Utopia Vs Dystopian Society

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It’s been shown that “Nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the attention of the health profession, the media, and the public, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades” (Marks). These alarming statistics are increasing exponentially as individuals all over the globe continue to adopt unhealthy lifestyles that can lead to detrimental, and many times, irreversible, health issues. As a result, my discussion section chose to design our utopian society, named Troytopia, with the founding main vision of adhering to strict, healthy lifestyles for the betterment …show more content…

He writes, “Of the day’s twenty-four hours, the Utopians devote only six to work... The other hours of the day, when they are not working, eating, or sleeping, are left to each man’s individual discretion, provided he does not waste his free time in roistering or sloth but uses it properly in some occupation that pleases him” (More 51). This describes the importance that More’s utopia puts on not overworking individuals, as well as allowing people the time to do activities of their own choice. We designed our utopian society to be very similar by making it a priority not to overwork citizens and putting equal emphasis on work, leisure, exercise, and rest. This important practice in our utopia ensures that society will not be lacking in anything that could result in inadequate physical, emotional, or mental health. For example, ensuring that people have the ability to set aside time each day for exercise is a key aspect of living a healthy lifestyle. An article by TrueSport explains the role and benefit of exercise in promoting health and wellness in life. It reads, “Health benefits that result from regular participation in physical activity include reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and improving metabolic health in youth. Such activity also benefits musculoskeletal health. ‘Compared to those who are inactive, physically active youth have higher …show more content…

This has been demonstrated most prominently through the lives of African Americans and the corresponding Civil Rights movement. As many of these societal problems have been settled over time, problematic issues still arise today. In John Szwed’s book, Space is the Place: The Life and Times of Sun Ra, he addresses this concept of equality. He writes, “Equality is another false goal. There is no equality in nature, no democracy, only hierarchy, where you are judged by your quality. Music is not based on equality-the chords and notes are all different. Equality means nothing to God: everyone he sent here is unique. I have to rise above liberty and freedom and equality” (Szwed 310). This is significant because addressing this prevailing issue is very prevalent in creating a utopia. However, the subject of equality in our specific utopia evolves specific to the issue of what it looks like to live a “healthy lifestyle” in relation to each individual. While one person may have their own vision of what living a healthy lifestyle looks like, another person may have a different perspective. Because of this, I agree with Szwed in that true equality is a false goal. We are all different individuals with our own bodies that function in their own special way. What may be healthy for one, may not work for another. There is no set standard for equality in living a healthy

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