KyleMcKinley

APEnglishLanguageandComposition
Mr.Ring
9April2014
TheDutyofLegislationinLimitingObesity
ObesityisdefinedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionasaweightthatis
consideredunhealthyforagivenheight(DefiningOverweightandObesity,2012),whichcanbe
preciselydeterminedwithanindividualsbodymassindex,orBMI.Inrecentdecades,obesity
ratesinbothadultsandchildrenhaveskyrocketed(AdultObesityFacts,2014)in1985,nostates
hadanobesityrateof15percent.Asof2012,however,13stateshadanobesityprevalenceof
over30percent,andnotasinglestatewasbelow20percent.Asthistrendhasbecome
increasinglysevere,legislationhasbeguntobepassedbystateandfederallawmakersinan
attempttoslowthenationwideincreaseinobesityprevalence.Oftentimestheselawscomewith
acertainlevelofcontroversy,aswasthecasewithNewYorkCitysrecentlawattemptingto
preventthesaleofsweetenedbeveragesover16ounces(BBC,2012).Suchlawsattemptto
makethedecisiontoliveahealthylifestyleforthepopulation,anunconstitutionalextensionof
powerthatcannotbeutilized.DespitethefactthatobesityisanobviousprobleminAmerica
today,governmentcannotforcealifestylebypassinglegislationtothrusthealthyhabitsonthe
populationthepeoplemustdecideundertheirownfreewilltomakesmartchoices,withlimited
guidanceandencouragementprovidedbylegalmeasures.
Childhoodobesityratesdifferfromadultobesity,andhaveremainedthesameat
approximately17percentsince2003(ChildhoodObesityFacts,2014),perhapsduetolawsthat

providechildrenwithhealthieroptionsandencouragementtopursueahealthierlifestyle.Almost
everystateintheUnitedStateshasrulesandregulationsontheminimumrequiredphysical
activityonadailybasisandnutritionalvalueoffoodserved,althoughtheystillofferlesshealthy
optionsandthereforerefrainfromchoosingchildrensdietsforthem.Bystudyingand
comparingthelistofjuvenilehealthlaws(ObesityRelatedLegislation,2011)andarankingof
Americasmostobesestates(AdultObesityFacts,2014),itcanbeseenthatstateswithhigher
childobesityratestypicallydonotrequireasmuchactivityorofferasmanyhealthyoptionsas
stateswithlowerchildhoodobesityprevalence.Thismethodofencouraginghealthisafantastic
exampleofpositivereinforcement,andteachesindividualstobehealthyontheirownratherthan
takeawaytheirabilitytochoose.Itisespeciallybeneficialtoinstillthesegoodhabitsinchildren,
allowingthemtocarryhealthypracticesintoadulthoodandpassthemontotheirownoffspring.
Ontheotherhand,prevalenceofobesityinadultshasdrasticallyincreasedaschildhood
obesityrateshavedecreased.Lawsandlegislationpertainingtoadulthealthandnutritionhas
beennoticeablymorerestrictivethanlawspassedforchildrenratherthanputtingintoeffect
optionsandcreatingopportunitiesforadultstopracticehealthierchoices,lawstendtotryinstead
totakeawayunhealthyoptionsaltogether.TakeforexampletheaforementionedlawNewYork
CitysBoardofHealthattemptedtoenactthatrestrictsthesaleofsweetenedbeveragessuchas
soda(BBC,2012).Thebillwasquicklyprotestedbycitizenswhobelieveditwasunfairforthe
governmenttodecideforthepeoplewhatwasorwasnotfitforconsumption,despitethefact
thattherehasbeenclearevidencethatcarbonatedandsweetenedbeverageshaveadirectimpact
onunhealthyweights(SweetDrinksandObesity).NewYorkspopulation,althoughthey
undoubtedlyrecognizedtheilleffectsofsuchbeveragesontheirhealth,wasnotwillingto

sacrificetheirfreedomtochooseinexchangeforaforcedchange,albeitonetoimprovetheir
wellbeing.
NotalllawsrelatedtoadultobesityhavebeenasrestrictiveasNewYorkCityssoda
law,however.Asamatteroffact,thehealthieststatesinAmericahaveenactedlawsthatenable
citizenstopracticehealthyhabitsratherthanmakeachoiceforthem.Colorado,whichhasthe
lowestobesityprevalenceintheUnitedStates(AdultObesityFacts,2014),haspassedlawsthat
statenewroadsandinfrastructuremustbedesignedwithpedestriansandbicyclistsinmind
(ObesityRelatedLegislation,2011),ensuringthatexerciseandhealthypracticesarealwaysan
option.Inadditiontothis,ColoradoalsohasthefourthmostnationalparksintheUnitedStates
(ListofUSNationalParks),providingmoremotivationforcitizenstospendtimeoutside
exercisingratherthanindoorsandsedentary.Manystateshavealsopassedsimilarlaws,with
varyinglevelsofsuccess.Similartolawspassedforchildren,theseregulationsdonotrestrict
choices,butinsteadencouragehealthydecisionsandprovideawayforthepopulationtochoose
ahealthierlifestyle.
Unfortunately,healthydecisionsaremuchlessadvertisedthanunhealthyoptions,
particularlywhenyoungchildrenandteensareconcernedmanyfastfoodchainseventarget
children(Taft,2013),ashamefulpracticethatpreysontheimpressionablestateoftheyouthful
mind.Thankfully,organicgrocerystoresandfarmersmarketsareincreasinginpopularity(US
OrganicFoodMarketIncreases),counteractingthenegativeeffectoffastfoodsuccess.
Restrictionsarealsobeginningtobeenforcedthatlimittheamountofadvertisingunhealthyfood
chainsandproductsareallowedtouse,especiallyinschoolswherechildrencanbeengrained
withcorporatemessagesandslogans(Weiss,2014).

AsAmericaattemptstomoveawayfromhighobesityratesandtowardshealthierliving,
lawscannotbeenforcedtorestrictfreedoms,regardlessofhowgoodtheendgoalis.Legislation
shouldencouragehealthybehaviorswithoutthrustingthedecisiononanyone,allowingpeopleto
decideforthemselvestolivehealthily.Thedistinctdifferencebetweentheeffectivenessofthese
twomethodsofcreatingahealthiernationisevidencedbythevaryinglevelsofsuccessofbills
andlegislationalreadypassedorenactedforexample,Coloradosapproachthatenableshealthy
actionscomparedtoNewYorkCitysattackonunhealthyhabitswhichremoveschoicesand
freedomsratherthansimplyencouraginghealthybehavior.

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