In America, most people believe that obesity and other related conditions such as diabetes is a real problem but are not certain about what the government's role is towards addressing this issue. Obesity results in people suffering from various health issues including hypertension, high blood pressure and also type 2 diabetes all of which result in increased healthcare cost and poor health. Most people believe that the government is fully responsible and should play a significant role in reducing obesity. This was strengthened through a survey conducted on 2,003 adults whereby 67% were of the idea of restaurants including the calorie counts for their menus. 31% were of the idea of limiting sugary drinks whereas 67% tended to oppose that idea. Also, there was to be a ban on the ads of unhealthy foods on TV and also taxation of foods that were unhealthy ( Novak and Brownell, 2012).
According to Deborah Cohen, the author of A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It , the writer claims that if fast foods were not that readily available i.e. soft drinks, fatty and sugary foods, the occurrence of obesity and other heart diseases could be unheard of. She argues that despite many people being educated, what is needed is some regulations by the government ( Novak and Brownell, 2012).
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On the other hand, trying to mitigate obesity is also a personal responsibility and individuals are required to observe proper dietary measures. Being obese is a question of the lifestyle of any person and how much exercises people take and the amount of food they consume. Obesity comes as a result of several factors such as the calorie equation whereby if the body is not able to burn all the excesses calories, they get stored in the adipose tissue hence enlarging the fat cells. It is upon an individual to burn these calories by way of exercising or decreasing the amounts of calorie intake. Genetic influences may also contribute towards your weight in that they affect the level of appetite, body-fat metabolism and also the tendency to eat more to cope with stress (Harvard Health Publishing, 2009). It is upon people to understand the role of their genes so that they can cope with weight problems.
In conclusion, I believe that the problem of obesity cannot be controlled by personal responsibility alone but rather requires a mix of individual responsibility and government intervention. The government needs to intervene by imposing some regulations on particular types of foods people eat by way of taxing more for instance and increase awareness campaigns on the benefits of proper eating and exercise habits and also on the negative effects of obesity ( Novak and Brownell, 2012). Conversely, personal responsibility is key in that people are required to exercise more often and eat more healthily while understanding their body metabolism therefore knowing what works for them and what doesn’t. This mix of personal responsibility and government intervention will help manage the condition.
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, October 11). Why people become overweight - Harvard Health. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-people-become-overweight
Novak N. and Brownell K. (2012). Role of Policy and Government in the Obesity Epidemic, AHA Journals Vol 126, Issue 6. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.037929
