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Shirin Moradi

Professor Lisa Packer

English 1010

04 April 2018

It's easy to become obese in America

Obesity in America seems to be a huge controversy, and data shows that America is one

of the most obese countries in the world and have a large obesity related diseases that come with

it. I believe people need government help and it’s not only up to people responsibilities and their

control. There are many factors that have been overlooked by government regarding obesity and

food problems that needs government attention and support. ​I was born and raised in Iran and I

have traveled to quite a few different countries around the world such as, Japan, Australia, Dubai

and Germany. I noticed a huge difference between their food portions and the quality of their

food. The taste of their food is more rich and flavorful, and doesn't leave a bland taste in your

mouth like the food in the U.S. does. You see less overweight people and less fast food

restaurants that occupy space. I personally didn't see any drive-thrus over there during the time I

was visiting. They have more local businesses such as, restaurants, small grocery stores, and

bakeries; with the most delicious breads and sweet pastries and exceptional coffees and teas

available. If you see a franchise or an overweight person it is a very foreign experience, while
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traveling abroad. The countries are all well- developed and modern, but why don't they have as

many overweight people as we have in America?

There are those who say government is too intrusive in our daily lives and we don't need

more control from over government. For example, Radley Balko who is an American journalist

and opinion blogger at the Washington post wrote an article called “ What You Eat Is Your

Business” states that government must make obesity a personal responsibility. According to him

obesity should be taken out of the public health sector. Belko is strongly against government

taking care of problems due to obesity. Balko says, “Your heart attack drives up the cost of my

premiums” he blames his high premium insurance on obese people who according to him are not

responsible for what they eat. ​Balko also believes that taxing unhealthy food “ is the wrong way

to fight obesity”.

I say the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity calls for strategies to influence

individuals’ lifestyle. There is increasing acceptance of the idea that such strategies should go

further than to stress the responsibility of the individual and focus on wider socioeconomic and

environmental factors. I believe people should have freedom to eat what they want, but with

frequently fast food chains and availability of cheap and low quality food it makes it almost

impossible for people to control what they eat and how much they eat.

According to Radley Balko, it is very unnecessary and waste of money that president

Bush earmarked $ 200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures and I argue that $ 200

millions dollars is nothing to compare with amounts on advertising— including more than $30

billion in 2004 alone for fast food and marketing unhealthy food.
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I believe that government needs to ban advertising fast food and spend a specific budget

for nutrition education. Government needs to step up and educate people about nutrition,

unhealthy food and obesity at very young age by encouraging healthy eating habit. I think that

government should remove some the harmful food product from the market as well as portion

control or stop advertising soda products like what they did with cigaret. I also think they should

tax and label fast food, soda drinks and harmful food and stop advertising them the way they did

with cigarette. I know the fact the issue surrounding tobacco and obesity are not identical, but

they both need similar strategic legislative.

“Several legislative strategies that could be embraced by the campaign against obesity,

which were adopted similarly in combating smoking, include: (1) taxing fattening foods; (2)

labels indicating the risks associated with consuming fattening foods; and (3) banning the

advertisements of fattening foods. A study has even shown that states repealing such taxes were

thirteen times more likely to witness increased obesity levels than the states that retained the

taxes” (Hoffman, 1896-1897).

I think in order to improve food consumption and prevent obesity, government needs to

change food policies and aim to increase (decrease) the availability, affordability, and

acceptability of healthy (unhealthy) food choices.

“Great Britain, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand have considered

front-of-package (“FOP”) ‘signpost’ labeling that ‘uses simple, graphic symbols to convey the

health risks and benefits of packaged food items.’ This practice ‘has already become widespread

in Europe and England, on a voluntary basis’” (Hoffman, 1897).

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The impact of taxation on smoking is well documented, showing that cigarette price

increases have contributed to reductions in smoking among youths and adults. In fact,

researchers have found that “every 10 percent increase in the real price of cigarettes reduces

overall cigarette consumption by approximately three to five percent, reduces the number of

young-adult smokers by 3.5 percent, and reduces the number of kids who smoke by six or seven

percen​t” (Brownell and Frieden). ​ “In sorting out the degree of cause and effect for societal obesity,

other new and unanswered policy questions arise. What are the social responsibilities, rights, and

duties of those responsible for food availability on the supply side (the food sellers) versus the

personal responsibilities, rights, and duties of those on the demand side (consumers)? What are

the appropriate public health, agricultural, industrial, and economic policies to pursue in

achieving balance between these interests? The fast-accelerating rate of American obesity gives

new urgency to resolve these issues between current industrial and public health policies”

(Tillotson).

I do not stand with Balko on the subject of obesity, government health care, or

government health regulation on food. However I believe we need to be responsible for our own

choices; I also believe our government should play a part in ensuring the well-being of our

country’s people. Whether you believe it should be a personal responsibility or a government

effort I think we can all agree that something needs to be done about obesity in America. I

believe the government can play a significant role to help reducing obesity.
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Works Cited

BMJ: British Medical Journal. Vol. 347, No. 7932 (9 November 2013), p. Published by: ​BMJ​.

Stable URL: ​http://www.jstor.org.libprox1.slcc.edu/stable/43513115

D. Brownell & Thomas R. Frieden, Ounces of Prevention—The Public Policy Case for Taxes on

Beverages, 360 NEW ENG. J. MED. 1805, 1806 (2009) (“Taxes on tobacco products

have been highly effective in reducing consumption, and data indicate that higher prices

also reduce soda consumption.”).

HOFFMAN, LAURA. "Cigarettes Vs. Soda?: The Argument for Similar Public Health

Regulation of Smoking ​ ​ and Obesity." ​Connecticut Law Review​, vol. 46, no. 5, July

2014, pp. 1889-1901. EBSCO​host​,

libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lgh

&AN=99674404&site=eds-live​.
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Mikkelsen B. Declining role of governments in promoting healthy eating: time to rethink the role

of the food industry?. ​Scandinavian Journal Of Nutrition ​( serial online). September

2005;49(3):127-130. Available from: CINAHL Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April

5, 2018.

Tillotson J. AMEl Economic Development, and RICA'S OBESITY: Conflicting Public Policies,

Industria Unintended Human Consequences. ​Annual Review Of Nutrition​ [serial online].

August 2004;24(1):617-643. Available from: SPORTDiscus with Full Text, Ipswich,

MA. Accessed April 12, 2018.