Outweighing the Scales

Betty Le

Professor Collin Hull

English 2010
03.02.12
REPORT

REVISED PORTFOLIO

What Causes Obesity in

Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
It seems a daring task these days for some people to get on the weight scale as they anxiously wait for a
number to appear. This numeric symbol symbolizes more than just a mere 168 versus a 304. It affects the
weighed both physically and psychologically, but what does the difference in those numbers really mean?
Besides the obvious enormous number-line-gap, its hidden meanings can reveal heath issues such as type 2
diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Coronary heart disease, and respiratory problems linking to being overweight
(Shepherd). Being overweight in turn transfers into obesity; a medical condition in which weight significantly
exceeds what is normal for height and age and is essentially an excess of body fat (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention).
To assess Americas health risks concerning obesity, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) uses body mass index (BMI); a measuring tool used to categorize a persons health with weight ranging
from underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. Its one of the most preferred methods medical majorities
like to use for diagnoses of obesity because of its inexpensiveness and easiness to calculate. With BMI we can
identify a persons health risk according to their weight category placement. We are also able to compare the
person with that of the general populations health levels (Crothers, Kehle and Bray). The formula used to figure
BMI is: weight (lbs) / [height (in)]2 x 703 ( dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and
multiplying by 703). The higher the BMI someone has, the greater the risk. A BMI of 30 or more is considered
obese for the average adult (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Over the years, the BMI number has been increasingly higher for individuals in the United States. In the
early 1970s, only 14% of the adult population was considered obese compared to the 34% today (Bristol). The
obesity rate has more than doubled. In a 2009 study done by the CDC (Figure 1), 30% of the populations in
each of the red-colored nine states were obese. Compare that to the healthy green colored Colorado and the
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
District of Columbia; the only two states being under 20% obese. The results also found that no state met the
governments plan of reducing their obesity to 15% that year (Mantel).

What
Causes
Obesity?
America recognizes what
obesity is. We know what it looks
like. The effects on a person it can
Figure
1 The question is what causes us to be obese? Health experts tell
have. We also realize its getting
worse.
Americans to focus more on exercising and eating better to reduce the risk of being over weight. However, even
with that in mind, the lifestyle we live could be persuaded by other various factors. Picture a scenario of a
parent working double shifts to bring food on the table for their family. The cost of an Avocado at a local market
being roughly the same price of a HotNSpicy McChicken at McDonalds; one would weigh the option if
health or keeping everyone full, is more or less important than the other. Its debatable to say if there is only one
reason why we are having an obesity epidemic. Yet, are we trying to label the causes of this issue with a onesize fits all assumption? Are we less responsible with our fitness and well-being than we used to be, or are there
other variables involved than just an individuals accountability?

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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12

What Are We Doing About It?

In 2010, Congress passed a health reform bill. For the first 10 years of the bill, over $15 billion dollars
will be invested in the Prevention and Public Health Fund to help further finance health-related research and to
support preventative health causes; one of them being obesity (Mantel). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona
states, Obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in America. Roughly about 300,000 people in
the United States die yearly from weight-related complications. Ironically, its the second most preventable
diseases, right behind second-hand smoking (Greenblatt). Our First Lady, Michelle Obama puts the funds to use
in the most recent attempt in health initiatives to stop obesity. By starting the Lets Move campaign, she hopes
America will take the battle in taking down the child obesity rates. Through promoting physical activity and
better nutrition; the goal in mind is to lower obesity by five percent in 2030 (Lets Move).

