Greg Critser offers very specific causes for, and solutions to the obesity problem in the United States in his article, "Let Them Eat Fat". He also argues that certain individuals are hurt more than others by the rise in obesity. Agreeing with Critser, there is a tremendous rise in obesity as he presents in various facts and figures and specific probable causes for the rise. He also presents the idea that obesity is directly correlated with social class along with the health risks and possible solutions to the problem plaguing our nation.
The rise in obesity is an issue in the United States, which has definitely not been unnoticed. It is not uncommon to turn on the nightly news and hear something about obesity and the immense increase in it. As I turned to CNN last night I saw a news article entitled, "Experts say the number of obese adults in the United States is rising. Now new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back them up". Critser addresses some of the statistics that we hear, although not heeding, for years now. "Twenty percent of all Americans are obese by current medical standards; at least 25 percent of all children under 19 are overweight or obese," claims Critser (42). The shocking obesity rate for Mexican-American children is 27 percent for girls ages 5 to 11, and 23 percent for boys in the same age bracket (43). With these figures it seems almost impossible to ignore this problem; however, as Critser acknowledges, this precise thing has apparently been done. Agreeing with the author, obesity has almost seemed to have become accepted as a problem that cannot be fixed or changed. Obesity is rising due to bad diet and lack of physical exercise. Diabetes, which is linked to obesity, is also rising. The number of adults worldwide who have diabetes has risen to 151 million. One might conclude that the rise can be blamed on our unhealthy lifestyles and the fact that many countries are adopting typical United States habits.
