The rates of obesity around the world vary from country to country. Differences in diet, exercise, and several other factors come into play when determining the health of people living in a particular country. Eating and exercise habits vary depending on where in the world you are. There are cultures where obesity is a rarity, and there are places where obesity is much too common. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader about the causes of obesity in an assortment of countries and to show the harmful effects that obesity has. Lastly, I will inform you of the problem with our society’s standard being unhealthy.
In the United States, obesity is said to be one of the largest health problems currently dealt with. We see this on the news, in magazines, and on the radio. Most people hear this statement and will dismiss it without a second thought. However, this is a problem worth spending some time learning more about. The popular television series “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” began airing in 2013. The series is obviously designed to entertain, but is also focused on informing viewers about the very real obesity epidemic we face in America today. Excessive eat has become many people’s coping mechanism of choice. Chris Powell, the star of the series, helps his clients face this horrible eating addiction and channel their energy into running, weight lift, aerobics and other forms of exercise. Through these efforts their obesity problems decrease immensely.
Many people blame fast food chains, such as McDonalds, for the weight problem in the North America. However, Europe, China, and many other countries have these fast food chains as well but the problem of obesity is nowhere near as severe in those countries. So what is making our country so fat? Some studies show us that in America portion sizes, the availability of food, and the price of unhealthy food versus healthy food are all contributing factors. The cost of healthy food at any restaurant or in any grocery store is almost always more than the unhealthy alternative. This author traveled to Europe last summer and happened to go to a McDonalds. The size of a medium fry was the size of a small in the Unites States. The size of a small shake was about the size of a measuring cup. These are some of the small things that add up to the “big difference” when it comes to weight in America compared to other countries.
A person is considered obese when their body mass index is greater or equal to thirty percent. Someone is considered overweight when their BMI is greater than or equal to twenty five percent. It is estimated that over sixty percent of Americans qualify as obese and around twenty seven percent more are considered overweight. This leaves only a small portion of Americans that are in the “normal” weight range. In America, from the time we are young, we are influenced by fast food commercials, sit down restaurant commercials, and unhealthy snacks in the checkout aisle at grocery stores. These factors are just a small portion of how our culture leads us to believe that these unhealthy eating habits are “okay”. As a result we are left with the astounding statistics provided above.
Taking the entire world’s population into consideration, the rate of obesity has doubled since the year 1980. If one were to compare the diet of those in America vs. those in a third world country, obviously, the rate of obesity is far different. Of course these are the two extremes. Many countries are in the middle of those extremes with a diet and daily exercise that make for a healthy for lifestyle. An example is the Europe. I had the opportunity to visit several European countries and saw, first hand, these differences. One could clearly see that people maintain a healthier lifestyle than their American counterparts. When eating out, the portion sizes were healthier and the food served was less often fried. Even McDonald’s foods were prepared differently. Another difference, which ultimately affects health, is the means of transportation used by people on a daily basis. For example it is far more common to walk than to drive. These fundamental lifestyle differences definitely impact and reduce the rate of obesity in these countries.
Obesity has many negative health effects on people. The chances for diabetes, heart problems, and high cholesterol skyrocket the more overweight one is. In an article found in the Kirkwood library, it is stated that trends such as these are caused by a decrease in physical activity and changes in nutrition intake. Additionally, there are more deaths caused by obesity than by being underweight. These facts show how severe the epidemic of obesity is and how being overweight is a growing problem.
A test I would like to propose to anthropologists is to compare the different cultures discussed above. I believe through a study, such as this, scientists could discover the primary factors and causes of obesity. This could ultimately lead to the reduction or even elimination of obesity entirely. Further, with this knowledge, if presented to the media and promoted in schools, there could be success in changing of American lifestyles altogether. This could lead to a reduction in the extreme weight problems we are seeing today. When preventing obesity, ultimately, we are helping eliminate the root cause of heart problems, high cholesterol, and diabetes. With this knowledge, society could eliminate unhealthy “diets”, crash exercising, and the unrealistic idea of a perfect body. If we focused more on the being healthy than the idea of being thin, then our society, and the world around us, would become healthier and stronger.
A common misconception that is found in societies across the world is the idea that all fat is bad. This isn’t the case. In fact, our bodies need fat to survive. There are differences between being obese, being overweight, and having a healthy amount of fat on one’s body. To better understand this concept, one may refer to our textbook, Cultural Anthropology by Carol Ember and Melvin Ember, it is stated, “Around the world, fatness is generally considered more desirable than thinness, particularly for women. Fatness is widely valued in these cultures not only because it is considered more beautiful, but also because it is thought to be a marker of health, fertility, and higher status in societies with social satisfaction. This view is in strong contrast to the ideal in the United States and many other Western societies, where fatness is thought to be unattractive, and to reflect laziness, a lack of self –control, and poor health. Thinness, particularly in the upper classes, is considered beautiful.” (p. 319). This paragraph points out that “fat” can be and is healthy. In other societies, people work by lifting heavy things and doing strenuous work which causes them to gain muscle weight, even though they eat in normal portions. Our bodies are supposed to have some fat, which is why fat is thought of as “healthy” in other societies.
In an article titled The Anthropology of Obesity, one states, “Experiences are greatly varied per country, community, and individual. Obesity is culturally entrenched and any hopes of dealing with the health consequences should begin with cultural patterns and perceptions, including how obesity is internalized by society.” This also supports what was said above about how culture is the main factor in obesity rates. Our culture and society do not mix well, however. Society tells us we need to have as little body fat as possible while our food industry and food advertisers would like us to believe otherwise. This creates an extreme conflict for all people in our society. Women and men are swayed by advertising stating that being thin is “healthy”. This is not the case at all. Being healthy is much more than being skinny. Being healthy consists of exercising as well as eating healthy, and eating healthy means eating foods that nourish your body.
The problem of obesity varies from culture to culture. However, the problem is found in nearly every culture regardless of the location. In order to avoid obesity, women, men, girls, and boys need to consume foods that will nourish their bodies. Calories can be a wonderful thing if they are “good” calories. Processed foods and fried foods lead to obesity. The more people in the world that understand the concept of good nutrition, will lead to fewer people struggling with obesity. The rate of obesity is on the rise and it is a problem that can be fixed with a little determination and a lot of hard work.
In conclusion, you now understand why we as Americans struggle with obesity, what we can do about it, and what real health looks like. The purpose of this paper was to inform the reader about the causes of obesity in an assortment of countries and to show the harmful effects that obesity has. The problem can be solved and it is up to us to do so.