Diet and Exercise

No doubt, America has their minds geared towards fitness and good-for-you foods to fight against
obesity. $34 billion dollars is spent each year on diet products (American Demographics). Popular programs
such as Weight Watchers, Atkins Diet, Jenny Craig, Nutri-system, P90X, and Bowflex have Americans signing
on the dotted line. People want to see those successful I lost 30 pounds! testimonials become a reality for
themselves too. Television channels are flooded with fitness as well. Infomercials with new weight loss ideas
and machines are constantly broadcasted. Popular are the reality T.V. shows following those going through
weight loss journeys. The most recognizable to watch is The Biggest Loser; a contest in which for several long
weeks, overweight men and women compete in losing the most pounds. Besides winning large amounts of
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
money, there is also another grand prize; being healthy and not obese. Through focused, intense fitness training
and strict nutrition, The Biggest Loser contestants transform before our very eyes. Season 11s winner, Olivia
Ward started at 261, and at the end of the show lost half her body weight being 132 pounds (Wilson).
Dedication and perseverance are needed in this area of being health-conscience. Valuing them combined with
mindful eating and exercise indeed makes a difference on the scale.
Those who have struggled before they were on The Biggest Loser and the successful dieters on Weight
Watchers, admit lacking in those areas before they lost weight. Healthy eating has been a big focus for the
American Idol singer, Jennifer Hudson. In a Peoples magazine article, the recently new Weight Watchers
celebrity spokesperson boasts, Im in the best shape of my life! The singer was a size 16 before she joined the
Weight Watchers program and now is a slimmer size 6 (Tan). She says her new shape is all about making
healthy choices and being aware of "what I'm putting in my body. Being more conscious of what I'm taking in."
Social media has incredible influences on society; suggesting the formula for good health contains the variables
of eating well and being active in the equation. Taking the variables out might lead us to imagine it causes
the opposite of good health; obesity being one of them.

Time and Lifestyle

However, there are those who see it less simple than just diet and exercise. The issue of fat and health is
a complex one, with many factors to consider, says Carrie Hemmenway from Dispelling Common Myths about
Fat Persons (Bristol). Seeing how society portrays what is good for you and your body, a person can stereotype
and say the values of a healthy lifestyle are the opposite of what someone obese might live by. One may think
with validation that obesity is the results of the lazy and that of those who are full of one-too-many excuses.
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
With other obligations and priorities expected from multi-tasking parents or the career-oriented man/woman;
are those people able to devote to a healthy lifestyle? Creator of the Lets Move campaign says she
understands the troubles of keeping up with life.
Before coming to the White House, the president and I lived like most families: two working
parents too busy, not enough time, and I found myself unable to cook a good meal for my
kids. Going to fast food more than Id like, ordering pizza, and I started to see the effects on my
family, particularly my kids.
Michelle Obama (Venker).
Good health promoters that prevent obesity seem less accessible to those who are busy. Having a gym pass,
working out with Jillian Michaels like trainers, and eating healthy or home-cooked meals present more
difficult to do consistently when a person is running on the clock. There are other modern-now-common reasons
that could be the culprit to the epidemic. Among the list are the increases in desk jobs, declining of recesses and
P.E. cuts in schools, more time spent in front of electronic screens, and bigger portions of food at home and in
restaurants causing excessive calorie intake (Mantel).

Socioeconomic Statuses
And the Food Industry
There are also socioeconomically related reasons to consider and their effects on people; the
affordability of low-nutrient, high calorie foods like that of chips, sodas, and items on the dollar menu at fast
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
food joints, versus the price-jumping more healthy foods such as fresh produce, dairy products, and lean meats
(Greenblatt). It can be difficult for someone affected by income to ignore the influences the dollar sign on
foods have on their health. Families that earn less than $15,000 a year have an obesity rate of 35%, compared
with the 25% for households bringing in more than $50,000 (Figure 2). Those who m ake less money and are
high school dropouts tend to weigh
more than those who have financial
stability

and

college

degrees

(Mantel). People are becoming

Figure 2

obese because they eat too much

and food is so cheap, says Adam
Drewenowski, the director of the
University of Washington's Center

Figure 3

for Public Health Nutrition. He also says, It's not that people who gain too much weight are stupid, but they
don't have too many options. We are beginning to realize that obesity is not only a biomedical problem, it's also
a community and environmental problem. Studies show that malnutrition is far more predominant among the
very poor; limited healthy food options for lack of income and more availability to convenience stores and fast
food restaurants are possible problems (Greenblatt). The U.S. is abundant with junk food and its affordable for
those who arent able to buy better.

