Argumentative Essay on Obesity

Although some might say that altering individual choices and applying dietary restrictions are the best ways to tackle the obesity epidemic, I strongly believe that developing a national plan that entails environmental, educational, and industrial aspects is the most fit solution.

While addressing obesity, the first things that come to mind are diets and individual choices. Thus, to hinder this epidemic, dietary restrictions and control over eating habits need to be exercised, much like our ancestors have done with staying away from gluttony. (Critser, 2001, p. 1, par. 3) [According to Koplan and Dietz, dieting and prevention are an effective method for treating obesity, especially in children and adolescents.] Despite the fact that dieting is thought to be healthy and energy giving, this lack of eating is only a sign of depression and illness (Seid, p. 5, par. 16). [In addition to that, and as mentioned by Worley, there aren’t any kinds of research that prove that dieting is, in fact, effective when it comes to treating obesity; on the contrary, it could have lasting harmful effects on the person’s health and state of mind.] What must be taken into account is that the human body, due to evolutionary factors, has a tendency to maintain its weight and prevent the person from starving. That is, when we diet and consume less food, our metabolic rate will decrease and slow down till it becomes compatible with the amount of food consumed (Worley, p. 3, par. 11). Add to that, people look for the quickest way to lose weight. Little do they know that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely it is to be gained back (Worley, p. 3, par. 9).

We live in a world where being thin is the latest fashion, and where being fat is equivalent of being dirty and diet is the cure to the ailment (Seid, p. 4, par. 11). However, this has a consequence on the dieter’s life as it inflicts upon it a number of psychological, pathological, and behavioral problems.

While...