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Argumentative Essay: Is Obesity A Disease?

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Is Obesity a Disease?

A four year old child by the name of Samantha Stevens is obese. She is always the last one to leave the dinner table at birthday parties and at home. Samantha often pleads for second servings whether it is pizza, cake, or ice cream; she doesn’t get full. Her mother didn’t realize Samantha is obese until she took her to a pediatrician. Most mothers see their children as normal size or even skinnier than others (Donvan & Patria, 2010). People from various ages around the world are obese or overweight. Some people think obesity is a disease while others disagree.
Obesity is a disease. Advocates say obesity is a disease because it meets the obese definition. Obesity, like other diseases, damages the normal functioning of …show more content…

A 2013 reporter stated “31.8% of Americans were obese, compared to 14% in the mid-1970s. Obesity accounts for 10% of deaths and health care spending in the United States. The 10 most obese states had the highest rates of high blood pressure (35.8%), high cholesterol (28.2%), depression (20.7%), diabetes (14.3%), cancer (7.8%), and heart attacks (5%). Many of the least obese states claim higher rates of healthy eating, eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables at least four days a week, and exercising for 30 minutes or more at least three days a week” (Procon.org, 2015). In 2009, a study published that 1 in 10 deaths in the United States were caused by obesity. “Obesity was the third-leading cause of death in men and women, after high blood pressure and smoking” (Procon.org, 2015). With overweight and obesity combined, there are at least 2.8 million deaths each year. This is also the fifth leading risk for death globally. Obesity rates all over the world have almost doubled since 1980, this is accounting for over 200 million men and about 300 million women. In 2012, overweight and obese people caused more deaths than malnutrition. This is because 65% of the global population live where being obese causes more deaths than being underweight. The Disease Control and Prevention announced 72 million people in the United States were obese in 2005-2006. “34.9% of American

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