Assignment 16 Lucy Ferguson

In the time that I give this speech, 2 Americans will die, they will lose their life. Not because of car wrecks, not because of suicide or because of drug overdoses, but because of obesity. Obesity has been a growing problem in the united states for many years and it has detrimental effects on the lives and health of Americans across the country. Obesity can lead to many health risks, physical and mental, which is why the growing rates of obesity are trying to be stopped with solutions such as passing legislature, taxes, and campaigns to educate on how to live a healthy life style  

Now you may be asking yourself, what is considered to be obese? Well, it is determined from a person's Body Mass Index. This is a measure of your body fat based on your age, sex, and height. People above the 95th percentile for Body mass index are considered obese. This is when it gets unhealthy. 

 The centers for disease control and prevention says that over one third of all Americans suffer from obesity, which is an alarming number. Obesity has a large range of negative effects on your entire body. It causes heart problems, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and the list goes on. Not only does obesity lead to problems with your organs, it's also known to cause joint and muscle pains as well as negative Psychosocial effects. In a culture where many people are obsessed with body image and how they look, being overweight can lead to problems with self-image, anxiety, and even depression. Obesity is obviously an extremely large problem in America right now which is why we need to find a solution.  

There have been several national campaigns to implement a tax on soda and to reform fast food menus with healthier options. Philidelphia currently has a tax on sugary drinks including Gatorade, sodas, and even energy drinks. For every ounce of sugary drink, you have to pay 1.5 cents. While this may work to restrict the consumption of sugary drinks, many people think that the government should not be able to control what American citizens consume. 

On the other end of the spectrum, many people think that the government should not have a role in what people eat and that families should decide for themselves what is best for them to eat. Sarah Palin attacked the idea by saying, "We all have god given right to make our own decisions for our children, for our families in what we should eat." Their solution to the problem is to inform and educate families on healthy options. Teaching people about having smaller portions, less sugar, and the importance of exercise. 

Michelle Obama also has her own Lets Move campaign specifically focused on solving the problem of childhood obesity. Her campaign consists of making schools lunches healthy yet affordable, educating on eating healthy, and emphasizing the importance of exercise and a healthy lifestyle.  

On the other hand, while there is a need to stop obesity in America, if eating healthy, losing weight, and exercising is stressed too much it can lead to other problems such as eating disorders. While it is important to put an emphasis on healthy living, too much pressure or the wrong approach can lead to other negative health effects. 

Overall, the detrimental health effects of obesity in America have become a nation-wide problem that needs to be solved. Whether by implementing soda taxes and requiring fast food restaurants to have healthier menus or by educating and exercising to live a healthy life style, it is very important that the number of Americans that suffer from obesity lowers. So how would you fix this?