What comes to mind when people think of America? Freedom. Opportunity. Loud people. Sometimes close minded or even rude. Democracy. Bustling cities. Occasionally obnoxious. But I think the most striking adjective is fat. Or even obese. As of 2008, 2/3 of Americans are overweight and 1/3 of them are obese. 15% of children aged 6-19 are also overweight. The growing rates of obesity have been considered an epidemic and campaigns have been started to end this trend, including that laid out by First Lady Michelle Obama. It's so frustrating that people live a lifestyle that mirrors these statistics because a few changes made by Americans can cause great changes and a healthier population. Something as simple as cutting out fast food could have a huge impact. Running every once in a while or going to the gym could only help. The increased development in technology is also having an effect on the weight and health of Americans. In 1960, only 13% of American adults were obese and this was in a time when people generally didn't have computers or cable TV in their homes. As health has decreased and weight increased, so has serving sizes and food packaging, allowing more people to access more unhealthy food cheaply. America is currently facing a crisis concerning the health of the citizens. People need to get outside and get moving, as well as make better decisions about what they eat.
I think that without living a healthier lifestyle, we are essentially doomed. An unhealthy population doesn't get much done and it is difficult to operate fully when one is running on fatty and fried foods and sugary drinks. I'm not saying to cut out dessert or never go eat french fries, but everything needs to be moderate. If someone wants to eat a fatty burger every other night, they need to also go for a run to balance it out. Ideally Americans will be able to find a balance of exercise and food in moderation but it is growing exceedingly difficult, as unhealthy items and a lazy mindset are becoming easier to access than organic foods or a gym membership. America can get its healthier population back, but the public needs to be determined to make an effort to change their lifestyle for the better, otherwise it will never work and the epidemic of obesity will continue.
I really enjoyed your blog and I totally agree! I liked the sentences at the beginning. However, I think you used more logos than pathos. Your argument made sense, but it appealed more to logic than to emotions.
ReplyDeletei think there was an emotional point from the beginning when you make americans feel upset or mad about being called overweight; however this could be considered more logos because of all of the points you make and all of the statistics. if you used more emotions rather then specific points it would have been more emotion then logos.
ReplyDeleteEven though the first paragraph was mostly logos as aforementioned, the second paragraph seemed to have a lot of pathos. Instead of hitting people with the cold hard facts, you just go through and mention all of the bad and unhealthy habits that America has, and how we are just too lazy to do anything about it. This made me feel almost guilty, thinking about how we know what our problem is here, we just don’t feel the need to fix it.
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