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Fatima Abanur

Obesity in America
" In an article titled "The Toxic Truth About Sugar," Lustig and two colleagues observed that
sucrose and HFCS are addictive in much the same way as cigarettes and alcohol, and that
overconsumption of them is driving worldwide epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes (the
type associated with obesity) " (Taubes 6). Sugar is an addiction and so is high fructose corn
syrup (HFCS). People have addiction for cigars, alcohol , weed, sex and other things. But just
like all these other addiction overeating is also an addiction. Overconsumption of food is a
regular habit and for some people it is not a habit that can be easily fought. It is difficult to get
rid of an addiction and there are diagnosis for some addictions. Obesity should be classified as a
disease because it is a result of an addiction and disrupts the natural order of the human
digestive system. Quickly, obesity is progressing in America and also worldwide.Its spreading
rapidly and needs to be recognized as a disease because it is one.
Obesity is a major health problem and it has spread worldwide rapidly,it is a disease. A
disease is classified as anything that disrupts the natural structure of the human body. When a
person eats too much, the digestive system can not control the over consumption. That is what
causes health issues and risks that come with obesity. Type 2 diabetes is driven by obesity. It is a
disease caused from a great quantity of sugar in the blood which comes from the addiction to
sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Obesity is a disease because it causes health problems from
overeating. Once, there is a great extent of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, it can get to a
point when the body can not control the obesity and the only option is death. Although people
may argue obesity can not be classified as a disorder because it is preventable and can be

controlled, it is a disease because it causes health issues, disrupts the natural order of the human
body and eventually leads to death.
Obesity meets all the criteria of a disease, it is not healthy and it disrupts the way the
human body is supposed to function. Obesity strains the human body and causes distress
throughout the body. It affects many people in America and also worldwide, quickly it is
spreading and it is not being controlled. But, people choose to ignore obesity and do not take it
seriously, which has consequences that comes with that. They do not control their diet and do not
closely monitor what they are eating. They consume unnecessary amounts of glucose and high
fructose corn syrup. They consume excess glucose and high fructose corn syrup which affects the
body and starts to disrupt it. Unhealthy eating habits are formed, and the body normalizes the
high consumption of glucose and high fructose corn syrup. Eating these products to a certain
extent become uncontrollable. This results in an addiction because the body is used to the
glucose and high fructose corn syrup and can not give it up easily.
In America, obesity affects many people. It is increasing rapidly among the years and
becoming a major health concern. Obesity affects major organs of the body and can cause
difficulties. With excess weight, an obese person struggles to do simple tasks such as running or
playing sports. The body of an obese person can wear out and the person becomes tired very
quickly. One in three Americans have the complex issue of obesity Pollack 14). That is a big
amount of people who have obesity. Out of every hundred Americans thirty are obese. The
number does not stop there, it has increased dramatically since the 1900s, things were different
back then. It is a major health problem. Obesity should be recognized as a disease because it
affects many people in America. It is not being taken seriously and quickly it is growing.
Overweight of the human body is an issue and it needs to be diagnosed as a disease because it

gets in the way of the normal function of the body. It triggers health issues which cause long
term problems.
Each states have different obesity rate. Some are higher than other. But overall, obesity is
caused by highly critical and unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise and controlling the
diet. The American culture has changed over the years. Americans are more into eating unhealthy
foods that are processed at fast food chain restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King.
Many Americans prefer food with high sodium and glucose such as a cheeseburger rather than a
healthy meal such as a soup and salad. Many foods that are healthy and organic are expensive in
America. In result Americans eat food that is easily accessible and cheap. But, the foods are
unhealthy and do not contain essential nutrients and consequently many Americans are obese.
Also, many Americans are inactive and sit home and watch television while eating. They have
lack of exercise habits which affects them and cause them to become obese because they are not
fighting off the extra weight that they are consuming.
In general a major amount of Americans are obese. It is different throughout the nation
depending on the location of where a person lives and what resources are available and around
them. "Mississippi and West Virginia topped the list as the heaviest states, with their adult
obesity rates at 35.1 percent." (Salazar 6) The highest adult obesity rates in America are in
Mississippi and West Virginia. They have 35.1 percent obesity which is a huge number. The
Americans in these homes are eating unhealthy with high consumption rates of food that is not
good for their body. About one out of every three people are obese in these two states."Colorado
had the lowest rate of adult obesity at 21.3 percent, with Hawaii and Massachusetts close behind.
(Salazar 7) The lowest obesity rate is in Colorado, which is one out of every five inhabitants in
that state. That is still a big number. Obesity is a disease because it affects countless people and

