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Problems of Obesity
Over the last two decades, the rate of obesity has amplified drastically in the United States and other nations. Over 60 percent of the diverse population in the respective country is overweight aged between 20 and 74 years. Additionally, approximately 30 percent of this particular population group is considered obese. Matching trends evidenced among children as well as adolescents assert that the health concerns that tend to arise out of obesity may actually contribute to serious health complications during stages of adulthood. Following this, obesity is connected to a number of comorbidities that are currently part of the major public health concerns facing most healthcare providers presently. Such concerns comprise hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, as well as disparate types of cancers, specifically, prostate, colon, and breast cancers. The reason mainly attributed to this conundrum comprises the overconsumption of foodstuffs high in calories, specifically, sugar-sweetened soft drinks or beverages.
Overview of the Obesity Problem
Most of the foodstuffs that Americans consume are laden with fats and carbohydrates. This is attributable to the explosion of fast food restaurants throughout the country. Eateries such as McDonalds, Subway, and Burger King have asserted considerable dominance within this particular market due to their low prices and highly affordable ‘junk’ food, which is specifically popular among most young Americans. Shockingly, adults have also become a part of this worrying trend based on the statistics, which indicate that persons between 20 and 74 years are actually overweight. However, with the manner in which fast food is widespread, it is nearly impossible to assert restrictive measures that control consumption. In this case, strategies dedicated to the reduction of the obesity problem can focus on controlling the consumption of sugary sweetened beverages, which are simpler and may be effective.
The Reason for Obesity
In respect to insufficient clarity concerning the matter, the weight of epidemiologic and experimental proof depicts that a considerable consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks corresponds with obesity and significant weight gain. Presently, the problem of obesity is seen as a derivative or an outcome of the increased consumption of these respective beverages, specifically carbonated soft drinks. The beverages are potentially the key contributing facets towards the predicament of obesity because of their high additional sugar content, reduced saturation, and ineffective recompense for energy. For the past 30 years, the rise in obesity has been connected to the rise in carbohydrate ingestion, chiefly correlated with the ingestion of added sugars within soft drinks. Moreover, further studies indicate that sugar-based beverages maintain a low satiety potential in contrast to solid food. As such, they are more likely to contribute to the obesity food faster if compared to fast foods.
The Proposed Solution
With the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks on the rise, it is necessary to implement solutions that curb the issue. Controlling the rising trends in which such beverages are easily consumable among large populations will establish a significant course of action against the drastic concerns of obesity. The best alternative in this case involves the establishment of a ban that restricts sellers of the respective product from availing the drinks in large quantities. Within the last two years, several states and their municipalities have adopted similar measures in an effort to reduce rising instances of obesity in the country. For instance, the city of New York managed to implement a statute that restricts the sale of sweetened beverages that are larger than 16 ounces in public areas such as sports arenas, restaurants, food carts, and movie theaters. The Sugary Drinks Portion Cap Rule limited the size of soft drinks in order to reduce the quantity of beverage consumed by individuals.
Justification for the Proposed Solution
One of the justifications associated with the establishment of the proposal is attributed to the health risks that such beverages create if consumed regularly. Currently, a 12-ounce carbonated soft drink contains over 40 grams of sweeteners especially in high-fructose syrups. This is equal to approximately 10 sugar teaspoons. Based on the numbers, the consumption of sugar-based beverages especially in large quantities contributes to high rates of obesity due to high intake of calories. Hence, in this case, reducing the size of the beverages to an acceptable size reduces the risk of attaining obesity for most persons within the respective age group. Another justifiable factor associated with the proposed solution involves the actual complications that arise from such lifestyle choices. Accordingly, further consumption of sugar-based beverages exposes persons to complications, specifically type 2 diabetes, which has been attributed to overconsumption or high ingestion of sugars.
Defense and Conclusion
Conclusively, the proposal to reduce the quantity of sugar-sweetened soft drinks may function as an ideal strategy against increasing rates of obesity within the country. Following the examples of cities such as New York, other municipalities and states can focus on applying similar solutions that restrict considerable ingestion of sugars and calories. Even though the sensitization of the obesity problem has managed to raise awareness of the issue via advertising and promotional campaigns, increases in sugar-laden beverage consumption show a resilience against the expected impact of the respective strategies. In this case, the implementation of policy proposals aimed at lessening the content or amount of sugar-based beverages works against the concerns of obesity considerably.