        For a very long time, I've heard, along with other Americans, how obesity is a growing problem in our country. Personally, this subject of obesity and health interests me very much. We've continuously been told how large of a problem it is but what is being done about it? In recent years, policies have been changed and legislation has been produced, but these have not amounted to much in my eyes. Obesity is still a problem in our country which worries me; specifically, obesity in children worries me. These children are supposed to be the leaders of America one day; how can they do this when the majority of them are obese and not expected to live past 20 or 30 years old? I think health and fitness are extremely important. After all, they both are directly linked to your lifespan and quality of life. This research question helps clarify who exactly is to blame and why. It also puts into perspective just how deep this problem is in our society. Personally, I am concerned about this issue because my family has always advocated living a healthy lifestyle. Because both of my parents lived in India, they saw much sickness and at the time, health care wasn't a very accessible service.  Obesity in America is definitely a problem that can and must be stopped.

 


        More than one third of US adults are still considered obese. However, the diet industry has recently seen a huge decrease in sales; diet plans such as Jenny Craig, Medifast, and Nutrisystem are all seeing sales go down by around 21% in the past few years. This change could be caused be American's looking for a more permanent and healthy solution as opposed to drinking and eating foods chemically engineered.

Expansion is being seen in health clubs, medical plans, and bariatric surgery which is potentially something else that backs up the idea that Americans are looking for more long term results. In 2014, the weight loss market was a tentative $64 billion.  Obamacare has provisions that promote measures to help prevent obesity but only for qualified providers such as doctors and nurses. CVS has started to offer one-on-one sessions for people to receive health plans and other weight loss services. The diet industry has been commercialized for so long it is off now to think that it may be shifting more to the medical side of things.

The writer of this article is a writer for Time Magazine and has written much about health issues and policy regarding it. The author has a clear bias against the commercialization. The fact that these industries are making a profit over people being overweight and obese is obviously troubling


Michelle Obama has partnered with business to reduce salt, sugar, and fat from foods. However, 1 out of 3 children in America are either obese or overweight. It is estimated that this will cost trillions of dollars in health-care costs. She is mandating calories be put on a all menus by the end of the year, updating nutrition labeling with the FDA, and requiring schools to serve more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products.

Doing this, however, has made students and even some lawmakers unhappy. Although she has worked with several corporations to cut sugar and increase water intake, neither of these seem to work. Many say she is giving the food industry someone to hide behind: the government. Some see her plan as ineffective because she has often appeared at "Let's Move" events with soda spokespeople. Beyonce and LeBron James- the very people endorsing what is responsible for this epidemic. Obama has also started to shift the blame away from food and onto the parents of obese children.

        The author of this article has been writing for The Washington Post for 14 years; she was once a business reporter which allows her to speak about the corporations and statistics more credibly. The author addresses both sides of the controversial issue equally and fully. She has no clear bias.


The USDA, FDA, and Congress have been misleading the American people through subsidies and ill-advised diet suggestions. It is still a huge problem despite the millions of dollars people spend on weight-loss products and services. Starting in the 1990s, parents believed their kids were eating nutritious lunches, not even bothering to ask them what it actually consisted of.

        Most farm subsidies go to soy, corn, rice, and wheat; all of these can be converted into cheap, highly processed foods. In the case of corn, it is turned into high fructose corn syrup, a cheap, unhealthy alternative to sugar. Because it was so cheap, high fructose corn syrup was being added to things that didn't need it. Congress even passed legislation that pizza can count as a vegetable in school lunches after it was mandated that more fruits and vegetable be added to school lunches. Government regulations are not helping the overall health of Americans.

        The author has a clear bias against government intervention. She has previously written about nutrition as well as the science behind it which makes her more qualified to write on these topics. However, she is the director of outreach at the Pope Center for Higher Education, which contributes to her bias against the government regulations.

The question of who is to blame for America's obesity is extremely debated; it's impossible to know for sure who is to blame for every single obese person in the US. Instead of looking for someone to blame, it would be better to look for what all is contributing to the problem and eliminate them. Some of the sources I found were clear on who they think should be blamed. The government, politicians, the FDA, the USDA, or the food industry are all possible contributors that the sources argued. Personally, I believe that a few of these sources did not address all the possibilities. None mentioned how many politicians have tried to change the law regarding these issues but they were beaten time and again by big corporate businesses who are literally making billions by making people fat. I believe I need to change my research question to include something about the FDA and USDA because they have a big role in this issue as well.