based on the standards of living in society it is hard to control the consumption of high amounts
of glucose and high fructose corn syrup and consequently many Americans are affected by
obesity.
With obesity, a person has a high body mass index. Body mass index is determined by
mass and height of an individual with an average age and calculates the average size that a
person should be. Obesity causes a person to be overweight which means they extensive weight.
With obesity that is extreme, a person have immobility that makes it hard for them to move and
also tend to their own basic needs. Obesity affects many people and it is dramatically increasing
all throughout America. The standards of living in America are changing along with average
body mass index, which is increasing. Americans internalize obesity and make it into a normal
lifestyle. They ignore the fact that it is a problem and although various programs stress healthy
eating habits and regular exercise, people still choose to eat fast food and make it a regular part
of their diet. It is hard to tackle American obesity and many methods that are constantly stressed
are ineffective. Obesity is a disease in America, it affects many Americans throughout the nation
and it is a dramatic increase over the years.
Obesity affects children and adults alike, it disrupts the natural order of the body. It
causes the people to become unhealthy with overweight and high levels of glucose, high fructose
corn syrup and sodium. It becomes an addiction to keep eating unhealthy and the repercussion is
an obese nation.Childhood obesity in America is starting to stabilize but adult obesity is at high
numbers. (Salazar 17). Children learn from adults, and adults are becoming obese. Many
children are already obese but compared to adults, adults are at higher numbers. Children are
learning and the numbers are starting to stabilize. But with adults, obesity is increasing. Obesity

is hard to control and throughout America, affecting many people it is a lifestyle. Obesity is a
disease, it affects many people and it is hard to control.
In America, obesity is starting to be taken more seriously. Physicians are recognizing it as
a serious health condition that is spreading rapidly. There has been a drug developed to help
control obesity. It is hard to control obesity without the help of a drug. People have developed
unhealthy eating habits that can not be controlled. The drug has been developed to help people to
get the extra weight off of their body. It has become very unlikely for Americans to lose their
excess weight without the help of a drug. According to the article written about the drug, Haynes
states "But it helps control satiation. (McCullough 20) This drug is made to help control the
excess eating. It helps satisfy the body fully quicklier, in result the person does not consume as
much to satisfy their body. The drug sends a message to the brain while the food is being
consumed in the body and slows down the passage from the the stomach to the small intestine.
This drug helps control the higher rates of obesity.It allows a person to become full more quickly.
Then, they do not consume too much of the high fructose corn syrup and the sodium in their
body. With the drug, a person consumes less food. The only effective treatment to help with
obesity is the drug. Although the drug has some side affects it the the best treatment out there to
help control the rapid spread of obesity.
There was a clinical trial done with the drug, Saxenda. There was over 37,000 patients
tested who tried the drug for a year. 64 percent taking Saxenda for a year lost at least 5 percent
of their weight, and 33 percent lost at least 10 percent. In the placebo group, 27 percent of
patients had a 5 percent weight loss, and 10 percent had a 10 percent loss.(McCullough 21)
Saxenda is a drug that helps an individual to lose weight. In the trial it was more effective than
placebo. With the changing society, placebo was not able to have a higher weight loss percentage

