What should be America's priority: Anorexia or Obesity?

Question

Having once been over weight myself, and eventually struggling with anorexia nervosa, I have begun to think about the the conflicting extremes of obesity and eating disorders. Both of these are hot button issues, and both clearly need to be addressed in our society. Due to the dynamics of the media in the US, only one of these can be focused on at a time. My question is, eating disorders or obesity...which is most damaging to American society as a whole and should be addressed as top priority?

Please dont respond with one word answers. I am curious as to people opinions. Also, please note that eating disorders also cause deaths that range from drug abuse, suicide, heart problems etc. so I am asking the question from the viewpoint that both present severe threats to our society, and wish to know which people feel is more important assuming both have a significant impact.

Answer 1

Interesting. I too have been overweight and am now recovering from anorexia. I personally experienced more discrimination, cruelty, health problems, etc. as an anorexic.

When I was overweight, I was lazy. Plain and simple. People can try and find excuses like thyroid, depression, etc. and sure some of them are legit, but a lot of the times, obesity is just poor choices. ANorexia is an illness and an obsession and stems from other issues and societal pressures. Constantly hammering thinness and being a size 0 into girls' heads and retouching mangazine covers to make the models perfect causes girls and women to feel like they need to be tiny to be worth anything. Both should be a priority, but I feel like anorexia is more serious.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if I would choose one or the other, I think If America, or where ever focused more on Health and Self esteme both of these issues would become less of a problem.
It's too easy to be unhealthy these days, even schools have vending machines filled with junk food, and pop-machines in the hallways. Likewise the media is portraying this un-atainible 'perfect' image, Everybody needs to learn in school that being heathly is more important then squatting into that double zero.
I'm 5'6 180 Lbs, and by clinical standards I'm considered obese, but I'm not. I eat healthy, and walk no less then 45 minuets every day usually carrying books on my back. I also have a good figure 42-32-42. I'm certainly not a 00 but I'm healthy and I'm happy with the way I am.
If people understood what health meant, and strived for it rather then being skinny there would be alot less weight problems.

Answer 3

I'd say BOTH are issues equallt life-threatening and dangerous, but at this point, given the ridiculous number of overweight and obese people alive, obestiy is definetly a greater worrry.
It's kind of hard to compare the two because one- anorexia is a disease which many people overthink as just being extremly skinny. Anorexia is a mental disease, while obesity is basically a state of being. You are not mentally ill if u are obese. You may be insecure, etc, but not ill. Obesity is such a huge problem many surprisingly do not realize.
OBESITY is more common, should be addresed as a HUGE issue becuase it is becoming a larger issue than SMOKING AND CANCEROUS DEATHS
it is the NUMBER 1 killer
it has soo many diseases and dangers
eating disorders isn't AS big as a problem becuase people aren't dying as often from it

Answer 4

That's a tuffie, of coarse I want to say both and that Health issues in general need to be addressed but I know you want me to pick one. I'll pick obesity, of coarse both are just as damaging and both are prevalent in our society but there is one simple reason why I chose obesity first and that is....statistics. sooooooo many more people suffer from obesity than anorexia, it's hard to even spot people in crowds that aren't over weight. I think the best we can do is look at what the disease or problem is last and first and foremost teach people healthy eating and living habits and teach them as facts as well as how the human body works.

Answer 5

Hmm, this is hard to choose because like you said, "both of these are hot button issues" in our society today. On one hand, you got obesity, which leads to hypertensions, cerebral vascular accidents (aka strokes), and heart attacks. On the other hand, you got anorexia nervosa, which leads to hypotensions, emanciation (sp?), and constant faintings.

I suppose if I had to choose one, it would be anorexia nervosa. I think that this is way more serious and more damaging to one's bodies and health than obesity. For someone with this illness, they're ususally pale-faced, super-thin, and have a more serious eating problem because they barely eat at all. Their constant starvation would only lead them to die looking like a "stick".

Answer 6

Although they are both eating disorders, they have radically different aetiologies and very different courses of treatment, so it's a bit hard to say which should be top priority. The person who eats uncontrollably (mostly) does so because his body tells him to keep eating, whereas the person who restricts eating (mostly) does so because their mind tells them not to.

What should be a top priority is social cohesion and support - a person who suffers from either of this can only be helped if they have friends who guide them into getting help. Most of the time they'll never get better on their own.

Answer 7

They are both damaging, but I think that obesity should take priority because for overweight people like myself, food is an addiction. I'm guessing that more people are obese than anorexic, anyway. Maybe it would lower health care costs, too.

Answer 8

Obesity should be the number one concern. You see a lot more fat people than skinny people.

Answer 9

Uh - obesity. WAY more people are obese. Case closed. You help the most amount of people when you can.

Too skinny people are SOL.

Answer 10

people will eventually die no matter what their ailment. my opinion is, we should prioritize solving our problems with obesity, because anorexic people can still fit in elevators, and don't cause other countries to laugh at us

:)