Obesity was once known to be a personal problem for individuals across the country. At a very rapid rate, obesity has become one of the most talked about social problems in America. There are many different theories and questions as to why obesity has become the social problem we talk about daily. “Obesity became a visible social problem when medical research, national health organizations and health professionals linked obesity to many health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease and found that obesity was the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths” (Health Effects). Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Our society is unfortunately made up of a system of stratification, which simply means that we are “divided into unequal groups with respect to concerns valued resources such as wealth. , power and prestige” (Lauer). Although it is often not seen as “fair,” people are judged on their appearance every day in our society. Without this awareness, the link between societal issues and obesity begins at a young age. Obese children are more likely to be bullied, leading to a disturbed self-image. In other words, these bullied children will have low self-esteem throughout their lives. Living a happy life is almost impossible when you are a person with a disturbed self-image, which can also lead to a life that is not as successful as one might wish. Therefore, people with high self-esteem and courage are more likely to make positive lifestyle changes that will result in a more successful life. On the other hand, when you have a disturbed self-image, it is unlikely that this will happen. I talked about social mobility and the likelihood that one will not move or leave the social class that their parents provided for them. Is there a similar correlation when it comes to obesity? “Children of obese parents are more likely to be overweight themselves. There is a hereditary component to childhood obesity that makes it easier for some children to become overweight” (American Academy). Although very rare, genetic alterations and genetic mutations are associated with severe childhood obesity. There are many different factors that contribute to childhood obesity, and as technology continues to advance, the list grows. Parental obesity may also reflect a family environment that promotes excessive eating and minimal physical activity. Children are fed high-calorie diets that do not include sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables (due to high cost and effort). Physical activity is becoming less common due to recent trends toward sedentary activities where children spend most of their time at home using television and computers to watch movies and video games. In addition to their parents, children often look to other figures in society to serve as role models in their lives. Children are likely to follow in the footsteps of these role models and imitate their poor lifestyle choices, such as their eating habits and exercise routines. Society is led to believe that “thin is beautiful” or the ideal way to live life. The media is one of the biggest contributors to this distorted mindset. Representing celebrities aspeople who are thin and beautiful, when in reality TV, movies and commercials are all airbrushed and photoshopped. We have this “perfect” image in our heads of what society is supposed to strive for, and we are known to perform outrageous tasks to achieve that image. As a result, many people in society suffer from eating disorders. People either eat too much or not enough, depending on how they manage their emotions. Not only are eating disorders on the rise, but cosmetic surgery is also popular among the upper class of society to repair fat instead of restoring health. This is still considered unattractive; resulting in a superficial society where people don't realize that appearance is not the only thing that matters. A person's body weight is the result of many different issues in life, such as genes, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status. Many do not realize that simple daily tasks could play an active role in preventing or reversing obesity problems. For example, if one is in an environment where one cannot go for a walk or go to the park, one is at greater risk of becoming obese simply from mechanical transportation. It is important to surround yourself with an environment that allows you to practice physical activity. Lack of physical activity leads to obesity, which then leads to more serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes for example. Health problems associated with obesity also have a significant economic impact on society as a whole. The United States spends considerable sums of money to prevent, diagnose, and treat obesity. In addition to indirect costs related to morbidity and mortality costs, “the costs of medical care related to obesity in the United States are staggering. In 2008 dollars, these costs totaled approximately $147 billion” (Finkelstein, EA). That being said, it is clear that the employment system is less likely to hire obese people than healthy people. Those who are overweight require more medical care, leading to higher health insurance rates. A large majority of Americans who need treatment are those with diabetes, a history of heart disease, and those with high blood pressure; all of which stem from one problem, obesity. Additionally, obese employees are less likely to perform tasks that a healthy employee would be able to perform. When working in a healthy and unhealthy corporate environment, one can largely do the same job, but when working in active careers such as construction, health plays an important role. Society fails to realize that if an obese person cannot be hired due to their health condition, they cannot escape an unhealthy lifestyle and that costs money. Junk food is known for being “food on the go,” quick and easy. This type of diet is promoted through advertisements in newspapers, on television, on billboards, etc. We very rarely see advertisements for healthy foods that avoid an obese lifestyle. “The BBC has revealed that food waste is huge. In the UK, 30-40% of all food is never eaten, while in the US, 40-50% of all food ready for harvest is never eaten” (Shah). This shows that the United States is moving towards artificial, non-organic foods before consuming fresh foods. Healthy foods, like fresh produce, are also much more expensive than the menu in.