The Diet Pill And Supplement Craze

One of the biggest goals Americans today set for themselves is to lose weight. It is a quest which many seek out and never reach. The twentieth century has brought about many changes in the world, but it has also brought about many self image problems. With waif-thin models walking the runway, and anorexic fourteen year olds as our role models it is not a wonder. Many young and older women are feeling threatened to fit this particular image.

As obesity escalates towards becoming an epidemic in modern day America, pressures to stay fit have become overwhelming from media and doctors. Mary Ray Worley, a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), believes that modern day society is completely intolerant of obesity so much as to say that they "would rather die or cut off a limb than be fat" (492). She has made it a priority to convince Americans to accept obesity which she fights for in her essay, Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance. She believes that people should not be ashamed of their bodies, or try to change them to fit in with the crowd. She discusses a new outlook on body image and believes that we all should create “a new relationship

In the documentary “Fed Up” presented by Katie Couric and Laurie David they focus on the fabrications presented by the food industry in regards of creating healthier choices for the public. According to the documentary 2 out of 3 Americans are either overweight or obese, and it is surpassing cancer rates (Fed Up, 2014). In order to address the problem health professionals recommend their patients that in order to lose weight they must exercise and eat less. It is a simple solution to a condition that is greatly stigmatized by society. This documentary argues that eating less and exercise will not guarantee weight loss in individuals.

In this paper, I will discuss the article, “Differential Effects of a Body Image Exposure Session on Smoking Urge Between Physically Active and Sedentary Female Smokers,” and the different variables of this study, such as sample sizes, population, and treatments. I will also discuss the inferential statistics used in the article and if the proper steps of hypothesis testing were followed. What the researchers were trying to actually determine, what specific concepts were applied in testing the hypothesis, what exactly the assumptions and limitations are of the study, and how the authors applied the statistical testing. Finally, I will discuss what the findings were

Obesity has become an epidemic across the United States. Americans have continued to gain weight, increasing the amount of people that are considered obese by millions every few years. More and more experts have come to a consensus: weight needs to be addressed and changed in America. Many experts, however, have not found a way to completely solve this problem at large. In the article, “Rethinking Weight”, senior writer Amanda Spake directs attention to the barriers our society has built for obesity treatment. Through this attention, it becomes evident these barriers have developed from the changing ideals in our society. Roberta Seid, a lecturer at the University of Southern California, argues in “Too “Close to the Bone”: The Historical Context for Women’s Obsession with Slenderness” how our body ideals have changed the way our society views obesity. Both authors emphasize the problem our society faces with obesity becoming an epidemic, and how that needs to be changed so our society can live happier and healthier lives. Although both authors are achieving the same point, Spake concludes that obesity has stemmed from pharmaceutical problems and biological factors, while Seid holds that obesity has come from the changing fashion and body ideals in our society. By reading both articles in conjunction, it becomes clear that the root of this problem is our societal issues, obesity has become an epidemic because of the way our society neglects obesity from all aspects.

The pressure to lose weight in today’s society inhibits the personality and health of overweight people while essentially increasing the weight of the people who experience these pressures (Worley 163-167). So reasons Mary Ray Worley in her article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.” Worley uses her personal experience as well as a small number of facts to dispute why overweight people struggle as they attempt to contribute to society (163-167). In the beginning of her article she references an association of which she is a member, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, to convey the possibilities to advance society when judgement based on size is abandoned (163-164). The association holds a conference every year, and Worley continually refers to the atmosphere at the convention as “another planet,” suggesting that the scarcity of judgment during the convention differed significantly from her everyday experiences (163-164, 167). Applying her encounters to all people of her weight category, she declares that even doctors blame the majority of sicknesses on weight (165). She also proclaims that people should not diet and exercise in order to lose weight, as this triggers loss of motivation without results, but to improve their attitude and mood (166). Referencing Dr. Diane Budd from the convention, she states that attempts to lose weight cause “lasting harmful effects on one’s appetite, metabolism, and self-esteem” (164). While Worley’s unjustifiable

Based on background information, a central hypothesis was developed that obesity is an ongoing, gendered and embodied cultural process that has harmful consequences for the obese individual (e.g. Harjunen, 2002&2003). The various social implications of obesity will be explored via interviews (with obese people or former obese people) conducted and the surveys taken of people in the Boston area.

