Tallulah Clancy
Mrs. Donohoe
English 2, Period 4
16 November 2018
Obesity: Disease or Choice?
Over the past thirty years, obesity has become a nationally recognized health epidemic. Currently, over one-third of the United States is obese. Contributors to this problem include cheap, easy-to-access fast food like the McDonald’s “Big Mac” and the 7 Eleven “Big Gulp”, both of which have become staples in the modern family diet. The proliferation of technology and video games, in particular, have resulted in sedentary lifestyles, where sitting on the couch is more the norm than being active outside. According to the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University, as obesity rates continue to climb, it is predicted that by 2020, 83% of men and 72% of woman will be overweight (Karczmar). These statistics are staggering and call for an urgent examination of the issue. Desperate change and reform to the American lifestyle must be made in order to achieve a decrease in obesity rates. While obesity is a huge problem that has medical implications, the condition is less of a result of disease and more of a consequence of one’s lifestyle choices. Furthermore, it is a preventable disorder that can be overcome by adopting and following healthy habits.
Obesity should be classified as a disease because it can be hereditary. People can inherit a predisposition to obesity through their family lineage. According to The Atlantic, a child with one obese parent has up to a 50% chance of developing the same disorder, while a child with two obese parents has up to an 80% chance of developing the same disorder (Brown). Obesity is also genetic. Mutations in genes can affect appetite control, food intake, fat storage and weight gain. As a disease, obesity commands the attention of doctors, hospitals and insurance companies – those who should be able to collectively treat this epidemic. However, the true power over obesity lies with the individual. Calling obesity a disease psychologically renders the individual powerless. The simple but difficult cure requires willpower, habit and healthy choices when it comes to eating and exercise. According to Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University, "when it comes to obesity your lifestyle and behavior choices can trump much of genetics” (Karczmar). Labeling obesity as a disease is the easiest way of confronting this epidemic but will not be the final solution in the cure. Ultimately, one must have discipline when it comes to living a healthy life. Individuals must make themselves accountable in order to truly change this condition.
Recognizing obesity as a consequence of one’s choices in going to have a great impact on the cure for this national epidemic. The label of a disease automatically classifies over one-third of Americans as sick instead of unhealthy. The demand for medications, surgeries and medical care will continue to increase at a significant rate pending this label. American businesses continue to financially support their obese employees but the costs are increasing year after year. Currently, businesses spend thousands of dollars per year on their obese workers. According to the Virtual Medical Center, employers and companies spend $506 more per obese worker per year on their procedures and medication (Thompson). These spendings are encouraging the obese community to continue on with their current health habits. As the employers are funding the procedures, this is directing many obese workers to partake in these useless practices instead of making diet changes. In addition, there are many cases in which there is a clear lack of education around obesity. According to Reuters, an obesity study conducted was conducted by Dr. Powell of the University of Texas Southwestern in which 2,056 obese men and women were asked a series of questions about themselves. 80% of the participants did not consider themselves to be obese yet go to the doctor annually (Harding). There is a fundamental lack of ownership that precludes one from getting to the root of the issue. Health leaders must educate Americans on how their diet choices affect their overall weight. Obesity is about choice and only when we teach people to make the right choices and hold them accountable will we see an actual decline in obesity rates.
Obesity itself is not a disease but rather a gateway to other deadly diseases such as heart disease and Type II Diabetes. A disease, by definition, is a disorder of structure or function that produces symptoms and that is not the result of physical injury. In June of 2013, hundreds of doctors met to discuss the obesity epidemic at the American Medical Associations annual meeting. According to The Atlantic, a spokesman on the committee stated, “It {obesity} has no symptoms and it’s not always harmful-in fact, for some people in some circumstances, it’s been known to be protective rather than destructive” (Brown). The body efficiently storing calories as fat is a normal adaptation to a set of circumstances that has held true for much of human history. Furthermore, obesity itself is not a cause of death but being obese significantly increases your susceptibility to other mortal diseases. According to the OAC, more than 90 percent of people with Type II Diabetes are overweight or affected by a degree of obesity. Type II Diabetes happens to be the 7th leading cause of death in America (Lofton). Hundreds among thousands of people die from Type II Diabetes every year because of their body’s inability to produce insulin, a condition that can occur a result of being obese. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, high sugar levels and fatigue can all result from being obese. Together, these symptoms can create high risk factors for heart disease and other serious illnesses.
Obesity is not a disease but rather a reflection of the choices we make in our everyday lives. Although obesity can be inherited, it is ultimately up to the individual to manage their health and their condition. Labeling obesity as a disease does more harm than good. It gives people a crutch and makes them victims, rather than giving them power over their health and well-being. Instead of spending money on useless medical procedures and medications, redirect those dollars toward education to help people understand obesity and the actions they can take to control it. Furthermore, as a country, we must discourage the supersizing of food and encourage portion control. Fruits and vegetables need to be easily accessible and inexpensive. The solution to the obesity epidemic lies in healthy choices and individual accountability. Put down that glazed doughnut – it just might save your life!
Bibliography
Brown, Harriet. “How Obesity Became a Disease.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company,
24 Mar. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/how-obesity-became-a-disease/388300/.
Harding, Anne. “Many Obese People See No Need to Lose Weight.” Reuters, Thomson
Reuters, 13 Oct. 2010,
www.reuters.com/article/us-obese-people/many-obese-people-see-no-need-to-lose-weight-idUSTRE69C5TY20101013.
Karczmar, Alexa. “Obesity: Is It a Disease or a Choice?” Women's Health Research
Institute, Northwestern University, 11 Feb. 2015,
www.womenshealth.northwestern.edu/blog/obesity-it-disease-or-choice.
Lofton, Holly F. “Understanding Excess Weight and Its Role in Type 2 Diabetes Brochure.”
Obesity Action Coalition, 3 Feb. 2018,
www.obesityaction.org/get-educated/public-resources/brochures-guides/unders
tanding-excess-weight-and-its-role-in-type-2-diabetes-brochure/.
Thompson, D. “Obesity and Its Cost on the Workforce.” MyVMC, 27 Sept. 2016,
www.myvmc.com/lifestyles/obesity-and-its-cost-on-the-workforce/.