Obesity was once known to be a personal problem for individuals across the nation. At a very rapid pace, obesity has become one of the most discussed social problems in America. There are many different theories and questions about why obesity has become the social problem we talk about every day. “Obesity became a visible social problem when medical research, national health organizations and medical professionals linked obesity to many health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease and found that obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths” (Health Effects). We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Our society is unfortunately made up of a system of stratification, which simply means that we are “divided into unequal groups with regard to valuable resources such as wealth, power, and prestige” (Lauer). Even though it is often not perceived as "right", in our society people are judged on a daily basis based on their appearance. Without realizing that the link between society's problems and obesity begins at a young age. Obese children are more likely to be victims of bullying, which results in a disturbed self-image. In other words, these bullied children will grow up to have low self-esteem throughout their lives. Living a happy life is almost impossible when you are an individual with a disturbed self-image, which can also lead to a life that is not as successful as one might desire. Therefore, people with high self-esteem and courage are more likely to make positive lifestyle changes that will result in a more successful life, on the other hand, when you have a disturbed self-image, this is unlikely to happen . I talked about social mobility and how you most likely won't move or leave the social class that your parents have provided for you. Is there a similar correlation when it comes to obesity? “Children of obese parents are more likely to be overweight themselves. There is a hereditary component to childhood obesity that makes it easier for some children to become overweight” (American Academy). Although it is very rare, genetic alterations and genetic mutations are linked to causing severe childhood obesity. There are many different factors that contribute to childhood obesity, and as technology continues to progress and advance, the list grows. Parental obesity may also reflect a family environment that promotes excessive eating and minimal physical activity. Children are fed high-calorie diets that do not include adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables (due to high cost and effort). Physical activity is becoming less frequent due to recent trends in sedentary activities where children spend most of their time indoors using television and computers to watch movies and video games. In addition to their parents, children often look to other social figures to serve as role models in their lives. Children are likely to follow in the footsteps of these role models and imitate their poor lifestyle choices, such as eating patterns and exercise regimes. Society is led to believe that "thin is beautiful" or the perfect way to live life. One of the biggest contributors to this distorted mindset is the media. Portraying celebrities as thin, beautiful people, when in reality television, films and commercials are all airbrushed and photographed. We have this "perfect" image in our heads of what society should be looking for, and we are known for havingperformed outrageous tasks to achieve this image. As a result, many individuals in society suffer from eating disorders. People eat too much or too little depending on how they deal with their feelings. Not only are eating disorders on the rise, but cosmetic surgery is also popular among the upper classes of society to fix fat instead of working towards health. It is always considered unattractive; resulting in a superficial society where people don't realize that appearance isn't the only thing that matters. Body weight is the result of many different issues in life, such as genes, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status. Many don't realize that simple daily activities could play an active role in preventing or reversing obesity problems. For example, if you are in an environment where you cannot go for a walk or go to the park, you are at greater risk of becoming obese simply by mechanical transportation. It is important to surround yourself with an environment that allows you to practice physical activity. Lack of physical activity leads to obesity, which then leads to more serious health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Health problems associated with obesity also have a significant economic impact on society as a whole. The United States spends such a significant amount of money to prevent, diagnose and treat obesity. In addition to indirect costs related to morbidity and mortality, “Obesity-related medical care costs in the United States are staggering. In 2008 dollars, these costs amounted to approximately $147 billion” (Finkelstein, EA). That said, it is obvious why the employment system is more unlikely to hire obese individuals than healthy ones. Those who are overweight require more medical care, which means health insurance rates increase. The vast majority of Americans in need of treatment are those with diabetes, a cardiac history, and those with hypertension; they all stem primarily from one problem, obesity. Additionally, obese employees are more unlikely to perform tasks that a healthy employee would be able to perform. When working in a corporate environment, healthy and unhealthy can do mostly the same occupation, but when working in active careers like construction, health plays a major factor. Society does not realize that if an obese individual cannot be employed due to their health, these individuals cannot move away from an unhealthy lifestyle, it costs money. Junk food is known to be the “food on the run,” quick and easy. This type of food is promoted through advertising in newspapers, on television, on billboards, etc. Very rarely do you see healthy food advertised that avoids an obese lifestyle. “The BBC revealed that food waste is huge. In the UK, an astonishing 30-40% of all food is never eaten, while in the US around 40-50% of all food ready for harvest is never eaten” (Shah). This shows that the US is turning to non-organic artificial foods before taking in fresh foods. Even healthy food, such as fresh produce, is much more expensive than McDonald's dollar menu. On the other hand, nutritionists and health coaches are not cheap to hire and have in your life. For an individual to begin a healthy lifestyle, they should have the income to make changes to their life and allow for these expenses. Every day we see new gyms popping up in every neighborhood, but when analyzing and breaking down the cost of the facilities, they are quite expensive. An average gym with equipment and.