A Media's Conflicting Message *FOR GRADE*

Walk up to any newsstand. What do you see? I can give you a personal guarantee that somewhere within the hoards of magazines and newspapers there is at least one article regarding weight. A heart renching story of anorexia with the message to love oneself or how the latest celebrity dropped 50 pounds with a miracle combination of smoked salmon (approved by their personal nutritionist of course) and meditating are some of the media’s favorite stories to publish. However outside of the world of celebrity tabloids there is another topic that has been pounded over and over into our heads: the United State’s problem with childhood obesity. This is a beloved theme of blogs, established news organizations, and respected journalists. However it seems as if each article tells us, the reader, exactly the same thing.
When childhood obesity is addressed one can expect a cookie cutter style in which the article is constructed. Step one; bombard the reader with “undeniable” statistics which are plentiful in the percentage of our children heading towards heart disease or diabetes. A comparison between the daily advised amount of vitamins, salt, calories, ect. to the meal that an average school provides for their students is also acceptable. Step two, find about three kids who are considered to be morbidly obese. Give them opportunities through excellent programs or using a celebrity to motivate them to change their lifestyles. Make sure that you carefully record their progress and have indepth interviews with them about how their lives have improved along with their health. Step three, get an experts opinion on how to change the situation; ideally get someone who did a study through Harvard about the dangers of obesity. They will know all of the answers. Finally, wrap up the article with an ominous warning about the dark path that our youth is traveling on. Dramatically tell the audience that the only way they can save their babies is through healthy lifestyle choices.
As a society, it is apparent to everyone that we are obsessed with appearances. The media has latched onto this topic because it has more than one appeal. Not only does it deal with a common persons day to day insecurities, but there also dire risks involved. It makes sense. It is an extremely appealing topic to the reader, because they ask themselves the question, “does my child have this problem?” Now, let me be clear. I am in no way saying that obesity is not a problem in the United States. However, the way that these articles are set up, despite their subtle efforts, don’t help overweight kids make better choices.
It is through intrigue and comparison that takes in the reader, who the author is often is more concerned with pleasing than helping the well-being of their subject. More often than not the author of takes a tone as if they were talking to a misbehaving child. With scorn, yet an infuriating aura of compassion that seems fake. Personally, I remember reading an article in Time Magazine on obesity among children. What stuck out in my memory the most was one of a picture in the text of was of what was supposed to be a little boy. Only instead of being made of flesh and bone his wide body was made of a doughnut and his face of sweets. It’s odd, but this picture made me irrationally angry and after reading the article itself this feeling only increased. I felt not only as if the author was looking down on me but like I was the accused in the court of law. Naturally I reacted hostilely, so what did I do? I walked down the street proceeding to buy a king sized candy bar and threw the Time in the trash can. Looking back that was probably a little immature, yet it was to be expected. Who was this writer? What RIGHT did he have to think he was better than me or, to act as if he knew what was best?
Each time I have read articles like the one in Time, the reaction has been the same. Slightly angry and immediately turned off from their message. So I can’t help but wonder if the annoyingly self righteous tone is perpetuating the problem. By putting people who are considered obese on the defensive these authors are not exactly encouraging them to make better life choices.
Perhaps instead of putting obese people on the scale, the authors of these articles should come from a different angle. If they were to write knowing that EVERY person makes choices in regards to their health each day their support would defiantly increase. By focusing on the things that all people should be doing instead of what people are doing wrong, those who actually had a problem would be more inclined to help themselves. It would be because THEY wanted to, and motivated themselves. Not through fear of dying early or because they were tired of being made fun of. Personally I think that we should view being overweight as merely a sign that you need to make changes in your life, rather than a parasite that is continually weighing you down (no pun intended).
Acting condescending or superior in regards to childhood obesity will do nothing but make the problem worse.