Diet Industry, Essay Example

The weight crisis is not a myth created by stakeholders with financial interests but a real threat to the well-being of American society. The seriousness of the crisis can be judged by the fact that it has attracted attention from some of the most prominent public faces in American politics. Former U.S President Bill Clinton joined hands with the American Heart Association in 2005 to help curb childhood obesity (Woznicki, 2005) and current U.S First Lady Michelle Obama has also taken child obesity as her cause (letsmove.gov).

An article in Scientific American claims that if the current trend continues, obesity will surpass smoking as the biggest single factor in early death, reduced quality of life and added health care costs (Freedman, 2011). In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a third of the adults in the U.S. are obese while another third is overweight. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that obesity is responsible for over 160,000 deaths annually. Researchers at George Washington University calculated that an average obese person costs the society more than $7,000 in lost productivity and added medical treatment per year (Freedman, 2011).

Further complicating the issue is the ineffectiveness of anti-obesity messages and diet programs despite the growing severity of the problem. A 2007 review by American Psychological Association of 31 diet studies found that as many as two-thirds of dieters ended up weighing more two years later than they did before starting the diet (Freedman, 2011). Thus, obesity requires more practical solutions such as regulations and less-deceptive campaigns by marketers who often send misleading messages about the health aspects of their products. More than anything else, it requires a serious review of lifestyle habits by obese and overweight members of the society though the society can help them by providing incentives and support. As Michelle Obama implies, parents can play an important role in preventing childhood obesity (letsmove.gov) because studies have shown that overweight children are at higher risk of heart disease in adulthood as early as age 25 (Stein, 2007).

References

Freedman, D. H. (2011, January 18). How to Fix the Obesity Crisis. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-fix-the-obesity-crisis

letsmove.gov. (n.d.). America’s Move to Raise A Healthier Generation of Kids. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.letsmove.gov/about

Stein, R. (2007, December 6). Overweight Kids At Risk as Adults. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/05/AR2007120502072.html

Woznicki, K. (2005, May 3). Bill Clinton and AHA Launch Campaign Against Childhood Obesity. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Obesity/984