Jack Jenkins

Solomon Ajasin

Binta Wague

Annmarie Duprey

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Our goal:

By using information provided in databases, opinion editorials

and resources in the New York Public library, we planned to

learn about obesity as a whole, including its causes and effects.

After we discover what fuels high obesity rates, we will then

offer suggestions on how to stop them.

Medical Implications to Obesity

Obesity is important to the scientific community because of how many people are effected by it: 129,600,000 in America Alone are overweight or worse.

Being classified as Overweight (25-29.9 BMI), Obese (30+ BMI)or Morbidly Obese (50+ BMI increases one’s health risks to diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.

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The Science:

Fat buildup occurs when people consume more calories

(the form of energy that fats, sugars, and proteins are

transformed into) than they burn through exercise.

Therefore, foods that are high in fat and calories induce obesity.

Psychological Implications:

According to our sources, socially-driven responses to obese people can add to obesity rates. Emotions such as guilt, loneliness, and shame inspire people to eat more. Because being obese can lead to those emotions, we saw that a vicious circle effect was in progress.

A person can also be inspired to overeat at a very young age, especially if that person’s parents are overweight. Having an obese mother can convince someone that it is important to storeup energy. (Boys respond to their father’s size, and girls respond to their mother’s.)

Appeals of Unhealthy Eating

Foods that often lead to obesity, specifically fast foods, have had great success because they meet their customers’ needs and expectations.

Convenience:Fast food restaurants tend to be around places were

people circulate through regularly, like right in front of subway exits. Having many outlets increases business and spreads the word throughout different neighborhoods.

Advertisements -- Embellishment

Fast food has become ever more popular due to genius, although immoral, advertising schemes. The companies that produce the food will portray their product in a way that pleases the customer, but not how the food actually is/appears.

We found photos comparing images from advertisers and pictures of the actual food, what was actually served.

Advertisement Reality

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Advertisements Continued -- Distraction

Many commercials that fast food companies put out have little to do with their product and put on mere comedy routines. Sex is often hinted at in order to play off of people’s desires, and can also distract the viewer from more important issues about their products, like nutritional value.

We found an advertisement from Hardee’s, in praise of “Biscuit Holes.” The commercialended with the line “The best kind of holes money can buy.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZmDHPqGl4

Childhood Obesity

Children have proved to be very important tool to the fast food business because they tend to be most vulnerable to media. Clowns, play-areas, and happy meals make it difficult for children to resist McDonalds. Often times, children can control desperate and stressedParents.

NYC Boroughs -- Further Analysis

Our research and previous research of each of the boroughs made it clear that higher obesity levels are a result of fewer farmer’s markets (more expensive, healthier food) and more fast food outlets (less expensive, unhealthier food). Along those lines, wealthier boroughs will generally be more healthy.

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

Brkln

Manhattan

S.I.

QueensBronx 0 10 20Mttan

S.I.

Queens

Brklyn

Bronx

Bar 1AverageIncome

Number ofFarmer’sMarkets

What can be done?

Education:. About nutrition (minerals, calories, etc). About advertising exploits and how to filter them

Youth:. Encourage healthier cafeteria food.. Cooking classes & other forms of gathering interest

Government:. Provide public services where they are needed. Cut taxes for healthier food.

Bibliography:

http://www.healthcarethatworks.org/maps/nyc/

http://www.ny.com/dining/green.html

http://gonyc.about.com/cs/photogalleries/a/greenmarkets.htm

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119120149.htm

http://calorielab.com/news/2007/10/20/mind-over-matter-psychology-and-obesity/

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/14/business/fi-ct-neil14

http://thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0522-20.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2707143.stm

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr/pr115-05.shtml

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15333301

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/apr/07_0053.htm

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/child-obesity-is-linked-to-chemicals-in-plastics/

http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/march2009/03302009foodoptions.html

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/3/816

http://www.healthcarethatworks.org/maps/nyc/

http://www.ny.com/dining/green.html

http://gonyc.about.com/cs/photogalleries/a/greenmarkets.htm

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119120149.htm

http://calorielab.com/news/2007/10/20/mind-over-matter-psychology-and-obesity/

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/14/business/fi-ct-neil14

http://thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0522-20.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2707143.stm

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr/pr115-05.shtml

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15333301

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/apr/07_0053.htm

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/child-obesity-is-linked-to-chemicals-in-plastics/

http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/march2009/03302009foodoptions.html

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/3/816

Non-online

Almanac of 50 States 2009 Comparative Data Profiles and Guide to Government Data 2009 Edition, Information Publications, Information pubns, 2009

Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac 2009, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc, NetLibrary, Inc, 2009

Presentation made by Greenmarkets NYC

Acknowledgements:

Our mentors, Brendan Burton, Scott White and Rami Abdelghasar

Dr. Sat

HCS

The NYC Public Library

The internet

You!