many diseases in the body, such as heart disease, diabetes, and strokes. None of those sound too fun, do they? Obesity is costly to the national and state economies. With increased disease, health care suffers. This affects the local and federal economies; without money coming in and out debt increases. Besides internal problems, how would you like to see a blimp as your face every time you look in the mirror? That sounds harsh and uncaring; however, that’s reality and you have to get used to it. America isn’t going to slow down urbanizing or change what the media produces, but you can take the initiative to add more healthy activities into your life.
I do believe the obesity epidemic is a cause America needs to care more about. It goes unnoticed because it is a gradual change. News like swine flu and Iraq seem more important in the moment; but America is going to wake up one day and regret not being more proactive. Unfortunately, this wake up call will most likely be within my lifetime. Let’s just hope America realizes the health of the nation and of its population relies on choices being made now.
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Assertion
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the world is getting fatter. Yes i is a problem that can be fixed, but i don't why the government and other people should get involved with it. i believe that obesity is most of the time that person fault or their families fault for letting them get that why. If someone does not want to be fat anymore, good fore then, but its is a decision that only they can make. Sometimes people have medical actual conditions that cause them to get fat and i can understand then you might need some help. Otherwise it is the soul responsibility of the fat person to help them selves. There are organizations out there that can help them but i do not feel that the government need use there money to try and force this people to get better. Yes obesity is a problem but it is a personal problem that must first be dealt with by that person and they must want to get not fat.
Assertion
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you Sarah! If the U.S. focused more on the youth and actually what goes on at home, this nation would be way less obese. We need to add more physical activities in school, the place they spend most of their time on weekdays. Next we should watch the foods they intake (the kids). I believe it starts with changing the school lunches to be something most kids will actually eat all of, while it is still nutritional. Also, most kids that have obese parents are usually becoming obese themselves. I know its hardest to fight the parents but we should still try. Maybe all the FDA should crack down on overly unnutritional foods. Maybe we could make help clinics more affordable and inviting. The problem needs to be fixed, but it can only be fixed by a person who chooses to. So I believe we need to make becoming less obese more of an incentive in life.