Introduction to the problem
The American Obesity Association defines obesity as a “complex, multi-factorial chronic disease involving environmental (social and cultural), genetic, physiologic, metabolic, behavioral and psychological components. It is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.” (AOA fact sheets, 2005, Obesity I the U.S, para.1). But is obesity really a disease? Technically, obesity is a condition of the human body in which the bodyweight of an individual is much higher than the normal prescribed weight and is measured by checking the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the person. In most Americans, the primary cause of obesity is poor and deficient dietary choices. Behavioral problems and unhealthy eating habits contribute to obesity. Sonia Arrison, in her article in TechNewsWorld.com, says “By making obesity a disease, the government does all Americans – large or not – a disservice.” (Arrison, 2005, para.1).
The statistics given by American Obesity Association show that approximately 127 million adults in the US are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese. (AOA fact sheets, 2005, Overall prevalence, para.1). The prevalence of obesity and overweight has dramatically increased in the US since the 1970s. The government and the citizens are not taking any immediate measures to face the consequences of this national disaster. “In 1998, medical expenses due to obesity accounted for 9.1 percent of total US medical expenditures and may have been as high as $78.5 billion.” (Arrison, 2005, Economics of obesity, para.2). The amount spent by the federal government for meeting this medical expenditure comes from the taxes paid by both obese as well as healthy people. This reveals that the consequences of obesity affect not only the people who are obese but also other taxpayers who lead a healthy lifestyle. The government should respond to this issue and take strong measures to put an end to obesity, or at least bring down the prevalence of obesity.
The primary solution
The most logical solution for obesity is to take steps to communicate and educate the general public on the harmful health issues caused by obesity, the methods to reduce and prevent obesity and thus lead a healthy life. By communication, it doesn’t mean the publication of empirical terms and criteria about obesity, in government books. Necessary steps must be taken to educate the general public about the risks of obesity with the help of credible data. For this, research should be conducted on the ill effects of obesity on health.
The perception of being overweight should be changed. The focus must be on the health of the individuals. Education on healthy eating habits and regular physical activities must be extended to schools, colleges, and communities. Students of medicine and health care service providers must be educated about the prevention and treatment of obesity. Emphasis must be given to the advantages of physical activities in daily life and their role in preventing overweight. Physical activities play a big role in preventing heart diseases, controlling cholesterol levels and diabetes, lowering the risk of cancers, and help in reducing anxiety and depression.
Obesity is listed as one of the primary causes of many serious health problems and diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high cholesterol levels leading to heart disease and stroke, a wide variety of cancers, liver and gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, reproductive complications, breathing problem, obstructive sleep apnea, and even premature death. What has the government done so far to educate its people about the consequences? The Handbook of Obesity Prevention lists the departments and agencies under the government which take initiatives for obesity prevention.
People do not realize the harmful effects of overeating. Being seated in front of the television and eating causes them to take more food than needed. With the advent of computers and automation, the amount of physical activity by an individual is decreasing day by day. People are not aware of how lack of physical activities can really make them unhealthy. These facts are stressed as the primary causes for obesity by the American Obesity Association, the only organization working on changing public policy and perceptions about obesity in the country. Hence, bringing about changes in these factors is the best solution for preventing obesity. Most people do not associate harmful conditions like accumulating cholesterol levels, cancers, and diabetes with obesity. Educating them on these issues will bring about changes in their lifestyle. Strategies for integrating obesity management into communities are the primary target of obesity prevention associations. This solution is well supported by the fact that the Center for disease control and prevention (CDC) has played a key role in catalyzing changes around obesity prevention by raising “awareness of obesity as a public health issue, documenting the disease burden it presents, particularly for children, and promoting the development and implementation of comprehensive, evidence-based interventions, including those addressing environmental and policy change.” (Kumanyika, & Brownson, 2007, p.135) This shows that educating the public about the adverse effects of obesity will bring about changes in their lifestyle and can lead them to adopt a healthier and nutritious diet. Evidence examined includes the reports and publications on this solution by American Obesity Prevention Association and also by the Centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) and are found best. The information supplied by these organizations is published on the internet and books and hence the solution is accurate. Several journals and studies indicate that awareness of the harmful effects of obesity is the most important step to take against obesity. Different points of view include the extent of effect for this awareness but studies and publications by CDC prove that this solution is far more effective and hence it is concluded that this is the primary solution.
Alternate solutions
The other plausible solutions for reducing obesity are to imply behavioral treatments for obesity and keep regulations on the production and sale of unhealthy foods.
Behavioral treatment is an effective approach to treat overweight and obesity. It involves changing the eating habits of overweight people and targeting to reverse obesity. Behavioral treatments focus on the present problems of the individual and devising a series of methods to treat such problems. A majority of the obese people in the US have unhealthy eating habits and tends to over-eat leading to overweight gain. Behavioral treatments are given by therapists according to a pre-planned regime to prevent over-eating.
The obese patients have been prescribed a healthy and low-calorie diet and a series of physical activity or workout sessions along with many sessions of counseling on the need for weight loss. The major aftermath of behavioral therapy would be the subsequent weight gain after the treatment ends. This can adversely affect the patient. The present-day behavioral therapist’s focus is not just on weight loss but also on weight maintenance. During the treatment, the therapist addresses the primary goal of losing weight by restricting the diet. A clear distinction is made between weight loss and weight maintenance. The patients are taught to practice weight maintenance programs throughout their life.
