Is It O.K. to Be Pudgy?

[영어도우미]

 

 Is It O.K. to Be Pudgy?

 

Millions of pleasantly plump Americans were stepping a little lighter. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had just concluded that folks who are overweight but not obese are at no greater risk of dying prematurely than people of normal weight. You could almost hear the national sigh of relief in the newspaper articles, radio talk shows and monologues of late-night comedians that followed. "I can't tell you how happy this makes me," David Brooks wrote in the New York Times, which devoted a front-page story, an editorial and two Op-Ed pieces to the findings. "A lifetime of irresponsible behavior has been unjustly rewarded."

When it comes to the obesity debate, however, it never takes long for rhetoric to outpace the science. And sure enough, a group called the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) seized on the CDC study last week to launch an ad campaign dismissing America's obesity "epidemic," "problem," "threat" and "issue" as mere "hype."

That in turn prompted howls of outrage from academics who have been trying for years to get the food and restaurant industries to serve healthier meals. "The Center for Consumer Freedom is to industry what hit men are to the Mafia," said Yale psychologist Kelly Brownell, an obesity expert and frequent target of the CCF. He points out that the group is funded in large part by restaurants and food companies and run by Richard Berman, a public relations expert who made his reputation defending the tobacco industry.

 

So what's all the fuss about? The latest CDC paper estimated that 112,000 extra deaths each year are associated with obesity. That's a pretty big number, but a year ago, a different group of researchers at the CDC, using older data, put the toll for poor diet and physical inactivity even higher, at 400,000 deaths. Earlier this year, they admitted that they had made a mistake in their calculations and that the correct number was closer to 365,000 deaths. "It's really an evolving science," says Dr. George Mensah, acting director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC. "As we get better [at estimating mortality rates], the numbers will likely change again."

 

Fixating on the latest death counts from the CDC may get you a few chuckles and some edgy ads. But that doesn't change the facts that Americans are growing heavier and that obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes are on the rise. Some of the more responsible leaders of the food industry are trying to do something about obesity in the U.S., and they will tell you--but only if you don't name names--that campaigns that try to dismiss the problem as hype are doing them more harm than good.

 

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1056279,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom

 

 

VOCABULARY LIST :

 

pudgy - short and fat

plump - having a pleasantly rounded body or shape

rhetoric - speech or writing which is intended to be effective and persuasive

epidemic - a particular problem that seriously affects many people at the same time

hype - when something is continually advertised in televisions, newspapers, etc. in order to attract everyone's attention

howl - a strong expression‎ of emotion, such as anger or dissatisfaction

fuss - a show of annoyance, anxiety, dissatisfaction or excitement, usually one which is greater than what the situation deserves

 

DISCUSSION POINTS :

 

1. Is obesity considered a serious problem/ issue in your country?

2. In your opinion, what factors contribute to obesity?

3. What do you do to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Do you think obesity is only related to a person's diet?

4. Have you ever have any problems/ struggles with your weight?

5. How are fat/pudgy people regarded in Korea?

6. How do you think obesity leads to death?

7. What are effective ways to cut down on one's food intake? What's an effective way to lose extra weight?