Sport & Society Digital Journals: Obesity

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Obesity

Why has obesity become such a huge issue in our society? Maybe it has to do with the fact that there is a McDonald's around ever corner. Or maybe it is perceived lack of time to fit in a 20 minute work out once a day. It also may be the fact that americans are constantly looking for that quick fix. The problem of obesity is continuously increasing. Why aren't more people more concerned with their physical well-being? There are many factors that contribute to this particular issue. In my opinion the biggest contribution to the growing obesity rate is the fitness industry. I know what you're thinking, isn't the fitness industry the only hope in curing this soon to be epidemic? Sure, but it is big gyms like 24 hour fitness, La fitness, and Bally's Total fitness whose main goal is to increase the overall income for their gym. They do not care about self worth, physical well-being, or even psychological well-being. They sell yearly memberships to countless suckers who are attempting to make a difference in their life. While the overall population is looking to improve their lifestyle, big name gyms are searching for their next target. The worst thing that could happen for La fitness or 24 hour fitness would be if every person who owned a membership would actually show up. These corporate gyms' sole focus is to make money, not to promote health. They market unrealistic goals which can become demotivating to many people. When the overall emphasis is that fitness will improve appearance, and not their health, they are extrinsically motivating people. Many of the people who are looking to work out to improve their life style can be vulnerable and need to be intrinsically motivated. These health clubs, and gyms are important for our society but it is discouraging to see money as their top motive.

kin 332I

Jenny Soza

2 comments:

Kerrie Kauer said...: I agree with the issues as far as the gyms being extrinsically motivated. But the one thing that I do not agree with is the obeisity epidemic. Obeisity is something that people fear. fake measurments of obeisity like the BMI are ways to get americans to beleive there is an epidemic. In actuality some americans are more muscular and weigh more than others. that does not make them obeist. But the BMI sure says that it does. So The real question lies.. are we really having an obeisity epidemic or are more people just aware and over reacting to these fake findings?; December 7, 2011 at 11:14 PM
Kerrie Kauer said...: I agree with the issues as far as the gyms being extrinsically motivated. But the one thing that I do not agree with is the obeisity epidemic. Obeisity is something that people fear. fake measurments of obeisity like the BMI are ways to get americans to beleive there is an epidemic. In actuality some americans are more muscular and weigh more than others. that does not make them obeist. But the BMI sure says that it does. So The real question lies.. are we really having an obeisity epidemic or are more people just aware and over reacting to these fake findings?
Alex Gonzalez Kin332I 0767; December 7, 2011 at 11:15 PM

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You are among the critical thinking and Information and Technology Literate in the Department of Kinesiology at the California State University, Long Beach, to be part of an electronic collective known as digital blogging.

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