The American media has distorted our perception of health. We have been force fed images of thin, idealized bodies, yet live in a society where food is literally within reach at all times. We are criticized for becoming a society of overweight individuals, and then foolishly sold the empty promises of diet trends. Clearly, there is no reason to wonder why uttering the word “FAT” is practically taboo.
The message that the media is sending to the American public is ubiquitous, inescapably ever-present in our society. Just pick up any magazine and skim through the images within. It is nearly impossibly to find a picture of a person with even the slightest amount of extra meat. Turn on the television or go to the movies and the same slender depictions abound. We, in turn, are trained to worship an impossible body frame that may actually be more unhealthy than healthy. Furthermore, we have no choice but to believe that a thin appearance is the answer to wellbeing when, in actuality, there isn’t much correlation at all. According to health specialist and author of Fear of Fat, Laura Fraser, an hour of exercise three times a week and a healthy diet mean more than a couple ounces of fat. Fraser insists a little extra skin does not equate to poor health, and “weight obsession is a fate far worse than love handles.” (Read more about this topic on CommuniKATE)
Simultaneously, America is experiencing a health crisis that our media incessantly blasts loud and clear. Public health authorities assert, “no less than four of every five Americans maintain a medically dangerous body mass, [with] nearly two-thirds of us…said to be overweight, [and] almost half of the rest of the nation…categorized as too thin” (Campos). According to a report released in April 2010 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, forty five percent of all adults had at least one of three chronic conditions: diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia, related to poor diet and exercise habits (Tuttle). Not to mention, our hard earned tax dollars go towards the aid of such domestic health issues. As Newsweek recently reported, “[o]besity accounts for nearly 10 percent of what the U.S. spends annually on health care and is linked to about one third of the increase in domestic health spending since the mid-1980s” (“We have the power…”). Meaning, even if you aren’t obese, you’re paying for everyone else that is.
Honestly though, how are we to blame for an obesity epidemic when food is readily available at all times? Even gas stations sell something to satisfy the stomach. What is more, unhealthy food is the most affordable. Not to mention, “everything in America is set up to eat more and move less’” (Miller). Portion sizes have grown while technological devices now enabled us to do anything we could ever want with the touch of a button. Why chase a soccer ball when you can do so virtually on your laptop? The media doesn’t make avoiding such temptations any easier, plastering food advertisements on billboard left and right and airing McDonalds radio commercials every five minutes. I will be the first to say, it is hard to think of anything BUT food.
This sense of disarray has left American’s desperate for a solution and in turn, transformed the diet industry into a billion dollar business. Companies sell everything and anything, from pills to books, promising to whittle down the waistline. Yet media promotions of such short cuts to weight loss give society nothing but false hope. In fact, on October 23, 2010, latimes.com announced that the FDA rejected a newly proposed weight loss drug, Lorcaserin, intended to “work on the brain to alter metabolism and appetite.” Apparently, when further tested, Lorcaserin raised concerns regarding “marginal effectiveness” and increased chances of cancerous growth. According the Times report, the FDA, more often than not, shuts down diet drugs for similar reasons of false promises and health risks. However, even if such drugs were indeed effective, studies have shown that, “95% of dieters who take off the weight pack it back on after five years or less” (Miller). To date there proves to be no easy way out of proper nutrition, modest caloric intake, and good old fashion exercise. Sadly, the media is selling us a solution that’s only further fueling the issue and encouraging society to take shortcuts when addressing personal wellbeing.
Unfortunately, America’s solution won’t come in the shape of a pill. Its answer lies in our ability to create an environment that fosters good health habits. Simultaneously, it is the media’s responsibility to promote such changes. It is time to do away with unrealistically thin images and weight loss drug advertisements.
(Haven’t tobacco ads been outlawed for similar health risk reasons?) Pills and diet “secrets” are nothing but empty promises. The answer to weight loss remains a balance between exercise and healthy food consumption. We must make a concerted effort to eat more vegetables and find a form of exercise we actually enjoy doing. We need to embrace the “journey” of a healthy lifestyle, instead of focusing on an easy way out.
Campos, Paul. "Why America's Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health."
Not Alone. 2004. Web. 30 Oct 2010. <http://www.enotalone.com/article/6358.html>.
"FDA shoots down another weight loss drug." Los Angeles Times 23 OCT 2010: n.
pag. Web. 30 Oct 2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/23/nation/la-na-weight-loss-lorcaserin-20101024>.
Fraser, Laura. "Fear of Fat." Fair (1997): n. pag. Web. 30 Oct 2010.
<http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1388>.
Miller, Martin. "Feeding our diet obsession." Los Angeles Times 05 MAY 2003: n.
pag. Web. 30 Oct 2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/2003/may/05/health/he-diet5>.
Tuttle, Steve. "I Was a Male Weight Watcher." Newsweek 30 APR 2010: n. pag. Web.
30 Oct 2010. <http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/30/i-was-a-male-weight-watcher.html>.
"We Have the Power to Change Our Weight." Newsweek 10 SEP 2009: n. pag. Web.
30 Oct 2010. <http://www.newsweek.com/2009/09/09/we-have-the-power-to-change-our-weight.html>.
I think many people know, deep down, that regular exercise and a healthy diet are the foolproof methods of weight loss. However, many Americans let themselves be fooled by these "miracle-diet" gimmicks, so they can feel like they're actively doing something about their obesity while sitting on their butts. People are constantly looking for the easy way out, and I think that says a lot about our culture. Where did the ethics of the hard-working America go?
ReplyDeleteAlso, advancements in technology can work TOWARDS more activity and exercise for Americans. Devices such as Wii Fit and Diet Generators pave the way for a healthier America.
I totally agree with what you are saying about the media's portrayal of beauty standards. I just blogged about the new show Mike and Molly and how controversial the show has become because the two stars of the show (and the premise of the show) revolves around obesity. I think you are right to suggest that the only way such standards can be changed are if the advertising of the diet pills etc are stopped. It seems like you can't go anywhere without being told something about food, dieting or something of the like.
ReplyDelete