Greg Critser Too Much Of A Good Thing Summary

“At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese” (161). In Greg Critser’s “Too Much of a Good Thing”, Critser, a published author of a book about the epidemic of obesity, explains how America has become obese. Critser published his piece in the Los Angeles Times in 2001 after the United Nations came to New York to discuss the rising issue of obesity. Critser moves on to listing facts and past studies to convince the audience of concerned parents that there is a problem. In Greg Critser’s article, the language of his argument embodies the threat of obesity by challenging emotions, providing logic, and giving examples from credible sources. The increase of obesity caused the United Nations to meet in New York to discuss the circumstance.

The United Nations health and nutritional experts went to New York to examine the epidemic of obesity in America.

Greg Critser thinks that obesity is awful and nothing about it should be accepted. He starts his argument by listing facts about childhood obesity. He states that obesity didn’t used to be an epidemic, and he said, “our ancestors knew simply as avoiding gluttony” (161). This implies that overeating used to be classified as sinful, but overeating is still as bad now as it was when it was titled gluttony. Critser suggests that overeating is still on the gluttony level of bad. Critser frightens the audience with statistics of childhood obesity. He states that 25% of Americans under the age of nineteen are overweight and that number has doubled since the eighties. Rising rate of obesity in children is what Critser focuses on. He then compares this obesity epidemic with other conditions of the

past.
Critser compares obesity to HIV/AIDS in the second and fourth paragraph. Here, Critser is taking something that everyone fears and claims that obesity can be worse and more expensive to treat. Critser continues by providing examples of other diseases and conditions that were stigmatized and dealt with. Critser says “In both the campaign against unsafe sex and the campaign against smoking, stigmatizing such behaviors proved highly effective in reducing risk and harm”(161). When Critser says that stigmatizing is effective, it could upset the population that have been stigmatized. His strong logic is proved, but it is controversial because it could be offensive, saying that stigmatizing others is good. Stigmatizing is a way to fight obesity, but obesity is best prevented by teaching children healthy eating habits.
Critser discusses why he thinks that obesity is commonly started in childhood. He addresses how young children eat as much as they need, but when they grow older and more aware, they often eat more. ”The 5-year-olds, though, altered their eating behavior dramatically depending on the amount they were served, devouring whatever was on the plate” (161). This is a part where Critser mentions a study where children of varying ages are given various amounts of food and the older children repeatedly ate more than the younger children. Critser theorizes that when kids understand more social concepts and rules, they learn that they need to finish what is on the plate. This causes unhealthy eating habits, which will cause obesity later in life. There are still more causes of obesity.
Another huge factor to childhood obesity is the convenience of fast food. Critser blames fast food companies, such as McDonalds. He continues his argument by using McDonald's terminology like “supersize” to show how words in the right context can sound fine and inviting. Supersize actually means to make the meal bigger and unhealthier. The audience can infer that supersizing is actually bad, which isn’t what McDonald's wants the reader to think. More evidence of his word choice is present when Ronald McDonald was interpreted as a “crazy-looking clown with his own playground”(162). Critser shows how fast food is a poisoned chalice that is easy and enjoyable, but it is actually very unhealthy, especially if a child eats fast food frequently. Fast food is easier in the now, but it is highly detrimental in the long run.
Critser’s article explained the reason for the obesity epidemic by challenging emotions, providing logic, and giving examples from credible sources. The United Nations coming to New York was the exigence of this article. If world leaders are coming to discuss obesity, then it is a serious problem that needs attention. To please the audience, Critser couldn’t change the stigmatizing component because he isn’t writing this article to comfort people, but to help them. Critser shows how much he cares about the health America by giving his best ideas to help his country be healthier.