Rachel Wolfson
raw2573
Rhetoric of Health
11/30/11
Why are we so fat? You don’t have to search too deeply into a newspaper, sit too long watching a television newscast, or scroll too far through a news website before you will come across the phrase “obesity epidemic.” Everyone acknowledges that obesity is a serious problem, but there is little agreement on what the best solution is. Some health experts suggest banning junk foods, while others advocate increasing awareness of how to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle. But none of these ideas will truly address the problem, because ultimately the causes of our widespread obesity stem from the way the market for food is set up. As American taxpayers who contribute to a beleaguered health care system that is weighed down by paying for the costs of the obese, and as citizens who are generally concerned with creating a healthier and more productive society, we all have a stake in treating the obesity epidemic. And of all the potential solutions that have been suggested, the best way to tackle the issue of obesity is to treat it as an economic problem.
We can all agree on this: Americans are fat and we’re getting fatter. A person is classified as obese if his or her body mass index (BMI) is more than 30 (Elseth 6). Obesity is associated with an “increased risk of serious illnesses, including heart disease, type two diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and certain forms of cancer” (“Obesity Concerns” 2). According to The New York Times, obesity rates are rising: “compared with 2008, obesity rates rose in almost half the states, and decreased in none” (Bakalar 7). More than sixty million Americans are obese, and it is predicted that forty percent of the American population will be obese by 2020 with seventy percent being overweight (BMI over 25) (Grabner 2). The percent of Americans who are considered obese has nearly doubled since 1980 (Jacobson 1). The implications behind these increases are grim: obesity is an indirect cause of more than 300,000 American deaths per year (McFarling A04). And beyond the stark cost of human lives, we bear a financial burden as well. The Philadelphia Enquirer states, “The annual cost of treating health problems related to obesity has been estimated at $100 billion” (McFarling A04). With obesity rates continuing to rise along with the cost of treating problems related to obesity, it is of vital importance to all Americans that we find the best possible solution to the epidemic of obesity.
One thing that is not mentioned enough when the obesity problem is discussed is how closely obesity is linked with poverty. In the past, being heavier was often seen as a sign of affluence, as it showed that a person had more than enough to eat. However, now the food market is such that, according to University of Washington biochemist Adam Drewnowski, “Energy-dense foods composed of refined grains, added sugars or fats may represent the lowest-cost option to the consumer” (“Getting to the Root”). In other words, if you are poor, you may not be able to afford to eat a healthy diet. Another factor contributing to obesity in poor areas is that many of these areas are also food deserts. As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food deserts are “areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet” (“Food Deserts”). Thus it is no surprise that there is a high correlation between poverty and obesity. For example, in Mississippi, a state with over 20% of its population living in poverty, the obesity rate is over 33% (Hyman). A lack of healthy, affordable choices for the majority of people in America is what needs to be addressed in order to curb obesity.
Due to the strong link between obesity and poverty, a meaningful solution to the obesity epidemic will only be found when we address the underlying economic causes of obesity. One of the ways Kelly Brownell, a director of the Rudd Center For Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, thinks obesity rates can be curbed are by changing the “economic balance between healthful and unhealthful foods” (Huget HE03). Brownell believes that instituting higher taxes on products that are high in sugar, like soda, is a great way to make sure that people consume less of these unhealthy products. Renowned physician Mark Hyman further suggests that we “Stop or reduce subsidies of agriculture products that allow for the glut of cheap, high-calorie, nutrient-poor sugars and fats from corn and soy into the marketplace” (Hyman). The money earned from taxing junk food and saved from eliminating subsidies could then be used towards making healthier foods cheaper and easier to obtain for low income families.
Defenders of the free market may criticize these junk food taxes as burdensome regulation for the food industry. However, this is not a question of whether or not to regulate the food we eat and the businesses that provide that food. Through organizations like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), we already regulate the food industry. So we are rather faced with the question of how much to regulate the food industry, and how effective that regulation can be. By eliminating food subsidies, taxing junk food, and lowering the prices of healthier foods, the average American will be able to afford a more balanced diet. This in turn should have a dramatic effect in bringing down obesity rates.
Some critics of this approach say that it doesn’t go far enough. In September 2005, the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, passed legislation to ban soda from all the schools in California. Other states are expected to follow and ban or limit soda and “junk food” from schools (“Obesity Concerns” 7). Even though this proposal works in theory, the outright banning of unhealthy foods is ultimately not a good solution. If products that are in high demand are banned, people will find other means of obtaining them. Think of illegal drugs. Even though they are illegal and there are strict penalties for using them, the people who want to use them still do. Similarly, people will always want to eat french fries and soda, and rather than deny access to these foods, we have to create an economic incentive to pick healthier choices.
On the other side of the argument are the critics who believe that educating people about health, raising awareness of the dangers of obesity, and encouraging people to lead active, healthy lives is sufficient to combat the obesity epidemic. These are all admirable policies, and they are being implemented today. Many Americans take a health class in school, and programs like First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative are attempting to get people to exercise (“Let’s Move!”). But these programs of education and awareness are clearly not doing enough. Between 2005 and 2007 there was a nearly two percent increase in obesity from 23.9 to 25.6 percent (“Obesity Still Rising”). According to Medical News Today, “The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States, indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state, and local levels” (“Obesity Still Rising”). Without making real changes with the ways that most people purchase and consume food, we are not going to see obesity levels drop.
Experts can point to a multitude of reasons to explain the obesity epidemic: genetics, psychological factors, busy schedules and cheap, fatty foods could all be expanding our waistlines. It could be because we have become lazy and no longer lead very active lifestyles. While all of these no doubt contribute to the epidemic of obesity, the chief driving factors of obesity are economic. Clearly, a lack of healthy, affordable choices for the majority of people in America is what needs to be addressed in order to curb obesity.
Works Cited
Bakalar, Nicholas. "More Americans on the Road to Obesity." The New York Times 11 Aug. 2009, sec. D: 7. Lexis Nexis Academic. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
Elseth, Michal. "Obesity Numbers Rise in 28 States; Awareness Also Grows." The Washington Times 30 June 2010: 6. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
"Food Deserts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5 July 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
"Getting to the Root of America's Obesity Epidemic." Capitol Hill Times | Serving Capitol Hill and First Hill since 1926 - Seattle, WA. 12 Feb. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
Grabner, Michael J. "The Causal Effect of Education on Obesity: Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Laws." University of California, Davis, 1 July 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.
Huget, Jennifer LaRue. "Can We Fight Obesity by Slapping a Heavy Tax on Soda?" The Washington Post 11 Aug. 2009, Health sec.: 3. Lexis Nexis Academic. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
Hyman, Mark. "The Link Between Poverty, Obesity and Diabetes." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 18 Sept. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
Let's Move! Web. 15 Nov. 2011.
McFarling, Usha Lee. "Experts Offer Ideas for Policy on Obesity." The Philadelphia Inquirer 16 Sept. 1999, National sec.: A04. Lexis Nexis Academic. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.
"Obesity Concerns in the Food and Beverage Industry." Feb. 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.
"Obesity Still Rising Among Americans." Medical News Today: Health News. 18 July 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
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