Obesity and Food Accessibility
Obesity is related to food access and food justice; excess body fats depend on food availability and the type of food produced or manufactured. Over the years fast food restaurants have emerged, and people can easily access cooked foods. Most of these foods are junks that make individuals gain unnecessary fats that bring health complications. This paper focuses on discussing how food accessibility and food justice have led to fatness. Access to foodstuffs regarding food security and food insecurity will a well be examined. The solution to the burden of obesity concerning food systems will as be explored.
Food Justice and its Health Implications
Julie Guthman is among scholars who have investigated into the issue of food justice. Guthman basis in her memoir to expound on how food justice relates to health implications such as obesity (Guthman, 2011). First Guthman starts by explaining how people know whether obesity is a problem and whose fault is it that obesity exists amongst humans. The writer uses the example of a man who goes to the bar daily and orders for a variety of grain alcohol together with soda. Within no time the person begins to experience headaches and blames the pain on the soda. Guthman explains in such cases alcohol is the primary causal agent for the headaches since liquor contains energy intakes that contribute to the development of obesity. According to Guthman excess can only be blamed on the foods in the society (Guthman, 2011). She further explains when food is cheap people tend to access it quickly and consume more. Following on Guthman’s arguments, it is evident that when food is plentiful and inexpensive, people will consume more and gain excess weight.
Food Movements and Obesity
Guthman further highlights new food issues that are worth considering in attempts to change people's consumption patterns. Precisely, Guthman blames obesity alternative food movements which focus on individual consumer choice to improve the market. According to the writer, when such actions are consumer driven, only the rich get to participate in decision making (Guthman, 2011). So, while a particular group of getting to eat and purchase better food, a whole other section of the populace is left out. The people left out end up consuming any readily available food without any knowledge of the side effects the product may have. According to Guthman, that's how many poor people end up becoming fat. (Guthman, 2011). The author argues that farmers’ markets ought to be availed to poor communities. Guthman further digs into the issue of processed foods and animal products. In this case, obesity occurs since chemicals and hormones added to the manufactured products. Guthman supports this claim with studies conducted among animals where after they were given the synthesized hormones they gained weight as a side effect. In the contemporary world, almost all food products are manufactured using the chemicals, and that is why cases of obesity keep increasing day by day. Guthman advises that people ought to work towards a better environment concerning food sources (Guthman, 2011). People can, for instance, turn to the production of organic foods with low-calorie content. Generally, until people bring themselves to control the food production system that the obesity ailment will be eradicated.
Supermarkets and Junk Food Availability
The relationship between obesity and food has prompted other scholars like Gottlieb Robert to explore the issues concerning accessing food. According to Robert supermarkets came up with the point of affordable, fast foods back in the 1990s. (Robert, 2010). The advent of supermarkets saw to it junk foods were readily available. At the same time, fresh and healthy foods became scarce. Now, based on Roberts studies, supermarkets are to be blamed for fatness in the society because they make food readily available especially junk foods. The ease at which people access such foods the more they tend to eat and hence fatness is inevitable.
Influence of Advertisements and Highly Processed Foods
According to Robert changes in store formats and locations together with increased promotion of convenient food, have a significant influence on the availability of food in the retail market (Robert, 2010). He adds how adverts have been made to look emotional that people tend to consume everything gets advertised in the media. Apart from that, widespread availability of highly processed foods has led to increased rates of sugar, fat, and salt in most in most of the diets consumed today. "The food industry has literarily incorporated salt, sugar, and fats in all foods" (Robert, 2010). In the late 1920s, products available in the stores was approximately 870, but in the 1950s the number jumped to 4,000. By the year 20000, the stores had started selling more than 40,000 products. Basing on these statistics, it is evident food is readily available in the market. People can now eat as much as they want and as much as they eat they welcome calories and fats in their bodies.
Fast Food Restaurants and Accessibility
Robert further examined the McDonald’s restaurants while trying to link the issue of accessibility and fatness (Robert, 2010). MacDonald corporation unveiled the MacDonald's express and McStop in the early 1990s. The two were fast food prefabricated constructions that were small lot sizes and could be sited in any place conveniently. The stores could be constructed in around homesteads, workplaces, and even near playgrounds. In most cases, clients in a hurry to satisfy their hunger while refueling their cars found the stores suitable for them. Precisely, MacDonald ensured the stores were convenient for all people to access immediate food consumption. The convenience made it easy for many people to access fast foods at the same time increasing the overall trend towards eating. According to Robert in the 1960s approximately one in every five dollars was spent on fast foods (Robert, 2010). In the years 1970 and 1980, the trend escalated; more money was spent on the readily available foods. The easy access to food accelerated the problems of weight gain and obesity. For example, fast food restaurants such as McDonald's were always found within walking distance from schools exposing kids to the unhealthy foods. McDonald penetration has even extended to health centers where some hospitals house the containers and also serve their patients with the first food. Research carried out aimed at exploring the reason as to why hospitals themselves would contribute to obesity through their food vending arrangements (Robert, 2010). Generally, patients tend to buy foods sold in hospitals because they can never think that hospitals can sell harmful foods. Unfortunately, it is never the case anymore many medics have failed in setting an example for their patients. So partly hospitals also to be blamed for advocating for fast foods that make people gain weight rather than support for healthy lifestyles.
Food Security and Obesity
The fuss around obesity and food has made scholars dig into how food availability and obesity relate regarding food security and food insecurity (Rutten, Yaroch, Patrick "Story, 2012). The problem of the kind of food to consume to avoid becoming fat surrounds many individuals. The problem has prompted scientists, lawmakers, and medics to investigate the nutrition issues of food and obesity. Poor diets take the blame of increased obesity around the globe and if people must escape the menace, they ought to embrace food security rather than food insecurity. According to the research, food security refers to the ability of individuals to access enough healthy foods always while food insecurities occur when people cannot obtain enough food due to scarce resources (Rutten, Yaroch, Patrick "Story, 2012). Food insecurity leads to obesity in that people tend to eat whatever they come across without minding the health complications related to such actions. Now that it is evident access to foods regarding food security and food insecurity, a comprehensive approach needs to be put in place to address the issues of food availability. For instance, the government can come up with food systems that will improve food security and prevent obesity.
Conclusion
Conclusively, obesity is closely related to the foods that exist around them and the ease to access to those foods. The more food available, the more people tend to consume and consequently gain weight. Fast food shops have contributed to food availability; they are in all locations. The government ought to investigate this problem if at all the obesity problem must be eradicated. For instance, coming up with laws to regulate food accessibility and food justice.
References
Guthman, J. (2011). Weighing in: Obesity, food justice, and the limits of capitalism
(Vol. 32). Unity of California Press.
Robert, F. (2010). Accessing food. Food Justice.
Rutten, F.L., Yaroch, A. L., Patrick, H., " Story, M. (2012). Obesity prevention and national food security: a food systems approach. ISRN Public Health, 2012.