Behavioral treatments are generally needed for cognitive and psychological conditions. The impact of behavioral treatment in preventing and treating obesity is not realized by a majority of Americans. The first assumption is that Behavioral treatments are short-term courses and yields better results. The effect of such treatments on people is remarkable. Although it is costly it is far efficient than most other treatments existing for obesity. The second assumption is that the patients can avail themselves of insurance and Medicare facilities while taking behavioral treatments thus making behavioral treatments cheaper. The American Obesity Association and other organizations prescribe behavioral treatment as the best treatment for obesity. Their treatment strategies include treating obesity and maintaining weight. Behavioral treatments have a high positive result. This treatment will help in maintaining the overall health of the person. Health insurances can be availed for behavioral treatments which make them more affordable. The results as shown by the health department after behavioral treatment show that it is more profitable. According to the Handbook of Obesity Treatment “participants in behavioral programs lost an average of 9 kg, or approximately 10% of their initial body weight after a six-month program.” (Wadden, & Stunkard, 2004, p.302) This evidences that behavioral treatment is a real treatment for obesity. Behavioral treatments can bring Americans back in shape. The money spent in trimming down through behavioral therapies is more profitable than the money spent to treat diseases caused by obesity.
The second alternative is to regulate the production and sale of foods and drinks which pump unhealthy calories into the human body. With the increase in the standard of living, the intake of processed and packed food by Americans has also increased. Almost everyone is buying readymade food available at the counter. A serious problem is that these foods and drinks have a high-fat content in them, contributing to the problem of obesity. No regulation has so far been employed on the import, manufacture, and sale of these food items in the country. The high market for processed and fatty food in the US has helped other countries in exporting their food products to the US. Less physical activity combined with a high intake of fatty food is the primary cause of obesity in the country.
So far, the food industries had blamed technological advances like television, automobiles, video games, and computers as the cause for obesity as they reduce physical activities. They also claim that consumers should be given the freedom on what to eat. But, the current situation demands a restriction in the food supply.
Regulations on food supply can be implemented in a number of ways. A plausible method would be to restrict the supply of fatty food by preventing or reducing the sale of such food in the market. Standards on the amount of fat content in foods should be made. Ban should be placed on imported food having a fat content above the normal prescribed rate. Strict regulations should be enforced to exhibit on the labels of food packets the amount of fat content. Warnings and diet recommendations can be placed on food packets. The sale of certain foods can be prohibited by law. “For example, the Fijian Cabinet decided that meat derived from the belly of sheep be prohibited from sale by the issue of an order under the provision of the Fair Trading Decree 1992, as it was found to be high in fat contents” (Crawford, & Jeffrey, 2005, p.289).
The regulation on food supplies may cause protests from the general public who are the consumers. It can be blamed that the government is interfering in the consumer rights of the public. Also, the loss of revenue by way of import tax will be a concern for the government. But, the government has the duty to protect the health of the citizens. If a country like Fiji can ban the import of food products containing more fat, then all other countries can also do so. Food regulations acts can help in reducing the sale of unhealthy food.
The main assumption which supports this solution is that Americans take more imported canned food rich in fatty substances and this is a cause for the increase in obesity in the country. It is proved that soft drinks and food substances like preserved meat, pickles, chips, etc are unhealthy. An increase in readymade foods and the ingredients used in cooking are stated as an important cause for obesity by the American Obesity Association. The second assumption is that by removing these unhealthy foods from the counters, people will start cooking and using healthy ingredients in their food which can, in turn, reduce the prevalence of obesity among American people. Preventing the use of these things is the only step that can be taken by the government to decrease obesity.
Unhealthy foods and drinks like soft drinks, fried food, chewing gums, candies, etc can be made less accessible in the market by adding taxes and duties on such products. This will reduce the consumption of such products. Also, the federal government can encourage the production and supply of local and healthy food by providing subsidies in their production. This will increase the market for such food, in turn, contributing to a healthier American lifestyle.
Obesity has got a lot number of preventive and treatment solutions. A number of other solutions have also been found to decrease obese conditions. This is because different individuals have different lifestyles and tastes. Food requirements and physical activity rates are also different for different people. Designing and implementing diet plans for students and employees in an enterprise is easy. But, implementing them in housewives and other communities is relatively difficult. The extent of success of all these solutions depends directly on one’s commitment to the program. External facts like the standard of living, support from family members, workplace environment, health conditions, etc also influence the nature and outcome of the solutions to obesity problems.
Conclusion
Obesity is becoming a serious problem in the US. The consequences of obesity affect not only the people who are obese but also other taxpayers who lead a healthy lifestyle. The most logical solution for obesity is to take steps to communicate and educate the general public about the harmful health issues caused by obesity. Regulating the supply of harmful food products and behavioral therapies can also prevent obesity. As Sonia Arrison says in her article “The best way to help mitigate the onslaught of obesity is to make sure that individuals are aware that the costs of their behavior will be borne by them. That is, if they choose to eat potato chips and sit in front of the television night after night, instead of eating fruits and vegetables and exercising, then they should not expect society to help them pay the higher costs of health insurance.” (Arrison, 2005, Cost- awareness, para.3).
References
AOA fact sheets: Obesity I the U.S. (2005). American Obesity Association. 2009. Web.
AOA fact sheets: overall prevalence. (2005). American Obesity Association. 2009. Web.
Arrison, S. (2005). Obesity matters. Tech News World. 2009. Web.
Arrison, S. (2005). Obesity matters: Cost- Awareness. Tech News World. 2009. Web.
Arrison, S. (2005). Obesity matters: Economics of obesity. Tech News World. 2009. Web.
Crawford, D., & Jeffrey, R W. (2005). Obesity prevention and public health: Prohibition on the domestic sale of specific foods. Oxford University Press. 289.
Kumanyika, S., & Brownson, R C. (2007). Hand Book of obesity prevention: A resource for health professionals. Springer. 135.
Wadden, T A., & Stunkard, A J. (2004). Handbook of obesity treatment: Treatment of adult obesity. Guilford Press. 302.