Obesity not world’s long-term problem

Arwen Hernandez
Sociology 202-02
Current Event 2
August 24, 2006
Summary
“You can never be too rich or too slim.” In the majority
of the “rich” countries development, the mark of
development showed up the wealthier class first. Being
able to afford food showed in the increase of obesity in
places like England or America. Of course now, the obese
in these first world countries are generally regulated to
the lower and middle classes. The excess eating of fast
processed foods due to urbanization is the cause. Unlike
these countries, the underdeveloped ones are now
experiencing obesity but it is hitting the lower to middle
classes first. Mexicans are now as fat as Americans.
Places like Kuwait, Thailand, and Tunisia’s populations are
25 to 50 percent more obese. In other countries it is
mostly the women that have achieved the classification of
obese. For example, South African and Egyptian both fall
into this category. Not only is obesity blooming in the
lower classes but this is happening at a much earlier point
in their development. This is due to the urbanization that
causes a shift in diet. Predominately the shift between
rural and urban diets that is being seen in a large number
of countries around the globe. Another factor is that
global warming is going to effect what agricultural,
healthy, regions we have left. Eventually obesity will
really become the norm. Cheap fats and sweeteners are
becoming more and more prevalent.
Response
“Obesity is the norm globally (…).” It is a widely known
fact that Americans are reputed to be the most obese
nation. Apparently we are not alone in this anymore.
Obesity is attacking all corners of the globe. A large
significance of obesity becoming a globally renowned
disease is the consequences or byproducts. Obesity does
not act alone. Obesity related diseases follow in its
footsteps. The increase of diabetes and heart failure has
already begun to take notice in Kuwait, Thailand, and
Tunisia. The fact that obesity is now out numbering the
starving is absolutely ridiculous. The urbanization, the
rapid urbanization of these under developing countries has
caused third and second world countries to achieve the
position to bring in processed and fast foods. This is a
direct cause, in excess, of obesity. According to Dyer,
“higher incomes, mass marketing of processed foods, and
work patterns involving much less physical labor” is caused
directly by urbanization. The impact of this rapid
urbanization will cause more and more nations to be overrun
with obesity and with the diseases it causes. There are
some options any nation can take, promoting health
consciousness and making healthier foods cheaper and easier
to access. This however would bring food sales down and no
country wants that.
Dyer, Gwynne. “Obesity not world’s long-term problem.”
North Bay Nugget(Ontario) (2006): A6. LexisNexis. UNC Greensboro Lib., Greensboro, NC. 24 August 2006.
http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2084/universe/document?_m=f037d49592f134dbb697e6ecd459af57&_docnum=17&wchp=dGLzVlz-zSkVA&_md5=de2883e0610f5d32d2227d3488ca582e