ABSURDITY AND OBESITY

Obesity is a growing issue within our society. More attention must be brought to the issue. It causes many problems whether it is physical or mental. Some authors take it into action by writing absurdist novels providing a unique way of showing obesity and body image issues.

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The Battle of Obesity

Obesity is often described as the state or condition of being very fat or overweight. This is a worldwide condition that many people struggle with. With thousands of different causes for obesity, the battle against it can be very personal and different from others. It is a struggle that has many risks physically, but mental warfare is a struggling issue, as well, that is often overlooked. Health Risk from head to toe, obesity is a very concerning issue within our global world, and we must take more action to address it. With multiple causes of this erratic issue, we as humans must come together to come up with ways of solving and handling this issue, such as promoting paying attention to our health and stopping making obesity an acceptable offense within our lives.

Being overweight and having excess weight can be a serious risk to one's life if not taken seriously; It is scientifically known that “obesity increases the risk of several debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers” (Harvard 1). Knowing things such as these, we must be more attentive to our weight. Being overweight can also raise your risk of cancer, limit your chances at reproduction, mess with your memory and mental cognitive skills, and so on. The list of dangerous effects of obesity goes on forever. Now, with many different causes of obesity, it can be hard for one to distinguish how it happened and how to overcome it. This does not exclude the fact that it is acceptable and something you can just overlook and wait to go and pass over.

Simple things such as maintaining a consistent schedule, some form of physical fitness, and watching what you eat can make an astronomical difference. Every single person is different so find what works for you. With the endless physical dangers that come with obesity, it can be common to forget and overlook the mental issues and effects that can also gain control while struggling with obesity. Issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, etc. this is just a short list of the mental battles that can come with being overweight. A study done by the National Library of Medicine states “ Several comprehensive reviews have suggested that between 20% and 60% of persons with obesity, and extreme obesity in particular, suffer from a psychiatric illness”(Sarwer, Polonsky 1). Many individuals do not know where or how their obesity came from, they often relate it to them just being lazy which can lead to one getting stuck inside their head and cause them to feel down about themselves. It is important to remember there are a thousand different ways one can become overweight. Do not get down on yourself, instead use it as fuel to research and work to better yourself than ever before. Simple things such as maintaining a consistent schedule, some form of physical fitness, and watching what you eat can make an astronomical difference. Every single person is different so find what works for you.

One issue that is a hot topic is the promotion of accepting obesity and making it okay, acting almost as if it is a human trait, and we must come to accept it. Now, degrading one for being overweight is never acceptable, but the acceptance of it is just as bad if not worse. There are so many threats that come with being obese that promoting it as a good thing can be very deadly. There are hundreds of examples, such as social media companies and our big-name food producers, putting non-healthy material in our daily food intake systems. The threat is very real and we must take action against it. Being healthy is so important that states “the acceptance of overweight and obesity in the absence of prevention or weight reduction threatens to undermine the decades-long progress made toward mitigating risk for cardiovascular disease” (Mcwhorter 1). When it comes to promoting being comfortable and feeling accepted within your body, there is every right to push this motive. However, this is no excuse to overlook and accept the fact that there are real threats and dangers that can come with being overweight. As a society, we must come together to promote healthier habits, such as maintaining a consistent routine, staying active, and focusing on your mental health in a personal way. We must promote taking action and pursuing healthy alternatives within our daily lives.

To battle this pandemic within our world we must start by looking into some resourceful ways to battle the issue. We first start with a consistent routine. It is stated and proven that “ Having a solid daily and weekly routine has been proven to be very helpful for long-term health and weight maintenance” (Pashby 1). It can be as easy as adding material to your routine, such as subtle things like setting an early alarm, making a list of things needed to do the next day, some form of physical activity at least once a day, and tracking what you eat. These are simple actions that can be taken during one’s day, and they can result in a massive change in one’s health and productivity rate. It is always important to remember every person's schedule and body are different, so you must find what works with your body and schedule. This process can be difficult for some, but with time and dedication, it can be overcome. The most important factor is dedication. There is a difference between being consistent and being dedicated. Consistent means you will get it done every day, but it does not measure the level of effort and hard work put into it. Dedication is the act of being there every day and giving your absolute all in every task you complete that day. Yes, being consistent is important, but nothing can beat the pure dedication of the abdominal human spirit.

In summary, being obese, overweight, fat, etc… can be very life-threatening. Many people obtain it without even knowing how and it may not even be entirely their fault. However, there is no excuse to allow obesity to be a sustainable living condition. There are endless physical and mental risks; all can be very deadly. It is very important to remember and think about the risk and solutions to being one that is overweight. No person should ever not feel comfortable in their own body, but pushing a message that can be deadly to one's health is not something we as a society should be doing. We should be constantly researching and preaching the message of how important your body's health is and ways of handling this growing pandemic.

Works Cited

Chan, T.H. “Health Risks.” Obesity Prevention Source, 13 Apr. 2016, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/health-effects/.

McWhorter, Ketrell L. “Obesity Acceptance: Body Positivity and Clinical Risk Factors.” IntechOpen, IntechOpen, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/73236.

Pashby, Robyn. “Routines and Weight Maintenance: Keeping Your Health Consistent.” Obesity Action Coalition, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.obesityaction.org/resources/routines-and-weight-maintenance-keeping-your-health-consistent/.

Sarwer, David B, and Heather M Polonsky. “The Psychosocial Burden of Obesity.” Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052856/.

Throughout my time as a student in the class of Composition Two, I have grown drastically. I have always enjoyed writing and this class allowed me to act and work on my craft. Learning little things such as when in MLA format my citations must be in alphabetical order. Or learning bigger things like mastering a rhetorical analysis or using scholarly sources in my writing. Such things as these have allowed me to grow as a writer and feel more comfortable and confident about my writing in the future. Going to college soon, and wanting to be in law and business, writing is going to be a huge part of my life. This class has continued to set me up for a stronger and better future.

One piece from this class that I really took a lot away from was learning about absurd authors and their pieces of writing. I found it so interesting when it came to how they view the world and what was going on and then to turn around and form it into these creative pieces of literature that express how they feel about certain things. The use of absurdity in my writing has become more prevalent and it has expanded my skill criteria to a brand new level of writing. Certain authors I have taken a lot away from as well, such as Franz Kafka, have inspired me to open a new door when it comes to writing, and different ways to introduce my thoughts and feelings.

I’ve always considered myself a more skilled writer than others and it is something that I find myself thoroughly enjoying. I am the world's biggest procrastinator, but when I find myself writing I find myself at such peace and happiness. Thinking I am a skilled writer has always kept my passion for it relatively strong. Saying that, I have taken away lots of things from this class that made me realize that there is so much more to learn and understand about writing. When talking about a social pandemic such as obesity, for me as an author it is very easy to relate to. What I didn’t realize was when trying to inform an audience on a specific topic and positive ways to overcome that topic, personal experience is not enough. Learning how to do in-depth research and explaining it in my writing in my own words can be difficult for me sometimes when all I want to write about is my own personal experiences. However, I learned that having multiple sources of information only adds strength to your paper and your argument and it is best to stray away from personal experiences. Is it a positive strength to add to your paper? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it should be your whole essay.

As I continue to grow as a writer and move into the world, I hope to use and advance on the skills I have taken from this class. With the big goals I have planned for my future, my strength in writing can only help me reach it quicker. I have strong faith that because of this class and my wonderful professor, I am a couple steps closer to reaching my goals in writing and in life.