Carly Schanock Is Obesity a Public Health Problem? written by Jonny Anomaly of Duke ni!

ersity" is an article focusin# on whether or not obesity shoul$ be consi$ere$ a %ublic health %roblem& He be#ins this ar#ument with the $iscussion of whether or not obesity is e!en an e%i$emic& Anomaly $efines an e%i$emic as a wi$es%rea$ occurrence of an infectious $isease in a community at a %articular time 'P()*+ which he states obesity can only be consi$ere$ this when a !ery loose $efinition of e%i$emic is a%%lie$& ,his !a#ue $efinition woul$ also e-ten$ to women wearin# hi#h heels" %layin# hockey" an$ other $an#erous acti!ities" %uttin# obesity in the same cate#ory& Anomaly furthers the e-am%le by statin# that hi#h heels make it more $an#erous for women to run away if bein# attacke$" an$ their %o%ularity is testament to the %ower of e!olutionary arm races in se-ual selection '%()*+& ,his woul$ mean that it coul$ be consi$ere$ an e%i$emic un$er a loose $efinition" an$ if heels ha$n.t been in!ente$ women woul$ be much safer& Anomaly states that this is a stretch an$ thus $escribin# what lea$s to obesity as an e%i$emic is a stretch also& Howe!er" Anomaly belie!es that obesity shoul$ fall un$er cultural conta#ion an$ usin# this to $escribe obesity woul$ lea$ to #arnerin# %ublic su%%ort& Anomaly be#ins to take on the cost of obesity& He #oes into $etail about what most %eo%le think as the ar#ument for obesity bein# a %ublic health %roblem is the financial bur$en on other ta-%ayers/members of an insurance %ool an$ the $ecrease$ a!era#e %ro$ucti!ity amon# obese workers 'P()0+& Howe!er he brin#s a counter ar#ument by sayin# that obesity lea$s to a shorter lifetime an$ the %eo%le with obesity #i!e more than they take away from me$ical resources& Anomaly then talks about another com%licatin# factor about the cost of obesity which is that stu$ies consi$er e-istin# %olicies as fi-e$ %arameters an$ use that for the basis& nfortunately" this is consi$erin# that the %olicies stay in effect" which they may not& Anomaly thinks we shoul$ instea$ ask fun$amental 1uestions like whether or not e-istin# man$ates $istribute me$ical costs fairly& Social cost nee$s to be $ealt with when concernin# obesity& 2oral ha3ar$s come in to %lay"

which are the costs of risky beha!ior are share$" but the benefits #o to the in$i!i$ual %eo%le takin# risks 'P()0+& ,his im%lies that some %eo%le of obesity only bear a small fraction of financial costs they incur themsel!es" an$ they $o not %ay as much attention to the me$ical conse1uences their $iet an$ e-ercise routines will lea$ to& Anomaly belie!es that insurance com%anies or air%orts char#in# more for hea!ier %eo%le an$ ta-in# obeso#enic foo$s woul$ #i!e them a #reater incenti!e to become healthier& A %roblem with this" he fin$s" is that the ta-es woul$ be 1uite hi#h an$ woul$ effect non4obese %eo%le& Another %roblem for the social cost ar#ument" is that some researches inclu$e %ri!ate costs& ,his means that in the stu$ies they are inclu$in# lower %ro$ucti!ity an$ lower e-%ecte$ wa#es as social costs& n%ro$ucti!eness is not only linke$ to obesity" but stress" insomnia" etc& which means that unless we think the #o!ernment to make workers ma-imally %ro$ucti!e" it.s not clear they shoul$ %ay s%ecial attention to obesity 'P()0+& Anomaly brin#s into %lay a claim he $oes not think is necessarily true& He mentions that obesity is an im%ortant %ublic health #oal because there is a %ublic #oo$ associate$ with re$ucin# obesity" since all ta-%ayers" workers" or members of an insurance %ool share the benefits that come with fewer fat %eo%le& Howe!er he thinks we shoul$ consi$er the costs an$ benefits o!er a lon# %erio$ of time" an$ that e!en if it.s true it mi#ht be because of unfair or un$esirable #o!ernment %olicies& Anomaly $oesn.t !iew this as anti4obesity su%%ort" but a call for ske%ticism if obesity is a %ublic health %roblem or not& 5eflectin# back at his intro$uction" he talks about %ublic #oo$ %roblems bein# create$ by contro!ersial social %olicies& Anomaly.s clearer an$ more relate$ e-am%le is #o!ernment subsi$ies an$ %rice controls for a#ricultural commo$ities& 6ar#e subsi$ies #i!en to farmers who farm sta%le cro%s lea$s to lowerin# the %rice of unhealthy carbohy$rates an$ increases the incenti!e to raise their cattle in a way that makes their meat less healthy& Subsi$ies also ne#ati!ely affect markets" mutually beneficial free tra$e a#reements an$ money costs& Anomaly brin#s in the anti4obesity si$e to this ar#ument sayin# that to counteract these subsi$ies" more shoul$ be %ut into %lace for fruits an$ !e#etables or %rice