Trebilcock apparently assumes that advertisements for diet pills are misleading. He acknowledge that in reality, there are so many harmful effects that come along with ingesting these diet pills that these companies are trying to get customers to buy. Trebilock insist that diet pill companies should not be able to make money off of something that can harm an individual’s body. Diet pills that are being advertised all over should not be consumed, sold, or even made. He reaffirm that these diet pills should be illegal and they should be banned. The sources that Trebilock uses in his article are sources from recent years. He recently published his article 5 years ago and that is good sources that can help me establish how long this problem has

All around the globe, individuals experience the ill effects of attempting to inspire other individuals and themselves with self-perception. The larger part of individuals get things done to enhance their self-perception. They attempt to change their appearance and individual character by attempting to awe people in general. “The Search for the Perfect Body”, written Mary Walters Riskin provides a substantial amount of vivid illustrations that depict the reality of life. we hear a considerable measure about the many sorts of dietary problems and how it is influencing today's general public. Individuals get things done to change their appearance without themselves notwithstanding recognizing what is happening, because of the way that self-perception

When you think of smoking a cigarette or any other Tabaco product what is the first thing that comes to mind? In all likely hood you are probably thinking about gunk, coughing, wheezy lungs, or even death. If I were to ask you that same question about having sex without a condom, what would come to mind? HIV, STD’s, nasty thoughts, and so on and so forth. Now what if I asked you about a milkshake? You’re probably thinking scrumptious, tasty, and very satisfying. The reality is consuming items in the same category as milkshakes (fried foods, fatty foods, high preservative concertations) in high volumes overtime can cause high blood pressure, hypertension, and even heat disease which is the number one killer of all human beings. There are numerous reasons why America is having an obesity crisis, in fact by the year 2030 it is expected that nearly 51% of all adults will not only be overweight but actually considered obese. This is not just an issue in the United States, but throughout the world obesity numbers are skyrocketing up the charts. The top 5 reasons for obesity rates are genetics/cultural practices, aggressive food based marketing, in adequate physical activity, age, and lack of easy access to healthy foods. Weight gain in America and throughout the world is at an all-time high, but before we can stop the issue we must first understand why it is happening.

As a nation, we have become complacent with our overweight and obese lifestyle. We view excessive weight as normal, and those individuals not carrying extra pounds are deemed underweight or thin. While our senses may be fooled, the risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke rise exponentially with

The American author and nutritionist, Adelle Davis claims that, “To say that obesity is caused merely consuming too many calories is like saying that the only cause for American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party.” Over the years, obesity has gotten to the level of an epidemic problem. The state of overweight is the cause for over a thousand deaths every year. Most teenagers and adults are the targets for shown characteristics of obesity or overweight. Also, the increasing fatness in one’s system initiates health issues, and elevates insecurities for women and men. For example, one can get diabetes due to obesity, others have circulatory and muscular issues because the body cannot hold all of the overweight. Dove, well-known brand for its great female products and making women feel special and secure, is promoting the idea that all one’s imperfections are what makes that person beautiful inside and out. Television is one of the first lasting impressions that one gets of how a women or men should look, which creates stereotypes in body shape. Schools are an area where one can see overweight populations and how students laugh at their imperfections as humans. Bullying is also a problem for overweight people, for it makes them feel like they do not belong to this culture. As shown, being overweight has gained popularity for its traumatic issue in the United States and the many ways it has evolved and impacted society. Teens and adults living in the United States have a

Today, America is facing an epidemic that drains its economy and annihilates the health of its citizens, obesity. In the eyes of the average American, being overweight may seem like an issue with no effect on anything except for a rise of burger sales and an increased chance of diabetes, but this epidemic causes catastrophic events unseen by the public. Firstly, corpulence effects ⅓ of the U.S. population, leaving the other ⅔ in the category of being overweight, double the amount since the early 1970s, stated by Ross A. Hammond and Ruth Levine in “The Economic Impact of Obesity in the United States.” In addition to the effects of obesity in the everyday lives of the U.S.’ citizens, Obesity is next to if not deadlier than tobacco, which claims

Statistical information confirms: obesity and overweight have already turned into an issue of national concern. In 2002, “a National Survey conducted by American Sports Data revealed that 61% of adults in the U.S. felt that they were overweight, 19% admitting that they were ‘considerably’ overweight” (American Sports Data). The major causes of obesity, overweight, and similar nutritional problems included genetics, population trends, hurried lifestyles, high-carbohydrate diets, less demanding workplaces, smoking cessation, and social class aspects (American Sports Data). That hurried lifestyles and a less demanding workplace contribute in the development of obesity trends is clear. But even more importantly, because the number of those who are overweight or obese exceeds one half of the American population, the government must control our diets. The information about the costs of obesity and related diseases is even more compelling.

Today 's society is constantly presented with misrepresentations of the ideal body image through the advertising of diet plans and supplements. Companies in the fitness industry scam people into buying useless products or services by advertising with individuals that have, what the mass media sees as, the 'perfect ' body composition. In addition to getting consumers to buy into a product or service, these companies also aid society with the spreading of this fake idea of what classifies as the perfect body. They portray a body image that is unattainable for most individuals in society, despite how many of those supplements being advertised they buy. The models used in these advertisements, are in most cases, starving themselves, enhanced via illegal substances, or are photo-shopped to the point where even they do not look like the model displayed in the ad. All this has led to many people wanting to strive for that perfect body, that in reality, is impossible to achieve. In order to show the affect these advertisements play in our society, I will be deconstructing multiple ads in the fitness industry, as well as multiple peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles centered around the impact media has on an individual 's self-image.