Free «It’s not our Fault We’re Fat» Essay Sample

Introduction

The article “It’s not our Fault We’re Fat” (Waddle 2004) discusses one of the most topical dilemmas of the contemporary world – the obesity problem. The author links general facts in the scope of concern with personal experience. Furthermore, the provided evidence should be apparently considered a significant proof to confirm the exceptional urgency of the outlined problem.

Background

Waddle (2004) provides evidence in terms of the outlined problematic phenomenon by means of description of the current situation in her family: she is a mother of three overweight children in Australia who is willing to help the children to lose the weight by means of healthy diet, but is opposed by the evil impact of fast food advertising. The problem of obesity is a very urgent one. The same stance is supported in the article Six in 10 Overweight and the Box is to Blame (2003). The author confesses that she is incapable of resisting the wishes of her children, and at the same time Waddle (2004) considers the following: “As their mother I worry constantly about the health problems that could result from my children’s obesity. But at 130 kgs I am hardly in the position to criticize them.” The author underlines the significance of governmental impact upon this problem.

Analysis and Discussion

Waddle (2004) states the first argument in the following way: the innocent activity of her children such as watching TV turns out to impact them significantly in terms of junk food permanent advertising. While it is true that the television and advertising campaigns affect our lifestyle significantly, not everyone thinks that way. It is apparent that we are constantly influenced by different outer phenomena, but finally we are free to make our choice. Therefore, the TV should not be regarded as the direct reason of the phenomenon of obesity, but as a crucial influential factor.

The second significant point the author makes is the necessity of provision of the healthy diet for the children, but underlines their strong resistance reaction. It may be true that healthy food is rarely welcomed by the children. However, it is possible to make it tasty and sufficiently appealing even for the children by means of delicious and creative recipes as well as by referring to the authoritative opinion.

The third argument made by Waddle (2004) refers to the urgent necessity of governmental policy introduction that is targeted at outlaw status applied for the fast food advertising campaigns. The author is absolutely right in making the following statement: “Children are the future of the nation, and the government should put their interests before the commercial interests of a morally bankrupt food industry.” (Waddle 2004). It is evident that the absence of junk food advertisements on the television or at least its decrease will influence the attitude of the children and their consequent choice of food. Actually, it is a crucial point of the whole discussion, but the author should also realize that children should be influenced by the parents in order to learn proper and relevant behavioral patterns as well as crucial values and priorities.

Conclusion

Although, it may sometimes be true that it is difficult to resist children’s wishes as well as oppose evil and destructive impact of television, but this is not always the case. Children should be educated and persuaded, not resisted and opposed. Therefore, the change should start in the family (on the local level) and should be supported in more global dimension (by governmental resolutions concerning outlaw status of the junk food advertisements). Thus, the responsibility for their future is equally distributed between their parents and the government.