Obesity+as+a+Sustainability+Problem

=Obesity as a Sustainability Problem= Chris Aram

With the advent of industrialization, globalization and increased access to food, obesity is a growing world epidemic. Obesity is the medical condition where an individual has excess body fat and a body mass index greater than 30kg/m­2. This condition creates a human health hazard, as obesity leads to various other chronic illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The system feeds itself: as we have more access to cheap food, we eat and consume, creating demand for more cheap food. This locks us into our mindset of consumption and consumerism, which is a pillar of American culture.

Obesity has two facets: one of human sustainability and one of environmental sustainability.

The human sustainability problem stems from the chronic illness associated with becoming obese. Statistics indicate that obesity has become a worldwide phenomenon. Some statistics suggest that here will be a significant global increase in overweight and obese individuals. In 2005, it was shown that 1.6 billion people are considered overweight and 400 million obese. It is projected that these numbers will increase to 2.3 billion overweight and 700 million obese. ("BCC News"). Updated statistics gathered in 2010 indicated that one in two adults are currently overweight, and one in six are obese. Furthermore, children are now a target of obesity: statistically, one in three has become overweight. (Robb). The cost of obesity is staggering. A recent study on the cost of obesity indicates that the annual cost of being obese as a population is in the ballpark of $215 billion. (Hammond, and Levine).

The obesity epidemic was created by a culture of laziness, inactivity and consumption, and in the end obesity will eventually shape the policies and culture that created it. The path of obesity is clearly unsustainable from a human perspective, leading to a breadth of health concerns and financial instability. But obesity also has an effect on the environment.

This overconsumption and production of food, goods and services that allow us humans to become overweight and obese in the first place create environmental concerns. There is an expressed need to produce more to accommodate more people, and as we get efficient at consumption, we require more sustenance.

//“The most obvious source of harm to biodiversity by agriculture occurs when wild species lose habitat through conversion of natural areas to crop or ranch lands. In some rich farming areas, such as the Midwest corn belt and California’s Central Valley, 98% of the landscape has been converted to farmland”// (Cafaro, Primack, and Zimdahl )

Much of the environment is being transformed to meet the needs of the American public. To produce is to consume and produce more. The loss of environment is part of this feedback loop. This study further indicates that we Americans consume 25% more energy than what is needed to function. And this 25% is translated into a direct increase in the land needed to grow crops and livestock. Increased consumption also causes an increase in pollution to harvest the excess food. It should be pretty apparent at this point as to how obesity can affect the environment. These issues end up being multifaceted and problematic due to their systemic reach. (Cafaro, Primack, and Zimdahl )

Solutions can occur at the policy level, but also cultural level. The cultural positioning must be shifted in order to develop a better sense of physical awareness. Not only does the entire country benefit from less excessive weight, but the individual will as well. Campaigns must be better initiated and fostered at a policy level to help fight obesity. Healthier choices should be promoted and subsidized as the solution to obesity. The advent of fast food chains makes food too convenient and easy to obtain, creating a health problem of epic proportions. A slimmer waistline results in a leaner, healthier world.