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Jorge Gutierrez

Mr. Powers

English 1302

23 September 2023

Exercise Saves Lives, Being Obese is an Option not a Lifestyle

Haslam, David, et al. “ABC of Obesity Obesity—Time to Wake Up.” BMJ: British Medical

Journal, vol. 333, no. 7569, 2006, pp. 640–42.

JSTOR,http://www.jstor.org/stable/40700318. Accessed 6 Sep. 2023.

In this article, obesity is seen as a worldwide issue and is willing to express how there is

only so much time before it is too late to act upon it. “Among preventable causes of disease and

premature death, obesity is overtaking smoking”[Haslam, 641]. I believe that obesity should be

taken a lot more seriously, and Haslam would agree since it is not something that has to be

treated severely. This issue can be fixed with simple exercise and therapy. “Enough is known

about the causes of obesity and that diet, exercise, behavior therapy… and even surgery can be

effective”[Haslam, 641]. Nonetheless, this disease can take over any lifestyle, and it should not

be this way. Exercise is the key factor to managing a healthier lifestyle and can prevent possible

death. Although this study was done in the UK, this issue has to be resolved all over the world. I

relate this to my topic because obesity can happen without the proper care such as exercise. I

compare obesity as a form of self harm since there is a way to prevent it. Therefore, exercise on a

daily basis can prevent this chronic disease from happening.

Morrill, Allison C., and Christopher D. Chinn. “The Obesity Epidemic in the United States.”

Journal of Public Health Policy, vol. 25, no. 3/4, 2004, pp. 353–66. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3343494. Accessed 6 Sep. 2023.

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Furthermore, in the United States it is known as the leading country in overweight

population[Morrill, 353]. This brings me to the conclusion that something must be done, and this

idea extends to the point that exercise could be an easy fix. It is more likely for a man to be

overweight, but it is more likely that a woman becomes obese. Doing basic movements or even a

30 minute walk a day could prevent obesity. “Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of

chronic disease, disability, death, and decreased productivity and quality of life”[355]. I would

definitely not want to live a life where I am at risk of fatal diseases. Additionally, this is

impacting children as well as adults and the results from the tests that NHANES made said that

both have very similar results.

Lincoln R. Larson, et al. “Young People’s Outdoor Recreation and State Park Use: Perceived

Benefits from the Parent/Guardian Perspective.” Children, Youth and Environments, vol.

23, no. 3, 2013, pp. 89–118. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.23.3.0089.

Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

Larson makes a very valid point that helps reconnect young people and nature, and it is

very rare to see kids outside doing any type of exercise. For instance, I used to go outside and

play sports with some friends every other day, but now there is starting to be less activity outside.

This is leading to a higher risk of becoming obese, yet it can be prevented much sooner than

later. There are many benefits as to why young people should be doing outdoor recreation.

Besides becoming healthier, Larson points out that typically the children who are doing some

type of exercise or recreational activities normally do much better in school. However, the most

important topic that I found to be impactful was that it affects mostly children of ages between

nine to thirteen years old. Because they do not participate in any recreational activities after
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school they are more likely to be obese according to the Center for Disease Control and

Prevention.

Southwick, Steven M., and Dennis S. Charney. “The Science of Resilience: Implications for the

Prevention and Treatment of Depression.” Science, vol. 338, no. 6103, 2012, pp. 79–82.

JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41704035. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

Although this article speaks about depression, I connected this to obesity because

typically being overweight/obese causes depression in most cases. For instance, I used to be

overweight for my height when I was in middle school, and this caused me to be in a severe case

of depression. Therefore, depression and obesity go side by side, and exercise can prevent both

of these issues. “Regular aerobic exercise is believed to induce the expression of genes

associated with neuroplasticity…. to regulate the HPA-axis response to stress”[82]. Southwick

says that being depressed can be cured by simply doing aerobic exercises which are very

accessible and easy to do. This can correlate to obesity since aerobic exercises can actually be

healthier but can also boost overall morality. I would have to thoroughly agree with Southwick’s

perspective because it correlates with everything that can be managed through simple

recreational activities.

CHAN, MARGARET. “Obesity and Diabetes: The Slow-Motion Disaster.” The Milbank

Quarterly, vol. 95, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11–14. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26300301.

Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

I was fascinated at the fact that there are countries that are starving yet there are some

countries in which more than seventy percent of their population is overweight. However, it is

crazy that there are so many people that are willing to live an unhealthy/uncomfortable life. It is

not normal nor okay to be obese because the human body cannot withstand it and will slowly
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start to die. “This is a slow-motion disaster. Population-wide body weight increases are a

warning that big trouble is on its way…”[12]. The Numbers are drastically increasing especially

in China which has 300 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes/obesity. I do not

condone anyone to live an unhealthy life especially when there are people who cannot access

food. Nonetheless, regardless of how much food is being taken in, I do believe that there is a way

to balance that. For instance, going to the gym is not required to be more healthy, and this is

proven by those who typically do a thirty minute walk every single day. Doing exercise at least

once a day should be a requirement in order to live a healthy and prosper life.

Schafer, Markus H., and Kenneth F. Ferraro. “The Stigma of Obesity: Does Perceived Weight

Discrimination Affect Identity and Physical Health?” Social Psychology Quarterly, vol.

74, no. 1, 2011, pp. 76–97. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41303970. Accessed 7

Sep. 2023.

There is an opinion Schafer mentioned that I do not agree with because no matter how

good self-acceptance may seem, there is no positive outcome out of it. He mentions that all the

social movements to make overweight people are typically only beneficial to some, but for the

most part he feels that being fat limits social and economic opportunities[77]. He has a very fair

point because there are many cases in which being overweight limits your chances of success.

For example, there is a very famous NBA player named Zion Williams who is a very

phenomenal athlete, but there was a problem he faced. Although he was a very good player, he

was very overweight and he even ripped through many pairs of basketball shoes. That was his

wake up call that he should try to go get tested and he actually came out as obese. Being

Overweight is not something that should be seen as a positive thing because it is a very

unhealthy way of living.

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Hayes, Diane, and Catherine E. Ross. “Body and Mind: The Effect of Exercise, Overweight, and

Physical Health on Psychological Well-Being.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior,

vol. 27, no. 4, 1986, pp. 387–400. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2136952. Accessed 7

Sep. 2023.

Hayes claims that being healthy is connected to the psychological part of the brain, and is

the reason why the feeling of happiness exists. “...the effect of being overweight on

psychological well-being has little to do with the normative meaning of being overweight in our

society”[387]. Based on their research, they say that overweight/obese people have more

chemicals that affect mood[387]. To me this correlates to staying healthy because doing exercise

can actually improve the chemicals that make signals of happiness. In this generation and

previous generations, social acceptance is something that is not taken lightly. There will always

be some type of judgment depending on social norms[388]. Social acceptance is important

because it teaches younger kids that it is not normal to be overweight. Regardless of how people

try to display new social standards, it should not be okay for someone to believe that being obese

is okay. By showing these people that it is okay, they will gain a false sense of reality hence why

they gain so much confidence out of the blue.

Galson, Steven K. “CHILDHOOD OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY PREVENTION.” Public

Health Reports (1974-), vol. 123, no. 3, 2008, pp. 258–59.

JSTOR,http://www.jstor.org/stable/20723335. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.

One of many ways to prevent obesity according to DHHS is to engage in any type of

sports program because this helps children stay healthy and will be happy to comply with school.

According to Galson, he encourages all Americans to be physically active in their everyday

lives[259]. I loved how towards the end he targets the older audience using pathos. By talking
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about children Galson is targeting those who have kids of their own, and this strategy helps build

up emotions within all parents. Being obese can cause great harm to everyone, and some

examples are known as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These diseases can

be very fatal, and although it may seem like it is not a big deal, it is in fact a huge deal since a

large portion of the population is being diagnosed as diabetic or obese.

Robroek, Suzan JW, et al. “The Contribution of Overweight, Obesity, and Lack of Physical

Activity to Exit from Paid Employment: A Meta-Analysis.” Scandinavian Journal of

Work, Environment & Health, vol. 39, no. 3, 2013, pp. 233–40.

JSTOR,http://www.jstor.org/stable/23558349. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.

