English 11

June 2, 2021

Social Issue Research Rough Draft

Obesity is one of the growing social issues in modern day society. It has really only been

a notable topic in the past few decades, but is continuing to become more prominent.

Improvements in knowledge and understanding of the human body have shed light on the serious

risks associated with being obese. The World Health Organization defines obesity as, “Abnormal

or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is

considered overweight, and over 30 is obese” (World Health Organization). The most prominent

effects of obesity are cardiovascular issues, such as heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.

Obesity is particularly concerning as it is beginning to become more common in our youth. A

lack of exercise and poor dietary choices are the main culprits for the increasing obesity rate in

children and adults across the world.

Obesity is so common in the United States that almost half of the adult population are

considered obese. A CDC study found, “In 2018, the latest year for which data was available, 42

percent of Americans were obese” (Diet and Obesity: Should the Government Take Measures to

Fight Obesity?). This rapid and steady increase in obese people is a cause for concern. Obesity

also creates an environment for medical conditions to have an increased volatility, in some cases

leading to death. A ProQuest article notes, “In the United States, obesity is the second leading

cause of preventable deaths and is viewed as one of the most serious health problems facing

children today.” (Obesity). Some of the numerous health conditions associated with, or caused by

obesity, are “heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer.” (Diet and
Obesity: Should the Government Take Measures to Fight Obesity?). There is no doubt that

obesity is a serious medical concern, impacting almost one in every two Americans. Government

intervention designed to decrease the obesity rate in the United States has been wildly debated.

Government intervention to aid in the reduction of obesity is the most commonly debated

topic. The controversy surrounding government interventionists boils down to the idea of ‘self-

choice’. Like every debate, there are two sides arguing for their proposed solution, supporters of

government intervention and opponents of government intervention. Supporters for government

intervention often argue for better education of nutritional standards and for restaurants to post

the nutritional content of their specific menu items. An Infobase article finds that supporters of

government intervention often propose, “The government should take action to encourage the

food and restaurant industries to produce healthier food, Better inform consumers about the food

choices they make, and take measures such as taxing soda or requiring that menus display calorie

counts” (Diet and Obesity: Should the Government Take Measures to Fight Obesity?).

Supporters also argue in favor of intervention within schools, wanting better lunch options for

students. The main argument is that a healthy lunch will increase brain function, classroom

productivity, and encourage healthy weight loss. “Millions of children depend on nutritional

school lunches to learn, no better place than in school to mandate healthier food choices, and

Millions of children from low-income families who depend on the national school lunch program

will receive the healthy fruits and vegetables they need to succeed.” (School Lunches: Should the

Federal Government Adopt Strict Nutritional Guidelines for School Lunches?). Opponents to

government intervention often argue that it is up to the consumer to make dietary choices and

that government intervention is intrusive and unnecessary. An Infobase article cites opponents

stating, “Diet and nutrition are individual, not government, responsibilities, Scapegoating the
food industry and restricting consumer choices are ineffective and intrusive methods of dealing

with obesity in the United States, and Childhood obesity is a problem that should be dealt with

by parents, not government bureaucrats.” (Diet and Obesity: Should the Government Take

Measures to Fight Obesity?). Opponents to government intervention in schools also explain that

mandating changes within the schools may have a reverse effect, causing the schools more time

wasted and unnecessary headache. “Schools and parents are better equipped than the federal

government to decide what children should eat every day, Meals that meet onerous nutrition

guidelines are expensive and unappealing to students, and a school’s need for more flexibility in

planning meals is necessary to relieve schools of the unnecessary headaches of adhering to strict

nutrition regulations.” (School Lunches: Should the Federal Government Adopt Strict

Nutritional Guidelines for School Lunches?). The debate is often influenced by government

leadership, and proposed solutions have changed over the years. Many of the commonly debated

points have seen some implementation in one form or another.

The proposed solutions to fight the growing obesity rate in the United States usually

involves a proactive government, favoring the side of intervention. The most common method

used thus far to prevent obesity is a mandate, requiring restaurants with more than twenty

locations to present the caloric content of every item on the menu. An Infobase article references

a proposed solution, “It will require all restaurants with more than 20 locations nationwide to

post calorie counts on their menus. Other food-selling chains, such as bakeries and coffee shops,

will also be required to list the number of calories in each menu item, as will certain vending

machines.” (Calorie Counts on Menus: Should the government require restaurants to post

calorie counts on menus?). Swapping unhealthy choices in school lunches to provide students

healthy food options has also been utilized to combat the growing obesity rate in children. This is
another example of a proactive government looking to stem the growing obesity rate by

intervening. An Infobase article describes some of the in-school changes, “School lunch

standards formulated by the Obama administration also aimed to introduce more fruits and

vegetables into school meals while reducing saturated fats, sugar, and sodium. A standard lunch

under Obama-era rules could include, for example, baked fish nuggets, a whole wheat roll,

mashed potatoes, broccoli, peaches, and skim milk.” (School Lunches: Should the Federal

Government Adopt Strict Nutritional Guidelines for School Lunches?). Other small changes

include the introduction of the ‘MyPyramid”, improved educational standards on nutrition,

suggested steps on how to eat healthier, and finally, improving the quality and frequency in

which customers can see nutritional data. The effectiveness of said solutions can be debated, but

efforts have been made to reduce obesity throughout the country. As knowledge about obesity,

nutrition, and the human body improves, better solutions with more concrete data backing their

effectiveness should arise. Without a doubt, efforts have been made to reduce the obesity rate in

the United States and stem the ongoing epidemic.

Obesity is a very concerning social issue in the United States. It impacts almost half the

adult population and has severe consequences if not dealt with. Controversies are still present,

even though most people can agree that obesity is a major issue that needs an immediate

solution. Modern solutions have no real statistical backing, but intentions are clear, and efforts

have been made. No future solutions have been proposed, but with the improvement in modern

technology and education, the effectiveness of future solutions will much better than current

solutions. Obesity will never ‘go away’, it will always be present and will most likely remain a

societal issue. The best to prevent obesity is to acknowledge current nutritional recommendations

and get plenty of exercise. Obesity cannot be eradicated, but it can be reduced.
Works Cited
"Calorie Counts on Menus: Should the government require restaurants to post calorie counts on
menus?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 13 June 2011,
icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2318. Accessed 28 May 2021.

"Diet and Obesity: Should the Government Take Measures to Fight Obesity?" Issues &
Controversies, Infobase, 30 Apr. 2021, icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?
ID=6327. Accessed 24 May 2021.

Obesity. ProQuest, Ann Arbor, 2021. SIRS Issues Researcher,

https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2257695808?
accountid=3752.

"School Lunches: Should the Federal Government Adopt Strict Nutritional Guidelines for School
Lunches?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 8 Oct. 2020,
icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2369. Accessed 27 May 2021.

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Obesity. World Health Organization.

https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1.