than the Saxenda. The human body stores fat in a specific way but with the changing
environment foods that are unhealthy are being overeating. Overeating is a disease because it
disrupts the natural order of the human body. In the near future this drug will become the
alternative to losing weight. Obesity can not be controlled by individuals and therefore it is a
disease. A disease is a disorder that a person has no control over. Americans do not have control
over obesity and physicians have taken this into account. It is starting to be taken more seriously.
Consequently, Administration has approved the drug to help the major problem of obesity in
America that is spreading rapidly.
In Europe the long-term consequences of obesity is being considered a problem. Judges
have made a law for employees that are severely overweight and judges state although being
overweight was not in itself a disability, any long-term impairment caused by obesity--such as
reduced mobility--should be protected by disability laws. (Fearn 3) The ruling means that
obesity has to be taken seriously and treated like any other disabilities. Obesity had long term
health effects. It can cause immobility and means that a person can lose their ability to function
properly. The person can have problems doing simple tasks because the extra weight they have
can cause them to struggle. Obesity is a problem and it causes long term health problems. The
severe overweight causes problems to a person that may not have existed if the person did not
have the extra weight. Obesity is a disease because it disrupts the natural function of the human
body. In Europe it is being taking seriously and in many cases being adopted as a disability
affecting employees.
Obesity is the major factor of many diseases and health issues that occur in America.
Many problems come from obesity and overeating. When obese the excess weight that a person
has is unhealthy. The biggest consequences that come from obesity is type 2 diabetes and heart

disease. Children with obesity are not healthy. Growing up with those habits it can cause them to
face long term health consequences. With the unhealthy overeating children grow up and become
immune to serious health issues." Obese children also have a strong predisposition to become
obese adults, with a greater likelihood of developing a battery of serious chronic diseases,
including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and, in the end, shorter life spans." (Ruskin 6)
Children who grow up obese develop serious chronic diseases that have different components
such as diabetes and heart problems. Type 2 diabetes and heart tissue are common factors of
obesity. Adults face these problems when growing up obese. But when children start off young
and overeat these risks are greater for them. Obesity is a disease because it can cause serious
health issues.
Next, not only does obesity cause these health problems, it also causes death in the long
run. A major consequence of obesity is death. " By itself, obesity kills 2.8 million people a year,
and it is the fifth-leading risk factor for death worldwide."(Landers 5) Obesity eventually leads to
death. It kills millions of people each year. All over the world obesity has an impact on people.
Obesity is a disease because it causes serious health issues that lead up to death. Without obesity
the mortality rate of the world would not be as high as it is now. It kills many people each year
worldwide. If obesity was not a disease it would not have such an impact on as many people.
Obesity is a disease because of the eventual outcome of death that can occur for people who are
obese.
It is very unhealthy to be obese. With the way many Americans eat,they are at high risk
for disease and problems in their body. These problems disrupt the natural order of the human
body which means that obesity is a disease.People whose fat has settled mostly around their
waistlines instead of in their hips, thighs, buttocks or all over are known to run a higher risk of

heart disease, diabetes and other obesity-related ailments.( Tanner 2) It is unhealthy for people
who overeat and have this problem with their fat going to the wrong part of their body. When the
fat settles to the waistline these people have higher risk of obesity and issues that obesity can
cause. Overeating is a disease and when people face obesity they have higher risks of heart
disease and diabetes. Excess amount of fat is unhealthy for the body and causes serious health
issues which disrupt the natural order of the human body.
Some people argue that obesity is not a disease because it is a lifestyle that some people
choose to live since it can be controlled and also prevented. With the standards of living that
have changed over the years obesity is not a lifestyle that can be chosen. It spreading rapidly
throughout America. In the 1911, the standards of living met that many kids were underfed, one
out of three children were not getting the right food that nourished them. In 1955, a government
expert wrote that the evidence" supports the conclusion that the nation as a whole is fairly well
fed. (Ruskin 1) The United States went from one out of three kids being unfed and starving in
1911. Afterwards in 1955, the government claimed that the country was well fed and there was
not many people who were starving. That was a dramatic change in 44 years, the standards of
living had not been the same compared to the earlier years (Ruskin 1).
Today in 2015, the standards of living are very different than they used to be. This is the
21th century. It is not ethical to use the idealist image of a society that existed in the 20th century
and earlier than that. Today obesity is present in one out of three Americans. It used to be that
one out of three American were once underfed. That is a dramatic problem that has occurred.
Modern day society can not be compared to the way that things used to be. It is not that obesity
can be controlled today. Everything in society is different, the way food is made and the way

