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Milade Rivas
Mr. Erickson
English 1010
16 December 2014
Obesity: Disease or Not?
A mother and her son are out shopping for groceries and its been a long day. Exhausted,
the little boy begs his mother to go home. His feet hurt and he just cant stand it anymore. She
pleads for him to just hold on, theyre almost done. They finally get home and the little boy plops
himself on the couch. Sluggishly, he reaches for the remote and turns on the television. He is
thrilled when he finds that his favorite cartoon is on. Suddenly, a Honey Smacks cereal interrupts
the show. He remembers that his mother had bought some when they went shopping. Walking
over to his mother who is about to start cooking dinner, thinking of ways to convince her to give
him the sugar-filled cereal, he says, Mom Im starving from walking all over the store with you.
Can I please have a bowl of Honey Smacks? She agrees because she doesnt see a problem with
her son eating a bowl of cereal while he waits for dinner to be ready. Whats the harm? She
thinks.
Kelloggs Honey Smacks are 55 percent sugar. Thats more sugar per serving than a
Twinkie has. The International Working Group, a federal advisory board that has responsibility
over the food that is marketed to kids, recommends that all childrens breakfast cereals be less
than twenty-six percent sugar by weight. They found that seventy-five percent of them dont fit
that criterion (Spector). Schools offer these sugary cereals to students for breakfast. Most

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Americans eat a bowl of cereal in the morning. The first thing most children eat is junk food and
the day has only just begun.
Because the food we eat today contains such a high amount of sugar, obesity rates are
skyrocketing. About twenty years ago, the United States obesity rates were 19 percent or less.
Sixteen years later, no state had an obesity rate less than 19 percent. When the states reported
again in 2013, they found that eleven states: Mississippi, West Virginia, Delaware, Louisiana,
Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alaska, had obesity rates
that were over thirty percent (Levy). In just three years, obesity in America rose by about ten
percent. With 31.8 percent (about 72 million people) of obese Americans, the United States is the
second most obese country, Mexico being the first at 32.8 percent (ProCon). Thats just in adults.
In 2011, 17 percent of children in the U.S were obese (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention). Children observe everything that their parents do, so adults should become more
aware of what theyre eating and set an example for them. The earlier children learn which foods
to avoid, the earlier they can prevent obesity.
US Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., stated that obesity is the greatest threat to
public health today (OConnor). This problem is growing rapidly in our country, but can it be
classified as a disease? Some doctors argue that obesity is a disease with much greater causes
than just people over eating or limiting their physical activities. Other doctors say obesity is not a
disease itself, just a risk factor for other big diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and so on (Rettner).
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers defines disease as anything that
disturbs how a body part functions, or breaks up its normal structure, and shows symptoms and

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signs. Dr. Scott Kahan, a preventive medicine physician at Johns Hopkins University states,
[Obesity] satisfies all the definitions and criteria of what a disease and medical condition is
the one difference is that people who have obesity have to wear their disease on the outside
(qtd. in Rettner). However, David L. Katz, M.D., states turning surplus calories into a fat
reserve is not a malfunction; it is normal physiology (qtd. in Carey). The body is doing what it
has evolved to do. Katz continues by giving the example of how drowning isnt labeled a
disease. It is a condition that will be treated and covered by insurance, but the fault lies with the
situation, not with ourselves in the sense that our bodies are not meant to spend too long
underwater (qtd. in Carey). He claims that obesity works the same way.
Doctors also think that classifying obesity as a disease can result in better care for the
patients, and ensure that the treatments could be covered by insurances. Most insurance
companies dont cover obesity treatments, like weight-loss programs and medications. If obesity
officially became a disease, it would legitimize it and it would become a condition, not a lack of
willpower, which makes it worthy of medical attention.
Obesity is expensive. In 2008, obesity-related medical care costed over $147 billion
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Categorizing obesity as a disease would benefit
people spending money on necessary treatments.
However, if obesity were to officially be classified as a disease, then over a third of
Americans would immediately be marked as sick (Rettner). Thats over 78 million adults and
12 million children just in America (Gunderson). Having thirty percent of society labeled as in a
diseased state could cause those obese people to suffer psychologically. Obesity, a problem that
can be fixed with exercise and a healthy diet, would be more difficult for a person to overcome if