controls for healthy foo$s& ,his will lea$ to the relati!e %rice of foo$s like can$y an$ cookies to increase as well& He further $e!elo%s this ar#ument by mentionin# that then the %layin# fiel$ woul$ ha!e to be le!ele$ by increasin# subsi$ies for more ty%es of foo$& ,his ar#ument" in short" su##ests subsi$ies on foo$ be eliminate$ entirely& He belie!es initial %olicies shoul$ be remo!e$ instea$ of com%licatin# e-%ensi!e %olicies further& In conclusion to his article" Anomaly clarifies that he has not ar#ue$ that all anti4obesity measures are un7ustifie$& He thinks that the %ublic #oo$s ar#ument is not con!incin# an$ that obesity is not necessarily a %ublic health %roblem& Howe!er" he still belie!es that may be other reasons for anti4 obesity %olicies& Policies showin# %eo%le that healthier choices are worth e-%lorin# because %eo%le woul$ fin$ them more rational& Other %olicies that woul$ lea$ to increase e-ercisin# amon# chil$ren" a ban of unhealthy foo$s in school" an$ increasin# health nutrition e$ucation woul$ make them make %ositi!e choices that will %ositi!ely affect their future& A%%lyin# these same %olicies may lea$ to contro!ersy amon# a$ults" which also nee$s to be ke%t in min$& 8e $o not want to alienate %ublic health allies with an o!erly e-%ansi!e conce%tion of %ublic health risks& Anomaly conclu$es that obesity is not necessarily a %ublic health %roblem& In my o%inion" obesity is a health issue that affects more than (/9 of the nite$ States an$ that we nee$ to rei#n it in before becomes out of control& I think that the current obesity rates ha!e shown that we are ineffecti!e at the in$i!i$ual le!el when it comes to fi#htin# obesity& I try to eat healthy" #o to the #ym as much as I can" an$ try to stay as in sha%e as %ossible& Howe!er" I cam from a back#roun$ where I coul$ affor$ healthier foo$s which are coinci$entally more e-%ensi!e& 2y mom is a social worker at an intercity hi#h school in 8isconsin" an$ she notes that obesity is more of a %roblem there than she.s seen in other schools& :ast foo$ %laces are common an$ a lack of moti!ation lea$s to hi#her obesity amon# her stu$ents& ,hey $o not ha!e the resources to eat healthy an$ usually $o not ha!e enou#h money for the #ym& How can they be e-%ecte$ to rei#n in obesity rates if they $o not ha!e the means?

I belie!e that a hi#her %ower" %referably one on the #o!ernmental le!el" nee$s to ste% in an$ %ro!i$e hel%& I %lan to e-amine both aca$emic an$ news%a%er articles an$ case stu$ies to buil$ the su%%ort for my ar#ument" with 1uite a few of them alrea$y in my fol$er& I want to show that our current %olicies an$ measures to $ecrease the obesity rates are ineffecti!e an$ that it is an im%ortant issue to focus on& Obesity is linke$ to $ecrease$ %ro$ucti!ity an$ $ecrease$ wa#es" which we alrea$y ha!e too much of in the nite$ States& Our workforce is ne#ati!ely affecte$ by obesity" an$ that is a %roblem that cannot lea$ anywhere %ositi!e& 2y au$ience is wi$es%rea$" but I want to try to focus on a youn# a$ult/a$ult a#e ran#e of lower class to mi$$le class income le!els& ,here are more a$!ocates to $ecreasin# chil$hoo$ obesity rates" but I belie!e that tar#etin# the workforce woul$ also be beneficial& I nee$ to make thin#s relatable an$ easy to un$erstan$& 5eal worl$ e-am%les" an$ not 7ust stu$ies" nee$ to be consi$ere$& ;o one in my family woul$ be consi$ere$ obese" but my father has ty%e ( $iabetes& 2y uncle was in risk of bein# consi$ere$ obese" but he worke$ har$ to lose wei#ht an$ eat healthier& I ha!e ne!er been consi$ere$ obese myself" so I $o not ha!e as many %ersonal reasons to work off of& Howe!er" I am always at risk of becomin# obese" as well as other members of my family& 8ith rou#hly <0= of Americans facin# obesity" this is a !ery real %roblem that affects e!eryone aroun$ me& I will try to be as fair as %ossible an$ unbiase$ by %ersonal e-%eriences& I $o want to kee% in my min$ thou#h that this coul$ ha%%en to me or my siblin#s" or any future #enerations" an$ that I may ha!e to $eal with obesity myself later on in life&

8O5>S CI,?D
Anomaly, Jonny. "Is Obesity A Public Health Problem?." Public Health Ethics 5.3 (2012): 216-221. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.