Article Anaylsis on Obesity Essay

Brittany
Rhetorical Analysis
February 13, 2013
Obesity in America
Obesity has become a real problem in the USA. It is shown to be linked to many health problems. In the article, Obesity: An Overview by Ellen Bailey and Ann Griswold PhD., the authors discuss the history of obesity, as well as obesity today. They believe that obesity is a big problem in America and something needs to be done about it. "Obesity has been linked to a number of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease; however, the social problems facing obese people are often overlooked" (1) states the authors. Obesity is basically killing people slowly. It all depends on what health problem you end up with. They also express that, "Overweight children, in particular, can be socially and psychologically harmed by their peers’ criticisms about their weight” (1).The child’s peers’ criticisms may hurt their feelings and the child may be emotionally harmed on the inside. The child may turn to self-harm if the criticisms go too far. The child could feel like no one wants them around because they are overweight. Also, some children might want to do something about their weight so that the criticism stops. Bailey and Griswold do a good job organizing this article together. The article is in chorological order, up to date, clear, persuasive, and factual, but it is not backed by citation.
Bailey and Griswold give a basic overview of obesity and then they go through the history of obesity. The history is dated back to the 1700s. "Throughout much of the 1700s and 1800s, women were expected to be full-figured, in the manner of the nudes painted by seventeenth-century Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens" (2) express the authors. The women in Rubens’ paintings were bigger girls. The girls were not real skinny and they had some fat on them. Society has different views on each century of obesity. Society goes back and forth on views. Women would want to have thin bodies and then they would want to have “curvy” bodies. The authors also stated, "In fact, in the early Victorian Era, young women had an obsession with the scale. They weighed themselves every day, hoping to find that they had gained an ounce" (2). Today, you do not see women weighing themselves every day hoping they gained weight. Women in today’s society want to lose weight. Society has different views on each century of obesity. As one can see with these quotes, society goes back and forth on views. Women would want to have thin bodies and then they would want to have “curvy” bodies. “Until the early twentieth century, it had been considered normal for both men and women to gain weight with age” (2) stated the authors. Some may say it is normal to gain weight when one’s body is supposed to be still growing. After one’s body is done growing, it might not be as normal to gain weight. Now a days people want to lose weight as they get older so that they can keep their figure. There are many weight loss programs out today and many gyms have opened up. In addition to being in chorological order, the article is up to date. It was written in 2011. The article has statements about obesity in today's society. It talks about First Lady Michelle Obama and her national program to fight childhood obesity. It is known as "Let's Move!" She made it in February 2010. "The program promotes healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle to children and parents nationwide" (4) express the authors. If the First Lady keeps this program growing, people of America may adapt. She has had school lunch menus changed to be healthier. Also, parents should help their children out by preparing healthy meals and encouraging children to exercise. The authors use recent sources. There are sources from 1985-2011. Majority of the sources are written from 2000-2011.
Aside from being up to date, the article is clearly written. It shows facts and statistics in a good way. Bailey and Griswold have a definition page to help the readers understand the vocabulary associated with obesity. The article flows really well. It starts with the history and goes into the present. It provides a clear message that obesity is a problem.
As well as the article being clearly written, it is persuasive. Bailey and Griswold use the persuasive power of facts and statistics to support that obesity is a problem. "... the number of obese children will strain the current healthcare system and potentially increase from the 33 percent overweight and obese in 2009" (4) states the authors. Some insurance plans do not cover weight problems. The obese will have to use their own money to pay or not pay and taxpayers will pay for it. More and more people will become obese in the years to come. Also "... fatty livers are present in 1/3 of obese children, an occurrence not known before 1980" (4) elaborates Bailey and Griswold. Fatty livers lead to obesity and can be a big problem for children. It is reversible though. For a fatty liver that is a result of being obese, to reverse it one would need to work on losing weight and not be obese.
In addition to being persuasive, the article is very factual. It shows good facts that will make people believe that obesity is a problem. The article shows numbers and names of some famous people that could make others believe the numbers and history. The authors point out eight famous people. They state “… Resembling that of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe” (3). They also articulate “… supermodels, such as Kate Moss…” (3) and “… Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens” (2). The other famous people include Geoffrey Chaucer, Paul Poiret, Ogden Nash, Twiggy, and First Lady Michelle Obama. The authors state that "... more than 135 genes have been linked to obesity and additional genes may yet be found as scientists work to create a human obesity map" (1). "The World Health Organization estimates that 300 million people will be obese by 2025" expresses Bailey and Griswold. If nothing is done about obesity in America, this number will probably be correct. It is up to each individual whether or not if they will be obese. Bailey and Griswold also convey that "If BMI values were kept at or below 25, approximately 70 percent of all diabetes cases could be avoided" (4). Diabetes is becoming very common. If the American people would work on their weight, a lot of people would not have diabetes.
Bailey and Griswold use facts, however, they do not cite theirs facts or evidence. Bailey and Griswold have a bibliography at the end of the article that has 30 sources of where they got their information. If I was to use this article and want to search for more about a point made in the article, I would not know where the point would have come from. I would have to go to each book or article to find that piece of evidence to look beyond it.
Ellen Bailey and Ann Griswold use up to date information, facts, and statistics to convey their idea that obesity is an increasing problem in America. Their article is effective and provides a clear message that it is a problem but they do not tell where they got their facts from within their article. Therefore, this article could be a good source to use and also a bad source to use because one couldn't research farther into one piece of evidence and go right to that source.