I found an article from the New York Times discussing the rise in obesity since 1990. It not only discusses the rise of obesity but the implications of this rise and potential causes for the obesity epidemic. The article defines what they characterize as obese as adults over 25 with a BMI at or above 30 and overweight as adults over 25 with a BMI at or above 25. The most staggering is the rise of childhood obesity with nearly half of all US teens being overweight or obese. This article even mentions the current craze of weight loss drugs like Zepbound and Wygovy, but points out that they can not be the only solution to this rising epidemic.
Overall, I think that the writer explained the issue and the implications very well. The article is easy to read and explains different aspects of this issue with common language in a way that is easy to comprehend. I really appreciate how it is mentioned that weight loss drugs are not a true solution to this problem, it seems a lot of media has chosen that they are a miracle and everyone should be using them. The one thing that I think is missing is a call for more communities to expand public access to hiking, biking, running, or walking trails, or a possible solution to incentivize people to exercise.
The article does do a very good job at explaining the issue and what is at stake for public health, even siting the amount of money that will be spent for health costs by those who are overweight or obese. Even giving a solution for local governments to tax high sugar beverages to help curb the problem.I think this is something we may actually begin to see more frequently including the suggestion of stiffer regulations on what goes in processed foods. This reminds me of McDonalds and other fast food chains removing the “super-size” option on their menus.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/14/well/obesity-epidemic-america.html