Obesity is a problem, but not yours Essay Example

McDonald's offers an after-school snack to kids that is 1550 calories, making it difficult to blame individuals for becoming obese. Despite the ideal healthy living approach being a balanced diet and regular exercise, many people are unable to prioritize exercise due to work and academic pressures. In today's economy, people are often working multiple jobs just to put food on the table, leaving little time for exercise, which is considered a luxury compared to hard cash.

Kids are compelled to sacrifice physical activity for improved grades, with the average child lacking any exercise in school (Motluk 563). Schools often lack recess and structured physical education, leading to unfit children. The school system prioritizes test results over physical activity, disregarding the fact that healthy students perform better than their obese counterparts (Motluk 564).

When studying is prioritized over exercise in schools and providing for the family over health in the economy, it is not fair to solely blame individuals for becoming obese. The root cause of obesity lies in cultural and parenting factors within American society. Due to financial struggles, families are forced to have both parents work to provide food, making it difficult for them to prioritize healthy habits. Therefore, it is unjust to hold any one person responsible for their weight gain.

The absence of someone at home to prepare healthy meals for children leads families to increasingly resort to economical and highly processed food options (as stated by Motluk 563). Consequently, parents bring McDonald's for dinner, leading children to consume only calorie-dense foods. Such a disruption in an individual's healthy ecosystem results in a higher risk of obesity. Although parents may offer healthy choices to

their children, it is incorrect for them not to prevent their kids from opting for high-calorie alternatives. As Critser (559) points out, parents cannot assume that "kids have the right to make bad nutritional decisions" as it is not appropriate.

Effective parenting is crucial for promoting healthy eating habits in children. Failure to address such behaviors can result in the loss of hope for healthy children. In contrast to the situation in France where there is no obesity epidemic, the United States could also avoid this issue if parents assumed more control over their child's diet. Adopting moderate portion sizes and reserving dessert for special occasions could help prevent overeating and its negative consequences.

Parents must regulate their children's eating habits to address the problem of obesity, which is also partly caused by the culture in the U.S. According to Motluk (563), the prevailing culture in the country promotes an unhealthy lifestyle as the default option.

The corruption of a country's culture leads to corruption among its people. Campaigns targeting unsafe sex and smoking have proven highly effective in reducing risks, yet there are no campaigns for obesity (Critser 559). To address the problem, the first step is identifying it. Within society, access to physical activity is at an all-time low (Motluk 563), exacerbating the rise of obesity. If towns are built in a way that promotes driving over walking and lacks sidewalks, individuals will have a harder time avoiding obesity. Ultimately, individuals must fight against their culture and parents in order to reduce their risk of obesity.

It is not solely the responsibility of individuals to prevent obesity as every person, place, and thing influences their chances. Living

a healthy lifestyle involves eating balanced portions and exercising, but it is difficult in an obesogenic environment. Factors such as corporations, external stress, parents, and culture contribute to obesity. Addressing and improving an individual's surroundings is the initial approach towards combating this problem. Obesity is a societal issue that cannot be resolved by an individual alone.