Prose & Cons: Obesity

         Weight-loss is becoming more popular as time goes on. Gym memberships are purchased, fitness programs are practiced and yet, no one stops to think about how unhealthy food is really affecting them. All this talk about weight-loss has just recently started because, “In the last three decades, obesity has doubled among adults and tripled among children.”(Lohan) Of course, there are many factors contributing to the drastic weight gain, but the most obvious are diet and exercise.

         On Debate.org, a simple question was asked, “Is fast food to blame for obesity?” and a pole was open to discussion on the Internet. This gives anyone the opportunity to vote based on their opinion and briefly explain their justification, 23% felt that fast food is to blame for obesity and 77% felt that the blame is solely on the consumers.

Someone anonymously voted against fast food being at fault for obesity and stated, “As it takes lots of fast food for one to get obese, its not one sitting of fast food. People need to smarten up about their food intake choices, as it could kill them in the end.” There is a loss for limitation amongst all of this. Since fast food is so accessible, people are taking advantage of the easy access, which is causing all of these health issues. Another anonymous voter commented, “McDonald's doesn't put a gun to your head and tell you to eat a big mac 3 times a week. You're responsible for yourself and I laugh at anyone who says they're addicted to fast food or say they're overweight because of it. No, you're overweight because you have no self-control.” People are loosing respect for themselves and should be completely at fault for self inflicted issues.

An anonymous voter that voted yes to fast food being the blame for obesity said,

Fast food might taste better than what we might cook at home but it is ruining our cooking skills and make us a lazy. Having a busy lifestyle like working long hours but fast food is still to blame for the high risk of health problems and high risk of heart disease no matter on the lifestyle.

But their comment sounds a lot like a consumer problem more than anything. It’s not the fast food company’s fault for a lack of cooking skills and desirable laziness. Another voter that voted yes commented,

I'm not saying it's the stores fault for cooking unhealthy food, but that it is because of fast food that people are obese. Even though no one forces you to eat fast food, it is fast food itself that is to blame for obesity because it's not like healthy meals are making us fat.

That comment sounds very contradicting and illiterate. If healthy meals aren’t making us fat, then make people should start considering those options.

         In conclusion, Americans should stop trying to point fingers and name a blame for obesity. There are simple precautious for obesity that all start with self-discipline. The choices people make, determine the life they live in the long run. There are many contributors to the cause of obesity, but diet and exercise are the main two. This issue is all a matter of choices, choices that need to be changed. 

http://www.alternet.org/story/143036/what_if_being_fat_is_not_your_fault_america%27s_obesity_epidemic_may_be_fueled_by_chemicals_in_everyday_products?page=0%2C2

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-fast-food-to-blame-for-obesity