Question

1. What do you feel is contributing to the epidemic of overweight children and adults here in the United States?

2. What role (if any) do you feel the government (local, state or federal) should play in helping curb this overweight issue?    (examples for comment might include limiting size of soft drinks sold, public schools menus, insurance paying or not paying for weight loss drugs or gastric bypass surgery, or any other idea you may have for discussion)

3. Any weight loss success stories you can share to provide support for those classmates whom may be struggling themselves or who may have love ones that are struggling?

Answer 1

1.     Obesity is one of the threats America faces today as obesity has crippled even children. There is an Eastern philosophy that propagates that Food is the medicine and medicine is food but today in America, traditional food cooked at home is very rare. The food cooked in the restaurants are oily, contain more fat and added flavours that quicken obesity.

Soft drinks along with junk food poses a great threat that governments have suggested the soft drinks manufacturers to label it as not suitable for children.

Technology has come to the forefront and made the children lazy as they stick with the gadgets. They also intake more calorie rich snacks that contribute to overweight. They have become couch potatoes.

Lack of physical activity has landed children as more unspent energy is saved inside the body which make children obese.

Academic stress also cause overweight as it changes the hormone levels in the body.

1.     Governments permit fast food chains to come into operation thus opening the doors wide. Although the companies say that they are complying with the food safety standards, they also add more flavours that becomes a slow poison over a period of time. Governments should act swiftly in banning these companies.

Food provided in the schools should match the home made standards in order to be less tasty but more healthy.

Governments should educate children on healthy living by providing awareness sessions on healthy food and benefits of healthy life.

If one eats normal quantity of food and healthy food that’s cooked at home with necessary ingredients and not tasty ingredients, they could save lots of struggle.

Governments should make play time compulsory, so that children will have enough physical activity.

Obesity should not be treated with medicine but with healthy life style that include healthy food, enough exercise and stress free academic environment.

1.     I had a friend who was overweight and his BMI was 38. He was admitted in the hospital but one of my friend’s dad suggested that he shouldn’t take medicine instead food that is cooked at home in small quantities, while spending 10 minutes in the thread mill for week one, 20 during week two thus gradually increasing the time and speed in the thread mill. He also requested my friend’s parents to support him and encourage him that he could do it. He also suggested him to try some breathing techniques to calm him down. After a month his BMI had come down to 36. This gave him lots of confidence and you wouldn’t believe, in six months’ time, he achieved 28 BMI. He continued to do it because he liked his new body that he was able to socialize and started to go to gym to tighten his body. He has got a six pack body now which he achieved in 2 years’ time. So if one is committed to work towards overweight, persevere and have a supporting environment, they could achieve this. Finally prevention is better than cure.