Education
Whether its being well-off or not so much, our choices are also bias based on what we know. Are we
educated enough to make smart decisions for our health? Walking down an aisle at the super market, can a
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
person tell the difference of what is good or bad? Richard Mattes, a professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue
University thinks blaming higher costs of fruits and vegetables is scapegoating the real reasons for obesity.
Skim milk and regular milk cost about the same. Diet soda and regular soda cost about the same, says Mattes.
But affluent people consume more skim milk and diet soda, and low-income people consume more regular
milk and regular soda, so it's not just a question of economics. He believes by educating better lifestyles; we
can lessen the rate of obesity (Mantel). Its not about how much you have; its about how much you dont know.
Having little money can nudge people in the direction of buying less nutritious items. On the other hand,
teaching healthier options might persuade people to steer onto the path of better choices. The uninformed
about health theory seems to be one of many theories caught in the web of obesity causes.

Genetics
Some argue that Genetics is a large playing role in bad health. From this perspective, its not about the
external factors such as diet or exercise, lifestyle, socioeconomic statuses, or lack of education that causes
weight issues. Its about the individual themselves and their genetics that factor into obesity. Through medical
studies, obesity has been linked to genetic defects. The defects are found in the OB gene, resulting in leptin
deficiency, leptin receptor mutations, and defective pro-melanocortin (Shepherd). All of these cause different
things. A person will have lack of control with their energy expenditures. Their appetite will not be normal;
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
they will not have the feeling of being satiated even though their stomach is physically full. Their metabolism
will not function properly making them unable to burn off as much calories as they should be. With these
symptoms, a person who has a defect in their OB gene has much more of a chance of being overweight than a
person that is not. Its possible that even with good diet and exercise, an individual will still be at risk of being
obese.

Conclusion
BMI is more than just a number to where a person is categorized in terms of pounds their body carries. It
is the product of how we eat and how physically active we are in terms with our health. In concluding what
causes obesity, we recognize theres more than one path that leads us there. Naturally, questions will arise when
we try to pinpoint them. If a persons BMI is 30 or higher, is it because they dont value health as much as a
person with a BMI of 19; instead of being proactive they sloth? Do socioeconomic statuses separate those who
are thin from those who are heftier; the ones that can afford more options versus the ones that cant? Can we go
through a store and know how to be health-conscience; are we educating health enough to lessen the obesity
epidemic? Does the genetics your born with determine your weight; or do you still control your own body?
There are many valid factors to consider. One, two, or all of them together could take a person down the road to
bad health and obesity. Maybe one day we can come up with more than one solution tailored to each cause.

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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12

Works Cited
American Demographics. "The Shape of Things to Come." (2003): 24-30. Database Article. 26 February 2012.
<www.sirs.com>.
ASSOCIATED PRESS. "CDC: Doctors Are Increasingly Prescribing Exercise." (2012). News Article. 27
February 2012. <CNN.COM>.
Bristol, Nellie. "Preventing Disease." 2012. Database Report. <www.CQResearcher.com>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov. Website. 13 September 2011. 13 September
2011.
Crothers, Laura M., et al. "CORRELATES AND SUSPECTED CAUSES OF OBESITY." Wiley Periosdicals,
Inc. 2009. Periodical Article .
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Betty Le
Professor Collin Hull
English 2010
03.06.12
Greenblatt, Alan. "Obesity Epidemic." 2003. Database Article. <www.CQResearcher.com>.
Hudson, Jennifer. Jennifer Hudson's Weight Loss: How She Did It Michelle Tan. People Magazine, 21 May
2010. Magazine Article/Interview. 28 February 2012. <www.people.com>.
Lets Move. "www.letsmove.gov." n.d. Gov. Website . 28 February 2012.
Mantel, Barbara. "Preventing Obesity." 2010. Database Article. <www.CQResearcher.com>.
Phillips, Susan C. "Dieting and Health." 1995. Database Article. <www.CQResearcher.com>.
Shepherd, A. "Obesity: prevalence, causes, and clinical consequences." Nursing Standard. RCN Publishing
Company, 2009. 23, 52, 51-57. PDF Book Section.
Venker, Suzanne. www.opposingviews.com. 30 March 2010. Website . 25 February 2012.

Images Cited
Cover Image: Google Images. <http://mevolving.com/life-in-general/fat-girl-gone-skinny/>
Figure 1: Mantel, Barbara. "Preventing Obesity." 2010. Database Article. <www.CQResearcher.com>.
Figure 2 :Mantel, Barbara. "Preventing Obesity." 2010. Database Article. <www.CQResearcher.com>.

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