Here's an interesting article on the "obesity myth" ...http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/gaesser/obesity.htm#HEALTH%20HAZARDS%20OF%20OBESITY%20EXAGGERATED
here is another...http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/08/11/2008-08-11_study_shows_obesity_often_not_linked_to_.html
and yet another...http://media.www.dailygamecock.com/media/storage/paper247/news/2007/10/26/Viewpoints/Size-Zero.Not.Much.Better.Than.Obesity-3058764.shtml
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This is another area in which society has created its own opinion of what is good and bad, right and wrong, healthy and unhealthy. It was interesting to learn from these articles that weight and health are not always positively correlated. An unhealthy person with a great metabolism may be just as thin as someone who goes to the gym everyday and counts all their calories. Not to say that genetics are the only reason for this; environmental factors hold a great responsibility for weight. Convenience is important in our society. 'Time is money'. However, being convenient isn't necessarily the healthiest way to go. The greasy foods from the fast food restaurants that dominate our culture today are one of the main reasons that we are growing. The media, on the other hand, holds the responsibility for the unhealthy shrinking of young people today. Healthy is portrayed on television as 5'10" tall and 120 pounds. This is an unattainable weight for the majority of the population, and should not be idolized in that way that it has become!
ReplyDeleteI think the term "healthy" is sometimes misinterpreted in our society. Going to the gym can be discouraging for those who are overweight especially when they see these thin and muscular individuals. Instead of focusing on wanting to look muscular or thin, people should be focusing on being active and modifying their diets to improve their overall health. Just because people don't look like they have no fat and all muscle on their bodies doesn't mean they aren't healthy. In fact, these individuals may actually be healthier than some individuals who appear to be thin.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to see that people, especially health physicians will have incorrect data and yet release it to the public. Our world has become far to obsessed with the "perfect" body. I think Steph has a great point. People who are overweight should want to be healthy for themselves and not for what other people see them as. It seems that a healthy medium has been replaced with being extremely thin. It's very disturbing how people view themselves and how self conscious we have become.
ReplyDeleteI really believe that society puts too much emphasis on weight. I feel like since the 90's, this country in particular, has dealt with challenges varying from being too thin to being too obese. I am not really sure what I think about the whole problem, as no solution seems to be fitting. The media does not accurately portray characters as real people, not just in weight but in many other aspects too. Resulting, people judge themselves on "ideals" that are unattainable by the vast majority and believe that they need to strive to be like others. What happened to just being yourself and feeling comfortable in your own skin. What this society needs are REAL people who can be ROLE MODELS for all. These REAL people face the challenges that we face everyday and can help us become more satisfied with ourselves. Until this happens, I am not sure that anything will ever change, and this debate about weight and the ideal human being will continue for generations to come.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with what was said in one of the articles about how improper diet, nutrition, and inactivity seem to be causing higher rates of heart disease, not just being overweight. When most people think of those that are "unhealthy" we think of someone being flabby and eating a lot of junk food, but think about the people who work out constantly and still stay big or those who eat fast food or high fat diets who stay thin. These exceptions show us that not every case is the same, not every person who is overweight has heart disease, and not every person with heart disease is overweight.
ReplyDeleteAnother point is that we should look at trying to prevent people from becoming underweight as we do trying to prevent them from being overweight. Education programs that promote good nutrition and exercise habits should be directed towards all individuals not just those who we think need to lose some weight.
I agree with the comment above, that not every case is the same. Many people assume that every obese person suffers from heart disease, but research states otherwise. I can relate to this because both my aunt and father suffered from heart disease and neither one is obese. It is obvious that there are other factors that cause heart disease, and obesity may add to the risk, but it isn't always mean that its the main cause.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that we really need to keep emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition/diet and engaging in physical activities to children at a young age, as well as their parents. Hopefully the children will be able to carry out the proper techniques that will help aid in keeping them inbetween being underweight or overweight.
This is a hard topic, because for obvious reasons that we all know about obesity is bad. It causes many health problems, that frankly most of america deals with. What's frustrating though, is that the ideal that many people strive for is just as unhealthy. When we see models in magazines that barely weigh 100lbs we look at them in envy, when in reality they are just as unhealthy as the rest of us. Why aren't those people that are too skinny stigmatized for thier unhealthy body frame as those who are overweight?
