Most people in America are not as obese as Georgia was, but 35.7 percent of adults and 16.9 percent of children are considered overweight. America’s expanding waistlines has caused alarming supersizing in some places you wouldn’t expect. Those include Santa costumes, CT scanners, fuel usage, caskets, and ambulances. I think America shouldn’t make accommodations for obese people. I believe the consequences of supersizing these items are great. Making these items bigger doesn’t help the American people. It doesn’t encourage them to lose weight. Making the objects bigger obviously sends a message that the American society is willing to accept obesity.
In 1996, santasuits.com’s largest offering for a Santa costume was size 2X, and oversize suits accounted for 12 percent of sales. Today it’s estimated that size 3X suits account for up to 20 percent of sales. CT scanner companies, such as Siemens and General Electric, are also building new equipment to accommodate America’s growing waistlines. Siemens’s CT scanner went from a 60 centimeter diameter in 1997 to an 80-centimeter diameter in 2011, a 25 percent increase. Cars, trucks, and planes use more gasoline and jet fuel when extra pounds are added. Americans consume at least 1 billion more gallons of fuel today than what they did in 1960 because of increasing waistlines. A standard-size casket for adults used to be 24 inches wide, but 28-inch wide models are becoming more common. One company began making 29-inch caskets in the 1980s, but sold around one a year; now they ship half a dozen oversize caskets every month. American Model Response introduced bariatric ambulances in 2001. Their cot can hold up to 1,600 pounds, compared with older models that sustain 800 pounds.
I think there are multiple sources of who’s to blame for the epidemic in America. I believe parents play a large role. Wherever you look or go, you’ll most likely end up seeing an obese child. Children’s most important role models are their parents. When children arrive home from school or playing sports, they generally want a snack. The snacks are not what they used to be; instead of an apple or some crackers, Cheetos and cookies are now the norm. To reward children, parents tend to use food; unfortunately they are not the healthiest food items. Kids are ruining their bodies at too young of an age. If the child stays overweight throughout their life they will undoubtedly pass the same bad habits on to their children.
I also think television is to blame for overweight people. On an average day, the television broadcasts a fast food or junk food commercial at least a few times per break. This strongly imprints desires on a person’s brain and encourages them to eat what they see on the television. Fast food corporations aren’t concerned about people’s health. Their main objective is to make money.
If Americans stick to their eating habits or exercising habits (or lack thereof), by 2030 half of the U.S. adults will be obese. Obesity raises the risks of numerous diseases, from type 2 diabetes to endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining). This means more sick people and higher medical costs for the future. In 2030 it is projected that as many as 7.9 million new cases of diabetes a year could occur, compared with 1.9 million new cases in recent years. There could also be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases. The increasing illnesses will add $66 billion in annual obesity-related medical costs over and above today’s $147 billion to $210 billion.
Some people can’t help their obesity because it may be caused by medical issues or may be in their genes. But for those where this isn’t a cause, there are basic steps to prevent obesity. The simple steps that can be taken are as follows: Be active, keep a check on your weight, drink plenty of water, stay away from junk food, eat slowly and only when you are hungry, and only consume the recommended number of calories. This sounds difficult to do, but if people want to change, they’re going to need determination, self-control, and perseverance. These are good steps for everyone, whether overweight or not, as poor eating habits will cause health problems in thin people.
I believe the American society shouldn’t accommodate obese citizens because it means we are accepting and agreeing with the lifestyle of the overweight. Like Georgia Davis, the obese citizens need “to take control” of their lives, “instead of ruining” themselves.