Obesity in America

            Back in 2012, New York put a ban on 32-ounce sodas in an effort to combat America’s ever growing obesity epidemic. However, the ban enraged many politicians, making this an extremely controversial topic. In James Suroweicki’s article, “Downsizing Supersize,” he reflects upon the ban and argues that although it may upset the majority of people, it is very likely to work.

            Surowiecki appeals to the reader by using a purely logical appeal. He references many different psychological findings to show that the ban would be extremely effective in that it will make it harder for individuals to get a 32-ounce serving if they have to buy two 16-ounce servings. Surowiecki uses the M&M test as an example, which “suggests that most of us don’t have a fixed idea of how much we want; instead, we look to outside cues-like the size of a package or cup-to instruct us.” (Surowiecki 124)

            Everyone can agree that Asians tend to be a lot thinner than Americans. This is largely due to the difference in portion sizes. When you go to an Asian country, the portion sizes are immensely smaller than they are here. In fact, the smallest cup size here is the largest size in Asia. You can imagine my family’s astonishment when I was 10 years old, visiting the Philippines, ordering a large ice cream cup. “Are you serious? Can you really eat that much,” My relatives would ask me. And I would just tell them that I was used to that serving size.

            That being said, Surowiecki makes a valid point when he states that changing the size of our portions will make a big impact, as well as making it harder for individuals to obtain over-excessive amounts of food to intake.

            Dhruv Khullar’s argues a similar point in his article, “Why Shame won’t stop Obesity.” Just like Surowiecki, he discusses a states attempt to combat obesity in America. However, he disagrees with Georgia’s ‘fat campaign.’ Khullar also uses psychological approaches in order to create a logical appeal to the reader.

            Georgias campaign in order to stop obesity was to air fat shaming commercials on TV. Khullar disagrees with such campaigns by stating that, “it increases the stigma on those already struggling with the psychological consequences of being overweight, and shifts the focus of obesity control efforts to personal responsibility at a time when, for many individuals, options for improving eating habits may be limited.” (Khullar 128) This creates not only a logical appeal, but also an ethical one by connecting to human experiences.

            Instead of totally disagreeing with the campaigning, Khullar gives alternative options to the problem. The three initiatives he lays out are to, “provide monetary incentives to promote the production of and access to fresh and healthy food,” “minimize junk food advertising,” and to “center on education and empowering youth to make informed decisions.” (Khullar 129) The initiatives the author lays out make the article a lot more persuasive in that he not only addresses why there’s a problem, but also comes up with reasonable solutions.

            I, personally, agree with both the articles in that obesity has become a serious problem in America. I think that if we promote healthy lifestyles, then we can become a happier and more productive nation.