Obesity in the USA

¶ … obesity in the United States. Specifically, it will contain a persuasive argument on why obesity is a problem in the United States, and why it is ridiculous to think that the number one disease in America is the most preventable in America.

Obesity is a big (pardon the pun) problem in America today, and it is only getting bigger. Some people attribute the problem to fast food and sedentary lifestyles. Some people attribute it to family life spent rushing from activity to activity instead of centering on home, family activities, and healthy lifestyles that include regular exercise and home cooked meals. However, obesity is a problem all around the world today. Part of the problem stems from the fact that humans are evolved from beings who had to work hard for what they ate. The earliest hunter-gatherers subsisted mainly on vegetation and fruits with an occasional mammoth or two thrown in for good measure. They had to work hard for the food they ate, and they ate nominal calories compared to what we eat today. Even a century ago, our ancestors worked much harder than we do today, and so, they burned off more calories simply in the course of everyday living. Our ancestors could eat more because they burned it off in the course of a day, but we do not. Many Americans get little or no exercise every day. They ride in cars, take the elevator, and sit on the couch to watch TV, or vegetate in front of the computer. Active lifestyles are outdated, and the weight in America today shows it.

Health insurance is just beginning to catch on to the obesity problem. Health insurance is extremely costly in America today, and the problems associated with obesity are only adding to the cost. The obese suffer from a variety of ailments including increased heart disease, strokes, high cholesterol, arthritis, and diabetes. These diseases are costly to Americans, and they are costly to the overweight in terms of their health and well being. Obesity is the number one disease in America today, and yet, there is little viable preventable medicine available for the obese. Researchers continue to look for cures for cancer, heart disease, and other highly visible diseases, but there are no "cure alls" for the overweight, they are simply told they eat too much and have no willpower. In the past, the drug "phen-phen" produced good results in many obese patients, but had debilitating and deadly side effects, so the drug was removed from the market. With the millions spent on health research in the country, it seems that more could be done to help people with obesity, and more could be done to educate healthcare professionals and the public on treating obesity.