Obesity Government Regulation

No matter how they are described, the truth is America’s children are fat. More government regulation is not the answer to the obesity epidemic because the government has already done a lot. Still there are many programs out there, but depends if the people follow it. It also is a personal matter that cannot be fixed by others. This is a problem that can be resolved by the people who are obese. Obese people need to start having confidence and courage about losing weight on their own now. How much more can the government do? There are many programs out there for them to try out. Families should be supporting their loved ones and watching what they eat. Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his
or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. Obesity has been a problem throughout the years within young children. Parents do not realize that they have been irresponsible in their duties as caregivers, society’s most innocent people, the children, are suffering.
No one can say that the government has not done anything because they have actually done a lot to help out.
Taxes on sugared beverages had no real difference on the consumption or on obesity for children. They had a small effect, but only on those who had came from a family with low income (“Study: Small Soda Taxes n.pag.). First Lady, Michelle Obama got a standing ovation because she seemed to harangue food producers about improving their labels, making their foods more nutritious for people. As you can see, she cares a lot about this obesity problem in America and is doing whatever she can to make things better (Tennant 2). A beverage tax was adopted in West Virginia and Arkansas, which unfortunately, had no effect. Soft drinks have obesity rates highest in nation. Not a single food or beverage is responsible for obesity because it depends how much an individual decides to consume (F. Jacobson 2). “The Rand study confirms that small taxes on soda don’t reduce obesity, and offers no evidence that larger taxes would do any better” (qtd. in “Study: Small Soda Taxes
2). Many programs have been set out for people who are overweight and need help. Now that the programs are out there it is time for the people to start working on their health issues. Michelle Obama has been doing a lot from her side by having a campaign called “Let’s Move” and putting more government regulations (Tennant 2). Having an active lifestyle is great. With more than 6 billion Coca-Cola company helping the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Remind women about the importance of staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. This shows that they are taking a step towards obesity…”Exercise is Medicine” (F. Jacobsen 3). The issue over obesity is a personal matter.
It is something that can be resolved by the people now because everyone else are doing their part with campaigns and programs. Parents are very important to children who are overweight. These kids need to have parents who can encourage them and help them gain confidence. If parents do not do anything to help their children, then they aren’t going to get them anywhere. Children would not do anything, but to sit, watch television, and get more unhealthy (Pitman and Kaufman 144). There are many people out there who want to lose weight because they know they will feel good about it. Unfortunately, their excuse is that it seems to them that there’s never enough time in a busy day (F. Jacobsen 2). The spokesman for the beverage association, Christopher Gindlesperge, has said, “Taxes don’t work. What does work is a balancing diet and exercise” (“Study: Small Soda Taxes” 2). What Christopher has said is absolutely correct. They need to begin to protect their children from the evils of junk food and harms of laziness, to decrease the victim count by being knowledgeable about what their children are consuming, and to be proactive about encouraging
activity. The government has been doing their job by having programs out their for people who are obese. It’s time for the people to their job. Isn’t a parent by definition someone who cares about a child? How better to show that care than by guaranteeing your child a future free from illness, fatigue, and depression. I think one role they could play is to educate parents on how to properly feed their children and themselves. There is an abundance of ignorance when it comes to nutrition. I frankly am astounded at how little people in general know about how food reacts in the body, how many calories a person should consume to maintain a healthy weight and the importance of exercise in relation to overall health and fitness. Parents need to start focusing on what their children eat and help them!