ReplyDeleteIn response to the 2nd and 3rd articles, it seems as if society is known for believing everything that is said by health professionals... similar to the belief that "doctors know best". For instance, many people have believed that by being obsese is directly related to cardiovascular/respiratory ailments. As mentioned in the 2nd article, it states that not every obese person has an cardiovascular issue. Also in the 3rd article, individuals may believe that wearing a size 0 jean is correlated with being anorexic, which is yet another assumption brought upon by society based on what is known to be "healthy". As we know, research regarding health and wellness is always changing and society needs to be more open to new research so that old assumptions can be put aside.
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of the first article actually makes sense. It is telling people to focus on being healthy, instead of being skinny. In different societys, the idea of a "healthy" body is portrayed differently. It just so happens that America's idea of healthy, happens to be skinny. People take "skiny" to an extreme, as they see models and often develop eating disorders. A huge problem with the fight against obesity, is the diet and exercise patterns of people. It is easier and cheaper for people to go grab food at Burger King, then it is to cook. If people chose to eat healthier, and exercise, then their body weight would go down, as well as an increase in their overall health status.
ReplyDeletei totally agree with everyone that is suggesting that our society has vastly amplified the issues that surround obesity and also our stigma about being overweight. It is really amazing how the masses can be so down and negative to people who are overweight and kind of shake their heads at them and accuse them of making bad lifestyle choices when they may not have a lot of choices. As the devils advocate I would say that a great deal of this issue in America is a product of our society. Like someone said in one of the first posts- its so much cheaper to eat 'unhealthy foods'... its also much easier to access a corporate grocery store than a health food store, and they accept EBT and other assisted payment methods where private health food stores often do not. Easier access, much more affordable, and much more public support are all values and structures within our society that are placed around consumption of highly processed, steroid enhanced, preservative pumped foods....so whos to blame- the fat kid or our society?
ReplyDeleteThese articles were truly amazing to read because it is so true that America places so much emphasis on obesity. In reality, obesity is an issue, but there are so many other health related issues that are just as consequential to the human body and lifespan. I have witnessed numerous friends eat junk food and drink soda, but they are tiny and slim. Although far from obese, they probably have extremely high cholesterol and plaque build up on their vessel walls which will inevitably kill them in the future. Statistically, they would never fall into an obesity study, but they probably eat just as bad as individuals who are overweight. On the other hand, there are individuals who exercise, eat right, and are still "chubby". Who is more healthy? From society's standpoint, the individual who is skinny would appear to be healthier. In other words, studies would portray them as healthy because they are thin. Our society focuses too much on looks, when in reality, health goes beyond weight.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading these articles on obesity. It is true that we as a society are obsessed with thinness and obesity. What we don't realize is that just because a person may be thin, it does not mean that they are healthy. We have come to equate thinness and good health together, whereas the truth is that an overweight person may in fact actually have a healthier lifestyle than a thin person. I agree that the issue of obesity has become a national obsession and obese individuals have been targeted as unhealthy people. I know many small, thin people who eat extremely unhealthy (fast food regularly, daily soda, etc)and I know some people who are overweight but are way more health conscious of what they put in their bodies. You would think the opposite looking at these people, but obesity is not necessarily linked to living unhealthy.
ReplyDeleteAs a society we definitely do have a pretty big obession with body image, and I think this reflects in our opinions about health and even in scientific studies relating to body size. I'm not sure how I feel about the articles, they personally don't seem too trustworthy to me but I'm not saying that what they're saying is wrong. I also noticed that the sources they used for the first one were a little outdated, like 1995 or older so I don't know if that would make a difference, since it seems rates of obesity have increased.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting because I am doing an internship at a cardiac rehab and just the other day my coordinator described a study that said 'fitness not fatness', meaning that people who had lower levels of fitness, but more or less looked healthy, had higher rates of death than individuals who had a higher fitness level and were somewhat over weight. It's so true that society puts a stigma around people who are chubby, overweight etc. but in reality who is more healthier? As someone mentioned above, it's more likely to be the person who eats healthy, exercises, has a little extra weight then the person who eats 'crap' and doesn't exercise, and is skinny. Society puts so much emphasis on being skinny that no one really realizes and understands that being healthy is so much more than being skinny..