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theyre told that they are sick. Something else to consider is how would people act around the
newly diagnosed? When we meet obese people, should we cast them a knowing glance of
concern and ask how theyre doing? Should we send flowers and get well soon cards to obese
family members and friends? (Gunderson). Although declaring obesity as a disease can help a
person physically, it can hurt them psychologically. They will be forced to believe that theyre
unhealthy and the only way to change that is either through medication or a complete change in
their lifestyle. They dont realize that they can actually be living a healthy, normal life.
Even if a person is considered obese, they can still live a long, healthy life. Although a
persons Body Mass Index, which measures body fat based on height and weight, may be in the
obesity range, they are not physically impaired and can live normal lives. The Body Mass Index
doesnt take into consideration the individuals overall health (Herold). A 2013 Lancet article
noted that one out of every three obese people can be considered healthy obese, which means
that despite them being overweight, they have healthy blood pressure levels and normal
cholesterol and show no sign of diabetes (qtd. in ProCon.org). Overweight people are generally
more cautious and visit doctors more often than normal weight individuals, so they can
frequently be followed up for risk factors.
Some doctors even suggest that being a little overweight might be beneficial. Ellen W.
Demerath, Ph.D., says that for older individuals, who are more likely to fall, extra weight may
provide extra muscle mass and strength to avoid or maybe even cushion the fall. Another benefit
to extra weight is for people with conditions like cancer, which causes a loss of body mass, it
may delay death because of their additional weight (qtd. in Herold). As mentioned before, a

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disease is anything that disturbs the way a body part functions. Diseases dont have benefits that
go with it, like obesity could potentially have.
Obesity should not be labeled as a disease because it is a preventable risk factor. Similar
to how the intake of alcohol is a preventable risk factor for alcoholism, or smoking is to lung
cancer. It is something that a person can control. Obesity is a risk factor for diseases like
coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, sleep apnea, possibly mental
health conditions and many more (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This can all be
prevented.
Over eating can result in obesity. According to the United States Department of
Agriculture, adult males only need up to about 2,200 to 2,400 calories a day. However, they end
up consuming about 2,700 calories. Thats about twenty-two percent over the recommended
daily calorie intake. The total daily calorie needed for an adult female is about 1,800 to 2,000.
On average, they take in a little over 2,000 (United States Department of Agriculture). They take
in 1.7 percent more calories than what is recommended. The eating patterns and active or nonactive lifestyle of parents reflect on their children. A boy from the ages of nine to thirteen who is
not physically active should intake about 1,800 calories a day. A girl with the same
circumstances needs about 1,600 calories a day. In 2012, the United States Department of
Agriculture found that boys, ages nine to thirteen, consume about 2,300 calories a day and girls,
about 1,800 a day. We lose control over the little things we eat every day and they quickly add
up.
Compared to sixty years ago, the average adult weighs about twenty-six pounds heavier.
The main factor in the large intake of calories and weight gain is food from restaurants. 96

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percent of entrees at chain restaurants exceed dietary guidelines for sodium, fat and saturated fat
per meal (The New (Ab)Normal). Americans choose to eat out at restaurants, or order take-out,
rather than cooking at home. We eat out about 74 times a year, but we order take-out about 191
times a year (Ferdman). Since the 1950s, restaurants have become dramatically more popular
and theyre constantly trying to appeal to the public. For example, they add more salt to fries to
increase the flavor or make larger portions so that consumers can receive more food for the
dollar. Over the past twenty years, data has revealed that hamburgers have expanded by 23
percent; A plate of Mexican food is 27 percent bigger; Soft drinks have increased in size by 52
percent (McKenzie). Whether we are starving or just a little hungry, the more we are served, the
more we end up eating.
Penn State Universitys College of Health and Human Development put that theory to the
test. Volunteers were sat in a little booth, alone with nothing to do but eat the macaroni and
cheese that they were given each day for lunch. The volunteers varied from men, women, dieters,
non-dieters, and people who were and were not overweight. The researchers goal was to see if
the volunteers were given larger portions resulted in greater consumption. The volunteers did eat
all that was given to them, without realizing they were slowly eating more (study qtd. in
McKenzie). These volunteers sat in a booth all by themselves. Normally people dont go out to
eat in restaurants alone and sit in isolated booths. Theyre with friends and usually things happen
around us in a restaurant that distract the customer like their friends talking or conversations
going on next to them that theyre eavesdropping on. Then without even realizing, the persons
plate quickly becomes empty. Like McKenzie said, the consumer is less likely to notice,
perhaps, until larger portion sizes become larger body sizes.

