So I changed my topic completely. I unfortunately wasn't able to find much on my previous topic, and it was hard to directly relate it to popular culture. I decided to change my topic to focus on the increase of obesity within the United States. Being over weight or obese seems to still be a topic within popular culture, and I believe that a lot of it has to do with the way our society has become due to things that have risen up because of pop culture. For example, people stay inside, or may have lease physical activity due to the increase in technology, allowing it to be easier to just sit around. Another aspect is how face-past our society has become, and its desire for conveniency. There are more single parent families with less time to make dinner, parents are working more to help their families stay afloat, healthy food is expensive while junk food is cheaper, the way fast food is advertised to us on a regular basis, and how available these types of food are available to us. With all these changes in our culture, it's affecting our health.
I'm trying to figure out how to narrow my research question, but's its hard because I wanted to look at how our culture is changing which is a main cause of increase to our "weight problem." Since I want to cover children and adult obesity and all of the factors of why our weight is increasing, I wanted to ask the question "Who is to blame for the sudden increase of obesity in the United States?" Is it parents? Ourselves? The government? Fast food companies? The food industry? Who is to blame for this?
I personally think that it's everyones fault. We as a society are always on the go. We busy ourselves so much that we don't make time, or make it important to cook a balanced meal and sit down to not just eat it, but enjoy it. The fact that junk food is EVERYWHERE doesn't help. It's so easy for us to access. Healthy food is more expensive than junk food, I wish it could switch, however, it is cheaper to make junk food to begin with (I think this says a lot about the quality of it.) Overall I have found some interesting information on all of this.
Great topic Aiza! I agree... Who Is To Blame? We all are- you have alot of support on this topic and it will be easy to find scholarly research on it too. It's also easy to take the question and show how we all have a hand in this, as well as the potential to change the future.
ReplyDeleteI like your subject very much! Indeed, I understand your problem with narrowing the subject. Here are some ideas: focusing the obesity link on lack of exercise. For example, to narrow that down further, you could research lack of physical education in the schools nowadays. Or why are children not playing outside after school anymore? Why is it important for parents to limit the screen time of all media devices? Because media devices promote a sedentary lifestyle and they take away a child’s budding imagination for creative play.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many angles as you mentioned in regard to the two parent income trap or single parents etc. Nutrition can be narrowed from many different angles as well. Such as, how schools are now promoting healthy choices and eliminating junk food. There are studies stating that if children are exposed to nutritious food from an early age and their family promotes this value—they are likely to keep good nutritious habits for the rest of their lives.
Hi, Aiza!
ReplyDeleteYou chose a great topic. Food is a part of popular culture. I agree with you we have less time to make dinner, because we are working. I absolutely agree with you that junk food is cheaper. A lot of things in the culture and in the American life style are affecting our health.
I be live you can write great research paper and you will find good bibliography for this problem and your article can help people with obesity problems. Everybody understands these problems, but they are growing up.
Yes, I like your base topic, and to be honest, I think that you should look at the way corporate deregulation and subsidization have changed what gets in our food, as I think that that's one of the main culprits here, especially with what's been done with corn (THANKS MONSANTO!).
ReplyDeleteThough, also, there has been some research suggesting it might also be due to changes in the composition of our gut bacteria, and the fact that lab animals have been getting fatter and fatter despite their strictly regulated diet supports this, so I think you might want to take a look at that angel as well.
Also, it's interesting that the idea of "fat shaming", that is, the societal shaming of people (especially women) for being fat, has become a hot topic/issue, and I think you should do a quick look at how that issue has been rising to prominence as obesity has gone up. Because it certainly is an interesting trend...
I think the new topic that you have decide to write about is create in the fact that it is something is a big problem in our society today. I think it's a a great topic to talk about and address. I think that are lots of way that you could go a bout writing this paper. You could talk bout how society effects it and even narrow it down to talking about how the food that are being consumed now days is negatively affecting us and as a society most people don't have time to set down to a nice healthy dinner.
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely take this in a lot of directions, which is good. And the way your question is worded is a good way to keep it narrow but still broad enough to have plenty to write about. I think it's pretty obvious that there are plenty of factors contributing to obesity, but you could write about each one of those factors and how they contribute to the problem. You might also mention genetics, though that may not tie into popular culture as well. maybe mention fad diets? Or maybe just the effects of people placing blame on outside sources for the obesity problem. That could be a good idea. Maybe instead of just stopping at talking about who or what gets blamed, talk about what effects that placement of blame may have.
ReplyDelete