Obesity in America

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the national crisis of obesity in the United States. It discusses the factors that have contributed to the widespread phenomenon of obesity and suggests ways to increase the health of the American nation, as a whole. The paper also examines the history of the acceptability of obesity and how this has changed over time. It then describes the media's involvement in this epidemic and how it can be used to increase people's awareness today.

From the Paper:

"For those close-to or already overweight several treatments are available. The first being the most widely promoted physical activity. Simply getting yourself into a daily routine of walking, biking, or lifting will jump start your body into burning fat and converting it into lean body-mass. The second being psychotherapy, a large instrument in achieving lifestyle changes. Third there are drug treatments, though as of yet not many are available for children, they are effective in suppressing appetites, increasing metabolic rates, and digestive inhibitors that keep the body from absorbing specific fats. Finally, there is the drastic solution of surgery, and should only be considered in severe cases. Plastic surgery can be done in the form of abdominoplasties, around the abdomen, and mastoplasties, performed around the breasts. This removes fatty tissue through liposuction. Gastrointestinal bariatric surgery involves reducing stomach availability to promote lower caloric intake. Both of the surgical procedures are risky and have a high rate of complications. In all of these solutions diet and exercise are still key to maintaining your weight. Start off right and you won't have to resort to these treatments (Burniat 327)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bar-Or, Oded, Claude Bouchard, and Robert M. Malina. Growth, maturation, and physical activity. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics, 2004.
• Burniat Walter, Tim Cole, Inge Lissau, Elizabeth Poskitt. Child and Adolescent Obesity. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• Dalton, Sharron. Overweight and weight management : the health professional's guide to understanding and practice. Gaithersburg, Md.: Aspen Publishers, 1997.
• Fahey D. Thomas, Paul M. Insel, Walton T. Roth. Fit and Well. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 2003
• Gaesser A. Glenn. Big Fat Lies. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996

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