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Aside from just eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, people tend to eat unhealthy snacks
all throughout the day. Along with typical restaurant food, snacks have also been made into
larger portions. [W]hether they be potato chips, pretzels or crackers, [snacks] are 60 percent
larger (McKenzie). Even though we know that it is better not to eat a lot of little snacks
throughout the day, were still tempted and fall for the traps. If, for example, a person was at a
meeting and after the meeting they offered refreshments, chocolate cake and a can of soda, it is
highly unlikely that this person would turn that down.
One slice of chocolate cake contains 408 calories, 315 of those being empty calories.
Thats just the cake though. The soda can contains about 136 calories, and all of those are empty
calories (United States Department of Agriculture). In about the space of five minutes, this
person has consumed 544 calories. Dr. Keith Ablow argues that there is no known gene that
makes people drive to McDonalds. There is no known gene that makes a person choose whole
milk over one percent milk. No known gene can make a person get midnight cravings and raid
the fridge at night. Genetics do not force people to eat junk food, they choose to. Just like how
they are most likely choosing not to work it off. Dr. Ablow also states that there is no known
gene that makes us drive past seven gyms on our way to work or home and choose to not stop at
any of them.
Along with not eating right, people are getting lazy. They are living sedentary lifestyles.
According to the National institutes of Health, compared to 40 years ago, people today spend
more time commuting, sitting in front of a computer, watching television, playing video games,
and generally exercising less (qtd. in ProCon.org). Physical exercise is turning into something
that isnt easily done. With us and our busy schedules, we have to make time for working out,

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but why would we waste time and money going to a gym? We push it off and tell ourselves we
will fulfill our recommended daily work out tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes.
Fifty years ago, people had their daily work out just by going to work. In the 1960s, fifty
percent of jobs required moderate physical activity. Since then, it has dropped all the way down
to twenty percent of jobs. That leaves eighty percent of jobs that require little to no physical
activity (Parker-Pope). A sweeping review of shifts in the labor force since 1960 suggests that a
sizable portion of the national weight gain can be explained by declining physical activity during
the workday (Parker-Pope). This shift causes about 120 to 140 fewer calories lost per day.
Today, most workers have desk jobs where they get to sit down at a computer because theyre
jobs require constant use of the internet and responding to e-mails, so it is easy to see how much
physical activity is lost during business hours.
Obesity should not be labeled a disease. It is easily preventable, even if its genetic. The
mother of the child who wanted the sugar filled cereal asked, whats the harm? She doesnt
realize the impact a small bowl of cereal can have on a little boy. Like Penn State Universitys
experiment concluded, the boy is going to eat whatever the mother serves him. Once their dinner
is served, he will also eat what is on his plate. His little body has no choice but to turn those extra
calories into fat. Once hes done eating, he will be too tired or full to work it off.
The same thing can happen to us. We have a small snack before dinner. We eat all of
dinner, because its just satisfying to finish the plate. Once were finished, were too full to work
out so we promise ourselves well do it later. Then later comes and were just too comfortable so
it never happens. Little things like these each day become a slippery slope to obesity that can be

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easily avoided. Obesity is just a curse that can be easily reversed with a healthy diet and the right
amount daily exercise.

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Works Cited
Ablow, Keith. Obesity is not a disease and neither is alcoholism. Fox News. 20 June 2013.
Web. 11 Dec. 2014
Carey Rossi. Is Obesity A Disease? Prevention News. Web. 9 Dec. 2014
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity: Halting the Epidemic by Making Health
Easier. cdc.gov. 26 May 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2014
Ferdman, Roberto A. Americans are falling out of love with restaurants in 3 charts. The
Washington Post. 12 Nov 2014. Web. 12 Dec 2014
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. S.v. "disease." Web. 8 Dec. 2014
Gunderman, Richard. Is Obesity Really a Disease? The Atlantic. 24 June 2013. Web. 12 Dec
2014
Herold, Laurel. High BMI Might Mean a Longer Life. Eat Up? Health Talk. University of
Minnesota. 17 Jan 3013. Web 11 Dec. 2014
John McKenzie. Food Portion Sizes Have Grown A Lot. abcNEWS. 21 Jan 2003. Web 10
Dec. 2014
Levy, Jenna. Mississippians Most Obese, Montanans Least Obese. Gallup. 4 Mar. 2014. Web.
8 Dec. 2014
The New (Ab)Normal: Portion Sizes Today vs. In The 1950s. Huffpost Healthy Living. 23 May
2012. Web. 10 Dec 2014

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OConnor, Frances. Obesity and the Media. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2009.
Print
Parker-Pope, Tara. "Less Active at Work, Americans Have Packed on Pounds." Well. The New
York Times, 25 May 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
ProCon.org. "Obesity ProCon.org" ProCon.org. 19 Sep. 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014
Rettner, Rachael. Is Obesity a Disease? Doctors Debate. MyHealthNewsDaily. 27 June 2012.
Web. 8 Dec. 2014
Spector, Dina. "Warning: The Following Breakfast Cereals Contain More Sugar Than a
Twinkie." Business Insider., 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
United States Department of Agriculture. How Many Can I Have? ChooseMyPlate.gov. Web. 9
Dec. 2014