Obesity Debate Essay Example for Free

fleshiness Debate EssayIn the five section article, Rethinking Weight by Amanda Spake, the cause outlines the conflict surrounding whether corpulency classifies as a disease. Spake discusses the prevalence of obesity in the States and sheds light on the motif that obesity may contain genetic roots. The article continues with the causes insights into whether weight or fitness retains the most importance. Spake concludes the article with thoughts on the growing concern of indemnification reporting and obesity word. The author claims that At the heart of this obesity epidemic is a regard over whether obesity is a biological disease and should be treated like any other life-threatening sickness cancer, heart disease or whether it is simply a risk factor for these killers (282). Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obe sity as a disease, but Spake strays from the idea of obesity qualifying as a disease when she describes the role damages companies play when stipendiary for obesity treatment.The article begins with a narrative account of Maria Pfisterer. Spake uses Maria Pfisterers tier to reveal the struggles obesity and dieting inflict upon a soulfulness. According to the author, Pfisterers many assay diets, in terms of weight All resulted in a little lost and more regained, which supports the idea of weight and dieting inflicting a constant burden in the lives of many Americans (282). Spake also included in the story of Pfisterers weight battle the idea that no matter how hard Pfisterer tried to turn a loss weight or what method Pfisterer thought to try, the weight never permanently disappeargond, which in turn supports the idea of obesity being more than just a physical ailment.The author also discusses the possible treatment of gastric bypass surgery for Pfisterer, which remains unavail able to Pfisterer due to the high personify and specific criteria an single must possess in order to receive the surgery. The narrative story provides an appeal to emotions by presentation one womans struggle with weight and the effect that struggle embodies in Pfisterers life. The story also provides a persuasive element, influencing a want for Pfisterer to achieve her personal weight goals.The author pinpoints a persons biology and psychological state as possible factors in the development of obesity. Xavier Pi-Sunyer from the Obesity Research Center at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital suggests obesity is a biologically determined process (282). umpteen weight researchers also believe that obesity is controlled by a powerful biological system of hormones, proteins, neurotransmitters, and genes that stick fat storage and body weight and tell the brain when, what, and how much to eat (284). Rudolph Leibel, a capital of South Carolina University geneticist, also states, I believe th ere are strong genetic factors that determine susceptibility to obesity (285).The given beliefs demonstrate how obesity qualifies as more than a personal decision. A persons biology resists changes therefore, the idea of obesity as a biological condition contains validity for Spakes claim. The author also includes Brian Wansinks perspective, obesity is not just biology its psychology (286). The brain plays a key role in how obesity operates differently in individuals. The author continues to explain how, psychologically, obese individuals stand firm no control over the eating habits the overweight display. Spakes inclusion of biological and psychological ideas presented by reliable professionals persuades critical audiences to agree with the authors claim.Scientific research also plays a dissolve in the obesity debate. Spake uses a variety of logos and ethos information to support the claim of the ongoing debate over the classification of obesity. The article incorporates the use of statistics from various studies on weight and obesity to solidify the authors beliefs. The author gives a shocking statistic that A majority of Americansnow 64 shareare overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health (282).A employment done of twins showed that 20 to 70 percent of weight issues developed through inheritance. Another take in conducted by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions stated, the nation is spending about $75 billion a year on weight-related disease (283). Spake even includes the statistic saying that, Simply eating with one other person increases the average amount eaten at meals by 44 percent, which refers to the psychological aspect of obesity (286). The authors use of statistical information provides a strong backing for Spakes claim about the obesity debate.Although not officially categorized as a disease, some organizations in society already run obesit y as a disease. Spake chooses to include examples of situations in society where obesity may already pass over similar characteristics to a disease. The diseases that result from excessive amounts of weight embody a prominent situation draw by the author. Almost 80 percent of obese adults have one of these conditions, and nearly 40 percent have two or more, Spake suggests when referring to diseases, such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, and high cholesterin that relate to the presence of obesity.Another example the author mentions confirms that, The WHO has listed obesity as a disease in its International Classification of Disease since 1979. Spake raises concern as to why obesity still remains unsorted as an official disease when large quantities of overweight individuals contract other diseases due to the affliction of obesity and when a substantial organization already includes obesity in a database of diseases. Another statistic included in the discussion reads About 325,00 0 deaths a year are attributed to obesity (283). This shocking statistic sparks the question of why obesity lacks the definition of a disease even further.However, the author strays from her claim when amends problems come into the article. Bringing the payoff of insurance into the discussion provides no backing for any of the authors claim. Spake chose to incorporate that The health insurance industry argues that obesity treatmentscant be covered (287).The claim refers to whether obesity classifies as a disease, not the effect of insurance coverage on those affected by obesity. Also, the author included that the costof treatment and health insurance will escalate (288). The price tag of treatment and rising insurance costs gives no support to the debate of obesity classifying as a disease that Spake claims as the inclination of the article. The inclusion of the insurance debacle distracts from the key issues the article puts forth, leaving readers to question the main idea of th e article.In summation, Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the claim when she describes the role of insurance companies in paying for obesity treatment.Works CitedSpake, Amanda. Rethinking Weight. Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Comp. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 285-88. Print.