The Role of Government in Tackling Obesity
(476 Words)
The government has an important role in tackling obesity, and this takes many forms. Because this serious disease affects so many people, it is important for them to do what they can to reduce its incidence.
One important role of the government is to educate people about obesity as well as what can be done to combat it. A lot of people do not realize the major health consequences that obesity brings. It can raise your chances of a wide number of dangerous conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease and more. People do not understand how much their risks are raised when they become obese. The government needs to show them.
It is also important for the government to teach Americans about what they can do to avoid obesity and how they can lose weight if they are currently obese. One important type of information they should provide is nutritional guidelines. The government comes up with specific guidelines such as the food pyramid to give people an idea of the types and amounts of food that they should be eating. They should formulate height and weight charts so that people know if they are overweight or obese.
Exercise is also important to help reduce obesity. The government can educate people on why this is so important and the amount that people should get. They can also promote exercise by using government money to build sidewalks, parks and other areas where people can exercise.
There are different ways to get this information to the people. Government sponsored campaigns can provide “advertising” that gives people this information through the television or booklets. Government leaders can speak about the dangers of obesity. They should also give money to educational institutions and researchers who are working in this field.
The government can also fight obesity with regulation. First, they can require companies that sell food to list nutritional components on their labels. Many of these regulations already exist, and they can help people make wise eating decisions. Also, new legislation is coming through that will force restaurants to do the same. Not only will consumers make more informed decisions, but restaurants may also make the foods healthier so as to appear more attractive to consumers. They can also make regulations about the terms that companies can place on labels when promoting them as healthier.
In addition to making the regulations, the government needs to enforce them. They need to have a method for investigating problems, catching groups who break the rules and imposing sanctions to ensure that they adhere to the rules.
Obesity is a dangerous condition that affects a staggering amount of people in America and around the world. It is vital that the government do what they can to prevent its incidence in young children and help people regain a healthy weight.
Resources:
http://www.obesityinamerica.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html