simplest things like milk is made. These products have altercations that cause obesity to grow
quickly. Obesity was not always a problem because the way that foods are made now is different.
Human life is not the same way that it used to be. Today humans are shaped differently,
with different heights and weight. The foods humans eat and the environment is the reason for
this, everything is based on change. New research from around the world has begun to reveal a
picture of humans today that is so different from what it was in the past that scientists say they
are startled (Kolata 9). Today, foods are not made the same way that they used to be. Most
foods are processed in large factories and made out of chemicals that help them travel throughout
many states. They contain chemicals that are unhealthy and should not be exposed to the human
body. Without knowing, Americans are still consuming these foods. Obesity is not a lifestyle that
can be chosen. Today, the way that food is made is very unhealthy and it contains high levels of
high fructose corn syrup and sodium. Food is processed in factories and Americans are buying
pre made foods because of the standards of living. Many families go outside and grab a quick
meal from a fast food restaurant because they are unable to get healthier food options. Obesity is
a disease, Americans can not control the way that they eat because they eat the food choices that
surround them. These foods are unhealthy and link to obesity but with todays standard of living,
Americans must deal with it. Food is not the same way that it used to be. But, in modern day
society the fast food industry controls the way that food is made since they are the largest
consumers.
Even with vegetables and fruits, naturally foods are not grown organically. In
supermarkets foods are sprayed with pesticides to keep them from rotting. Food contains
genetically modified organisms that have altercations to different products such as fruit. Fruit is
not even made naturally, it has genetically modified organisms that construct the way that food it

is made. The number of American men and women with big-bellied, apple-shaped figures--the
most dangerous kind of obesity--has climbed at a startling rate over the past decade, according to
a government study. (Tanner 1) There are many people in America. Major food corporations are
struggling to feed everyone because there is a high demand for products. This means that many
products are full of chemicals and corn. Many products are made out of corn since it is a cheap
resource. This causes any people in America and also worldwide to be obese.
The only reason for obesity is not about the food.The study cites other possible reasons
for the increase in belly fat, including sleep deprivation and certain medicines(Tanner 9) Many
Americans are sleep deprived because they are working so hard. Also some people are on certain
medicines that cause increase in fat. Obesity is not controllable, it is a lifestyle. In this society it
is also very hard to prevent because obesity is all around everyone. Americans all eat the same
foods from major corporations that are a major link to obesity. Obesity is a disease in this
society.Obesity is a major problem and has health consequences. It is a disease because it can
not be controlled and it has health issues that come from it. Obesity is a disease itself. On the
country and worldwide it has major health risks and it eventually leads to death.
Works Cited
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Landers, Jim. "Obesity and Its Consequences Spreading Rapidly Around the World." Dallas
Morning News. 27 Jan. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
McCullough, Marie. "Drug May Help Fight Obesity." Philadelphia Inquirer. 04 Jan. 2015: n.p.
SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
Pollack, Andrew. "A.M.A. Recognizes Obesity As a Disease." New York Times. 19 Jun. 2013:
B.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
Ruskin, Gary. "The Fast Food Trap." Mothering No. 121. Nov./Dec. 2003: 34-44. SIRS
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Washington DC News Bureau. 04 Sep. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Jan.2015.
Tanner, Lindsey. "CDC Study: Americans' Bellies Are Expanding Fast." Toledo Blade. 16 Sep.
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