If the life expectancy is increasing steadily, then how come people are dying much sooner

than the expected lifetime? Although studies show that the human body can live up to above

hundreds of years, being unhealthy and living a reckless life will cause that life expectancy to

drop much heavier. For instance, a person that does exercise every day is more than likely to live

a happier and longer life than that of someone who is unhealthy and obese. Being obese has been

considered okay for the past few years, yet it is steadily killing humans daily. According to

Suzan, a lot of the unhealthy and obese people are more than likely to be unemployed[233].

However, why is it that the less fortunate people get to be more overweight. One of the most

casual excuses is that it is in their genetics, but something has to be done before it takes over the

whole world. I do believe that just because you have a less fortunate way of living, it does not

give that person the authorization to live an unhealthy life.

Rasmussen, Martin, and Karin Laumann. “The Academic and Psychological Benefits of Exercise

in Healthy Children and Adolescents.” European Journal of Psychology of Education,

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vol. 28, no. 3, 2013, pp. 945–62. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23581530. Accessed

8 Sep. 2023.

In this article, Rasmussen emphasizes that exercise is not taken lightly to the point that

the whole idea of physical education is so that children/students are able to have fun while also

staying active and healthy. “Exercise is a physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive,

and purposive…”[946]. I for one do agree that physical education or exercise as a whole is well

needed because without it a lot more children would be facing grave danger considering that the

human body is so frail and weak. Exercise should be done on a daily basis which is why it should

be enforced to younger generations, and this will create a healthier environment for children to

grow up in.

All in all, being overweight/obese is not something that should be considered normal, and

it is better to begin taking action sooner rather than later because one day it could already be too

late. There are many lives that can be saved just by simply adding an exercise routine to your

daily checklist. Excuses are always going to find their way around, and I can vouch for that since

I have made excuses to not stay healthy before as well. It is never too late to begin living a

healthier lifestyle.
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Work Cited Page

CHAN, MARGARET. “Obesity and Diabetes: The Slow-Motion Disaster.” The Milbank

Quarterly, vol. 95, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11–14. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/26300301. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

Galson, Steven K. “CHILDHOOD OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY PREVENTION.” Public

Health Reports (1974-), vol. 123, no. 3, 2008, pp. 258–59. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20723335. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.

Haslam, David, et al. “ABC of Obesity Obesity—Time to Wake Up.” BMJ: British Medical

Journal, vol. 333, no. 7569, 2006, pp. 640–42. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40700318. Accessed 6 Sep. 2023.

Hayes, Diane, and Catherine E. Ross. “Body and Mind: The Effect of Exercise, Overweight, and

Physical Health on Psychological Well-Being.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior,

vol. 27, no. 4, 1986, pp. 387–400. JSTOR,

https://doi.org/10.2307/2136952. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

Lincoln R. Larson, et al. “Young People’s Outdoor Recreation and State Park Use: Perceived

Benefits from the Parent/Guardian Perspective.” Children, Youth and Environments, vol.

23, no. 3, 2013, pp. 89–118. JSTOR,

https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.23.3.0089. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

 Gutierez 9

Morrill, Allison C., and Christopher D. Chinn. “The Obesity Epidemic in the United States.”

Journal of Public Health Policy, vol. 25, no. 3/4, 2004, pp. 353–66. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3343494. Accessed 6 Sep. 2023.

Rasmussen, Martin, and Karin Laumann. “The Academic and Psychological Benefits of Exercise

in Healthy Children and Adolescents.” European Journal of Psychology of Education,

vol. 28, no. 3, 2013, pp. 945–62. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23581530. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.

Robroek, Suzan JW, et al. “The Contribution of Overweight, Obesity, and Lack of Physical

Activity to Exit from Paid Employment: A Meta-Analysis.” Scandinavian Journal of

Work, Environment & Health, vol. 39, no. 3, 2013, pp. 233–40. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/23558349. Accessed 8 Sep. 2023.

Schafer, Markus H., and Kenneth F. Ferraro. “The Stigma of Obesity: Does Perceived Weight

Discrimination Affect Identity and Physical Health?” Social Psychology Quarterly, vol.

74, no. 1, 2011, pp. 76–97. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41303970. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

Southwick, Steven M., and Dennis S. Charney. “The Science of Resilience: Implications for the

Prevention and Treatment of Depression.” Science, vol. 338, no. 6103, 2012, pp. 79–82.

JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41704035. Accessed 7 Sep. 2023.

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