Is Obesity Immoral?

[helper]

Firstly, for the purpose of this topic, I recognize some people may be classified as obese because of athletic pursuits, or medical issues, so for the purpose of this topic, let "the obese" be defined as people who are obese because they eat too much out of pure greed.

I believe the obese are immoral, due to the fact that they consume mre than necessary to sustain their life, with the knowledge that others int he world dont have this food to eat.

A normal adult consumes 2427 calories per day, 533 or 18% less than the 2960 calories an obese consumes.

A baby requires 1000 calories per day so every two days each obese is personally responsible for the death of a Third World baby ? over a period of 40 years that's 7300 infants' lives.

If it is immoral to kill, then is it not immoral to be obese?

[D-Yes]

in obesity issue, i don't think it is moral issue..
I believe it is more preferably on lifestyle / attitude of life...

in my country, 45% percent adult classified into obesity. this is because of the lifestyle and the way they feeds. most of them are not particulary watch over on what they eats.

obesity is not only a problem of weight but also health. they have a potential to get a diabetes..how bad..

[BevaLee]

Originally Posted by helper

A baby requires 1000 calories per day so every two days each obese is personally responsible for the death of a Third World baby – over a period of 40 years that's 7300 infants' lives.
If it is immoral to kill, then is it not immoral to be obese?

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That's an interesting piece of logic, helper. However, I beg to differ.

I say it's unfortunate that we live in the bread basket of the world, yet we have 3rd world poverty right here in America. Many of our own children do not get enough to eat ... or those that do are eating empty calories.

Cheap inexpensive food also happens to be the most fattening food that causes the fast blood glucose rise ...which causes weight gain. Those wild swings in fast rising blood glucose also wear on the body organs eventually contributing to diabetes.

When I was in grade school, I remember our family relocating temporarily to North Ogden, Utah back in the 70's. The school lunch's where the BEST...of anywhere else in the country. They were the tastiest as well as the most well balanced.

Eventually we moved to Amarillo, Texas. One particular school was just then cutting back on the hot lunch's ... due to lack of funding. I was shocked (even as a kid) that all they had to offer were chili dogs. The rest of our menu choice was at the vending machine.

Since we live in the bread basket of the world its inexcusable that anyone in our nation go without a proper diet.

Here in So. Cal. I see kids getting out of school and I'm shocked and dismayed to see so many of them are so overweight.

But I know the reason. And it does not have to be.

In closing I'd like to point out that recently a relative of mine went into a rest home. It's one of the few that are very nice and quite pleasant ..fortunately.
The food there is FANTASTIC. It smells wonderful, looks and tastes terrific and is a well balanced meal. It's fresh food properly cooked ...just like real home cooking....by somebody that knows what they're doing.


The rest home follows a budget. The projected meal is around $3.50 should family or friends want to dine with a loved one living there. I doubt that the $3.50 is at cost. There's probably some profit configured into the price - even though it's low. I intend to speak with the head chef abut it just out of curiosity next time I'm there.

If the rest home can provide quality tasty hot meals for a reasonable fee, so can the schools. How much more can the public schools ? Surely Public schools have access to commissary's.... Public schools should own their own commissary's. Hmm, something is terribly wrong with the Public school system and their hot lunch program.

[oo1987]

I don't think it is a moral issue at all, though I suppose I can see where you are coming from. You have to take into consideration what we do and don't know about obesity.

For instance, the issue of overeating is rarely an issue of "greed", but of psychology. Some genuinely can't stop, often because an emotional issue. Obesity has also been linked to sexual abuse in childhood, a way of pushing people away and keeping them from touching them sexually in the future.

There are also increasing theories of genetic and hormonal issues that can contribute. I personally think it's very likely a lot of health concerns could be caused by the unnatural things we have in food.

But, of course, there is also an issue of portion control, raising prices of fresh food, and the way that "bad" food is cheaper, and more accessible. I think the steps to increase awareness and healthy options is an important one we have begun to take here in the US, and in other countries as well.

[koitsu]

I would have to disagree as well. This is like claiming that having too much money is immoral because there are people in third world countries dying due to a lack of money. It may be unfair, but it is equally unfair to restrict a person who has worked hard from getting what he has earned. Additionally, if obese people ate at normal levels, do you seriously believe that more food would be sent to third world countries to feed the hungry?
If so, it would be nice, but I highly doubt that it would be that easy.

[BevaLee]

Dear oo1987.....I am sure there are many reasons for obeseity. But I do believe that good eating habits start in childhood and last a lifetime. With that in mind I do believe that the public school system is failing America's children now. The school cafeteria system is nearly fineto. Children of school age spend about half of their waking hours at school. (about 8hrs a day) Since those are the same times of day kids take the majority of the meals... ( breakfast and lunch) I do believe that the school cafeteria has a large impact on a childs life. Parents have to work two, three and four jobs just to make ends meet these days. Long gone are the days of Ozzie and Harriet and the stay at home mom ideal.

many kinds of school/ class programs teaching the food pyramid system and how to cook and run a household have been dropped from the public school system.

I have seen kids that were 17 or 18 with kids already making dinner for their families and they didn't know how to cook. I was stunned ...dinner consisted of one finely chopped onion, mixed with tomato sauce and macaroni. And THAT was it. THAT WAS DINNER FOR THE FAMILY WITH GUEST COMING FOR DINNER.

I'm serious.

Most young women that graduate from high school... do not know how to cook, do not know how to menu plan. don't have
much money for proper meal preparation. I was.. I was stunned.

I do believe that the cafeteria system has been gutted over the years by Congress and the results of that damage now show vividly through our kids.