Hook

The obesity problem in America has now become an epidemic. One-third of adults are obese whereas more than 1 in every 6 children and adolescent between the age of 6 and 19 are obese (Manley 2). Based on the current trend, the percentage is likely to increase with time as it has done all along.

Background Info

It is clear that most people are not taking the obesity epidemic seriously. The negative consequences associated with this epidemic are quite clear, but people are not embracing ways that will help eradicate the menace. The consumption of fast foods is at its highest despite the awareness being created by various media sources. People need to understand that obesity makes someone susceptible to various health complications like heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.  Treating such diseases is very expensive. Currently, costs incurred while treating disorders associated with obesity amount to almost 25% of the total healthcare cost (Manley 14). This is an indication of how much people spend when they ignore the severity of the obesity epidemic and live unhealthy lives. Insurance companies also decline to cover individuals that are obese. This is because they see them as a health risk. The few insurance companies that agree to cover people with obesity usually charge very high premiums; it just looks like extortion. There is also extra burden passed to family and friends when an individual is obese. As you suffer, they are also in agony since they do not know what the outcome might be.

Thesis

Many factors can be blamed for the persistence of the obesity epidemic, but the government, fast food companies and lack of knowledge about healthy living bear the greatest responsibility.

Claim 1

Many people do not have adequate knowledge on matters to do with healthy eating and healthy living.

Explanation

Some people try to put some effort in ensuring that they live a healthy life based on what they eat. They put in extra effort in wanting to keep their families healthy by providing “healthy” food. Healthy is in quotes since these people believe that the food is healthy, but that is not the case. Maybe they heard from a friend or a colleague that certain food is healthy, and they went ahead to prepare it for their families. Some people on the other hand completely ignore the aspect of trying to find out what food is healthy for their families. Since they are not overweight themselves, they assume what they have been feeding on is healthy. Their children might experience different results is fed within the same feeding habits and end up being obese.

Most food advertisements are misleading. Everyone has access to these advertisements and will usually trust the information being passed. This is because the advertisements are being aired on media platforms that they trust to provide them with accurate information. Some companies deceive consumers that their products are healthy, yet they are not. Their main objective is to make profits (Lyford 69).

Nutritionists are the best professionals to guide people on healthy lifestyles. The problem is that very few people use their services. It does not seem like an important encounter; therefore, many people view it as a luxury expense. In the long-run, people lack knowledge on what it is all about to live healthy in order to avoid obesity.

Claim 2

The government is doing very little to show that it is determined in ensuring that the obesity epidemic has been eliminated.

Explanation

Food deserts have been there for a long time, and everyone knows that they contribute significantly to people eating junk food. Do the people living in these areas like fast foods? Maybe not, but do they have any other options? No! Sometimes people will only eat what is available and forget about what they cannot see. The government should walk the talk and ensure that the issue of food deserts has been addressed. Mentioning the issue every time and not doing enough about it is not helping people at all.

The government has also done a poor job in regulating the fast food industry. The industry is associated with the creation of advertisements that mislead the public, and they are still allowed to operate. Policies that limit companies in this industry from using ingredients that are not likely to result in obesity are also limited.

When dealing with the fast food industry, the government seems to have other motives rather than ensuring that the public is being provided with healthy foods. The government is focused on the taxes coming from the industry since it is growing with time (Malik et al. 17). That is why the obesity rates will continue to increase.

Claim 3

Fast food companies are only interested in making profits at the expense of other people’s health.

Explanation

The ingredients that these companies use while preparing food usually contain very high fat and sugar levels. When these ingredients are in high level, they are likely to contribute towards weight increase for the people consuming the food. It is obvious that people running these companies know about this. However, they still go on with similar routines and are not making efforts to produce healthy food for the sake of their consumers. They do not see the need to change; they are still making profits. Moreover, “if it is not broken, do not fix it” (Malik et al. 23).

The use of false advertisements in order to convince people to eat their food is also unethical. Fast food companies need to extend their consumers corporate social responsibility. They should disclose all the information relating to the food that they produce with honesty. The consumers should be given the chance to know what they are putting in their stomach. It is upon them to make the decision on whether they will eat the food or not, not companies misleading them into the act.

Conclusion

Restate your thesis in different words

The government, lack of healthy living knowledge and fast food companies should be held more accountable for the obesity problem despite there being many factors involved.

Restate the 3 main claims in different words

Firstly, people lack adequate knowledge when it comes to embracing healthy lifestyles.

Second, the government is not putting the necessary effort to ensure that issues associated with obesity have been addressed.

Lastly, fast food companies have disregarded the public’s health in their quest of running profitable businesses.

Concluding statement

To fix the obesity problem, everyone has to be involved. This is because the problem has many facets. Even if one party was to initiate actions that target to eliminate this problem, it will not succeed if the other parties do not move in the same direction. Working in partnership is the only way that substantial results will be obtained.

 Works Cited

Lyford, Joanna. “Rising Obesity Levels in UK CouldResult in 4,000 Extra Cancer Cases Each Year.” The Pharmaceutical Journal (2014): 67-70. Web.

Malik, Vasanti S., Walter C. Willett, and Frank B. Hu. “Global Obesity: Trends, Risk Factors and Policy Implications.” Nat Rev Endocrinol Nature Reviews Endocrinology 9.1 (2014): 13-27. Web.

Manley, Audrey F. “Obesity – A Public Health Crisis:A Report by Weight Management Centre.” (2015): 1-22. Web.

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