Daily Doses: Obesity

               In this world, it is crucial for people who want to be successful in society to think ahead of their given situation. They must think, critically think for themselves. Critical thinking means to purposefully reflect on a given situation, taking note of all sides, and then making a reasonable judgment or opinion. A critical thinker must evaluate evidence, discern hidden values and accomplish an action, even if it’s just to come to a conclusion.  I chose to critically think about a problem that is affecting millions of people worldwide. It is a problem in which I looked at the causes and effects, and formulated solutions to combat them.

There was a time in America, and across the world, when obesity was an abnormality in human society. Matter of fact, during those times, a person who was overweight never reached the standard weight of today’s obese population. Obesity is a widely spread nutritional disorder that can affect anybody at any age across the world. It is very clear that the world’s nutritional standards and personal fitness habits have drastically changed in the last 50 years. This change in standards has affected the world for the worst. I chose this topic because it hit me close to home. I was able to critically analyze why we have the certain problems we’re suffering from and how it could be prevented.

            Writing this essay required me to research my family past.  My mother, who has turned 50, recalled what the world was like when she was growing up. She grew up in small, dusty Texas town of Amarillo, where the roads seemed to last forever. When she was my age, eighteen that is, she weighed around 120-130 pounds, and had a healthy, slender, and energetic body. Most of her peers during that time had the same healthy body type. Today, 2011, I’m eighteen years old and I weigh approximately 200 pounds. I can hardly do as much physical work as my mother did in her time. But I am no social outcast due to this variance. Many of my contemporary peers are in the same range as I am. What is responsible for this drastic change?

            During my mother’s day, food was not as heavily processed and it was fresher. Snacks such as chips and sweets were limited as vain treats. Sure, people didn’t know as much about nutritional value back then as they do now, but things were still a lot healthier. That’s on part because people like my mother practiced moderation. They could eat whatever they desired, as long as it was a proper amount. Fresh fruits and vegetables were on the table more than anything else, even meat. During that time, children and teenagers were physically active, for long periods of time. My mother recalls taking long walks to and from high school, running on the roads with friends, and being involved with a school sport (volleyball in her case). This made exercise enjoyable, fun, and most of all, unnoticeable. She lived her life carefree and unconscious about her weight, because it was never a health risk issue. She had no medical problems or aliments. Her body and heart were robust and strong.

Today, the issue of obesity is controversial and sensitive. People often don’t want to hear about the many changes they think they must make to achieve a better lifestyle. Truth is issues with obesity and overweightness is slowly killing Americans, and even the world. Health problems associated with obesity is rapidly growing at an all-time high. Diseases never before mentioned in my mother’s home have now taken over the medical market. Things such as diabetes, various types of cancer, and heart failure can be directly connected to obesity and malnutrition. These aliments are found not only in adults, but teenagers and young children.

People try to blame the fast food markets for our demise. But I have come to believe that they are only a small portion of the picture. It’s true that cheap, high calorie foods are dominating the food supply market. Fresher foods seem more and more costly and people are turning to cheaper alternatives. But still, people are fooled into making bad choices because they are ignorant of what they are really buying. Some people don’t even take the time to read the labels of what they are consuming. I know for a fact that I sometimes buy snack foods and disregard the warning signs, because it tastes so good. All of that artificial flavoring and high caloric, saturated fat makes my mouth water… It’s a shame really. The people who create these products deliberately make them a trigger food. That is, they become addictive due to suspect ingredients. People will just eat a said product until they think they think they are full, not knowing that their brain is tricking them to overeat. They have no idea when to stop! It’s only natural, since most snack foods are light weight and appear thin, when in reality a handful of your favorite goodies could come out to an astonishing 500 calories! In the end, it seems quite unfair to my body. The companies who supply such items have no intention of warning the buyer, considering they would be at a financial loss if people knew the truth…

            Apart from consuming a low nutritional diet, many people consider physical activity as a hassle. I once thought exercising would make me lose all my energy and I would be exhausted afterward, when in fact exercising increased my energy, metabolism, and mental focus. Many people are not fully aware of the benefits of having an active lifestyle. That is partially due to inactive distractions and not enough role models to show the way. Instead of playing outdoors with their friends, children would rather communicate electronically, whether by phone or internet. Adults who have hectic work schedules tend to come home to relax by sitting in front of the TV, rather than going for a refreshing walk, which would indeed increase their energy and focus. It is simple things like these that the average person does not consider. Small physical activities that could add to a healthy lifestyle are often overlooked.

            It is simple facts like these that the “industry” doesn’t want to consumer to know about. If people found out their health were being exploited, the industry would collapse. Just researching this topic has inspired me to take a closer look at myself. I am 200 pounds and reaching the borderline obesity level, and I’m still 18. If my condition remains this way, I am more likely to get heavier and unhealthier as I grow older, eventually peaking the obesity chart. I don’t want this calamity to befall me. I want to give myself a fair chance. Now that I know of the present and future danger, I can change my course of action. I believe that if every other young adult who had the same problem as me truly knew the causes of their condition, they would be inspired to change their course as I did. I realize that times are quite different than when my mother was my age. People enjoyed life with physical activity, food portions were 3 times smaller, and people ate far more nutritional foods. I realize that if I can practice this simple method of moderation and fun exercise, I wouldn’t have to spend any additional money on diet pills, surgery, or meal plans, which are so heavily advertised in the media. Obesity is indeed a growing and dangerous problem, but it can be easily prevented if more people were aware of the easy and natural options they had.