ReplyDeleteAlong the lines of weight, the problem is that there is a distinct dichotomy with respect to weight in the US. All you see in the celebrity trash magazines are the rail thin models/actresses (who are revered and seen as "desirable") OR the actresses who have put on some noticeable weight (maybe a few pounds) and are now "fat". There is no healthy happy medium; women are classified as being one or the other. This is wrong. A woman who is a size 00 and has bones sticking out all over her body is not healthy; yet somehow society has deemed that as being acceptable. The standard is detrimental to a young woman's self esteem as well as her health. The sad thing is that women are bombarded with how they should look almost everyday. Whether they buy make-up, clothes, magazines, every product tries to influence how females should look. Honestly, I would rather have an extra pound or two than look like a 12 year old.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jenna said. In the United States weight has become a main focus, especially in women. Models portray an unrealistic image of women and what women are supposed to look like. American societies continuously display what women should look like on magazines, television, movies, and the internet. From a young age mothers begin to condition their children into fitting this norm whether they know it or not. Mothers give their children barbie dolls and other toys which unrealistically portray what women are to look like. I heard a story last week about how a young girl in second grade was worried about her weight and told her mom how she needs to start working out so she doesn't get fat. Second grade! At that age I was only worried about making new friends and having fun during recess, not about my weight. This unrealistic standard is effecting females self-esteem which will decrease their health over the years. The United States should be concerned about more important topics rather than an individuals weight.
ReplyDeleteI thought these articles were very interesting. Obesity is being emphasized as a huge epidemic in our society and the negative results of being overweight are being exaggerated. Like in the video we saw in class, some people will never be thin no matter how hard they work at it. The emphasis should be on exercising and eating healthy to improve your health, not to be thin. This society puts so much emphasis on being thin, which is what makes so many women feel bad about their bodies and causes some to become anorexic. In order to help with the obesity problem kids should be educated on what is a healthy diet at a young age and it is important for them to have good role models of this at home. There needs to be less of an obsession with thinness and more of a desire to be healthy for ourselves, not to look the way that we are "supposed to look".
ReplyDeleteobesity is really frowned upon and there is alot of pressure particularly on women to be thin and beautiful. all women cant be rail thin like actresses and models. everyone has there own body type and the weight that they are happiest at.
ReplyDeleteI think that as a whole our society always has and always will be judgemental. Whenever we see/meet someone for the first time we can't help but to pass judgements and formulate a story in our minds. That also carries over to obesity. But as the article stated, and obese person and skinny person are at the same risk for having atherolsclerosis. The same goes for really skinny girls. People may automatically assume they're anorexic and unhealthy. Both of which are frowned upon in today's society.
ReplyDeleteThe media is partly to blame, but our society is what keeps this negative image that is correlated with obesity going. It was said in the movie that "fat" is the only discrimination that is still socially acceptable, and he was very correct. We have formed this opinion in our society that not only is obesity unhealthy, it is unattractive, lazy, disgusting, overeating, unprofessional, etc.; and those who are overweight are subject to a large variety of discrimination and unfortunately are the butt of many jokes. Society doesn't care if you actually are healthy or unhealthy, we have made our judgement within five seconds of meeting someone.
ReplyDeleteOur society over time has social constructed our negative views on the whole body weight issue. We've always been told fat is bad, skinny is good. I'll even admit that i have always assumed that being obese is a direct cause to being unhealthy and getting diseases like heart diseases. But after reading the first article, as well as watching that video in class, i realize that weight has nothing to do with health but has everything to do with image. The article says that obese people are just as likely, if not less likely, to get heart disease. It also says that body weight does not tell us nearly as much about our health as our lifestyle factors do. Being thin can be just as dangerous as being obese. I agree with the article and believe that our environment and our culture has everything to do with how healthy we are. I think that it is unfair for us as a society to judge people based on weight, but i also think that our images of weight will be very hard to change no matter how much evidence is placed in front of us.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that our society has put a huge amount of stress on people because of the negative views towards weight. everywheres you go every magazine you read they all talk about how to lose weight how to get the perfect bikini body. But is being skinny really going to make you happy and healthy. We as a society get made fun of by being a little bit over weight get called names as kids and grow up eating less and to some extent becoming bulimic or anorexic. There many things that people can do to be healthy and fit. Being "skinny" should not be a goal in a persons life it should be to be healthy and life a happy life.
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