Obesity Argumentative Essay

Not once did anyone anticipate that the idea of creating large amounts of corn syrup would be the enemy of modern obesity. The future looked vivid and bright in 1970; instead of fretting about malnourished children, the government could focus on many other important issues and ideas. The scientists back then would never know that today obesity is one of the biggest problems the United States faces. Soon after that, many young men were turned away from joining World War I because many people considered them too “lanky” to fight. Though discouraged, many solved their worries using one thing: vitamins. Scientists suggested vitamins because they were affordable and easy to take.

Though however, things got flipped around when the Cold War came

about. The Cold War moved the focus from eating healthy to exercising more. However, that focus all changed when in 1980, vending machines were introduced into many schools across the nation. As a result, the U.S. established exercising as a routine in schools to prevent and possibly eliminate a common problem we know today as: obesity. The obesity epidemic has been a ubiquitous problem because of how it affects the human body as well as society in the past and present. Additionally, there are major differences between a healthy and an obese body.
Everything Changed
Recently in the 21st century, obesity has been accepted as a nationwide problem, but it hasn’t always been like this.

In 1933, the Secretary of Labor Services stated that a fifth of children preschool and school aged were displaying signals of low nourishment (Flam). This shows that about half a century ago, U.S. children weren’t eating at fast food restaurants. Furthermore, the first nationwide school lunch program started in 1946 due to the lack of nourishment at that time (Flam). This proves that the government back then took nationwide issues very seriously and cared deeply about those issues.

Also, after discovering how to mass-produce corn syrup in Japanese laboratories, the sweets companies started incorporating high fructose corn syrup into their recipes because U.S. subsidized corn syrup was very cheap and affordable (Flam). This reveals that people and companies in that period of time were looking forward to make money by selling delicious desserts to the U.S. population. All in all, the issue of being overweight has recently been brought up to people’s attention but about 50 years ago, obesity was never brought up as a problem to the public

eye.
Effects of Obesity on the Human Body
There is no doubt that obesity plays a major role in both types of health: physical and mental health.

People with obesity are at risk of having critical diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties –for example asthma and sleep apnea-, joint problems, and musculoskeletal discomfort ("Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences"). This suggests that being diagnosed with obesity negatively affects a person’s health. Also, human beings who are overweight are linked to having psychological problems such as mood disorders and personality disorders ("Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences"). Moreover, women, men and children are more prone to having social problems such as bullying and humiliation ("Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences"). This shows that many people judge individuals who don’t look similar to their body shapes. Altogether, there are many things that could affect human bodies, but with obesity, those issues could

multiply.
Effects of Obesity on the Nation
Many people don’t consider how common health conditions affect the society as a whole. Roughly 70% of American adults are obese or overweight (“Obesity Information”). This implies that many Americans choose to neglect their well-being/ health. Additionally, nearly 13 million of U.S. children ages 2-19 are obese (“Obesity Information”). This suggests that the example that adults who are obese are setting is having an effect on the younger generation. Unfortunately, for every one in three children, one child is obese (“Obesity Information”). All things considered, obesity creates the “domino” effect, causing obesity to take over a person’s life one by one.
Being Obese vs. Healthy
Having a healthy weight has many benefits compared to being corpulence. In a recent study, being overweight can take from 6.5 to 13.7 years of a person’s lifespan (“NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years”). Therefore, the diseases and conditions mentioned have an effect on a person of weight’s life span. On the other hand, growing up healthy can avert major illnesses like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. “Given our findings it appears that class III obesity is increasing and may soon emerge as a major cause of early death in this and other countries worldwide,” says Patricia Hartge Sc.D., who works in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (“NIH study finds extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years”). Coincidentally, obesity has become a large health issue not only in the United States, but it has become an international problem. With this in mind, living a healthy lifestyle will pay off in the long run.
Becoming One to Fight Against Obesity
Although there is no definite solution for obesity, many actions have been taken to reduce this condition. Such as the My Plate launch in 2011 by former first lady, Michelle Obama encouraging mainly children to eat a balanced diet. The FDA has also recently approved two medications for long-term weight management in adults ("What is FDA doing to lower/reduce the risk of childhood obesity?"). Furthermore, the FDA has required fast food companies to show the nutritional facts on the foods that it provides (Hanks). Also, many cooperations have taken place in order to prevent the younger generation from being overweight. In 2006, the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association worked with the soda production companies such as Coco-Cola, and Pepsi Co., the collaboration set rules about proportions of sodas at school (Sharma, Stephen, Kelly).
Another action taken was the 2007 Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative with major companies pledging not to falsely advertise products to children under the age of 12 (Sharma, Stephen, Kelly). Not only can the companies participate in ending this epidemic, but the citizens can participate. In conclusion, obesity impacts history, the well-being of a human being, and the U.S population. Not to mention, there are benefits living healthy and many drawbacks living an overweight life.