Obesity and Deforestation
Elizabeth Zeccola
Due: 11/18/14
Go Fix It! Post
Word Count: 515
My main idea for this post; instead of buying a birthday cake or junk food you could donate
that money to an organization that plants trees. If a family typically eats out of the home many
times a week (for pleasure) that family could donate the one hundred plus dollars toward an
organization but first, a little background.
Obesity affects one-third of the adult population in America. Conditions related to obesity:
heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and bankruptcy. I say bankruptcy
because the “estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S.
dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal
weight”. Obesity affects non-Hispanic blacks and middle aged adults (40-59 years old) more
often than not1. In an article written by Rick Ungar explains that obesity is adding $190 billion to
the annual national healthcare costs, which exceeds the healthcare costs of smoking. The reason
this disease causes such a stir is because it is entirely preventable unlike lung cancer (you don’t
have to smoke in order to get lung cancer; you do have to eat in an unhealthy manner and not
exercise to become obese). The Affordable Care Act attempts to prevent this by forcing
employees to participate in wellness programs. Still “Obesity has risen a full 34% since 1960
while morbid obesity is up sixfold.”2
Deforestation is a serious problem in developing countries. “Forests are cut down for many
reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families.”
One of the main reasons deforestation occurs is the need for more land for agriculture. “Logging
operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each
year.”3 Many rainforest dwelling species have gone extinct due to loss of habitat. Cures to a few
diseases have come from certain plants and animals and who knows how many opportunities the
scientific community has lost from species extinction. When one species disappears it creates a
rippling effect and can harm or completely destroy the delicate natural balance. “Deforestation
also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree
cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor
back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly
become barren deserts.”3
Reforestation programs exist to help repopulate the world’s rainforests. Without trees the
world’s climate would be completely different. “If the Amazon were to be cut down, rainfall
would decrease and the temperature would rise, creating a different climate.” Conservation
projects are being enacted all around the world4.
In short:
Citations
1
"Adult Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDCP, 09 Sept. 2014.
Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html>.
2
Ungar, Rick. "Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking."
Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/04/30/obesity-now-costs-americans-more-inhealthcare-costs-than-smoking/>.
3
"Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation - National
Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestationoverview/
4
Glenister, Autumn. "Reforestation Projects." EHow. Demand Media, 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 17
Nov. 2014. <http://www.ehow.com/info_8224489_reforestation-projects.html>.
Annotation 1
1. Full citation.
Ungar, Rick. "Obesity Now Costs Americans More In HealthCare Spending Than Smoking."
Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/04/30/obesity-now-costs-americans-more-inhealthcare-costs-than-smoking/>.
2. Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Rick Ungar is a Senior Political Contributer at Forbes and frequently appears in Fox TVs
“Forbes on Fox”. He created Biker Mice from Mars and Legend on the Dragon. He frequently
writes about American health care policy and politics.
3. What is the main topic or argument of the text?
The article is about how expensive obesity is on the health care system.
4. Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out.
Mostly the article works with numbers and comparisons.
5. What three quotes capture the critical import of the text?
“Reporting that obesity in America is now adding an astounding $190 billion to the annual
national healthcare price tag, exceeding smoking as public health enemy number one when it
comes to cost.”
“Obese men rack up an additional $1,152 a year in medical spending, especially for
hospitalizations and prescription drugs”
“The extra weight carried by vehicles as a result of obese and overweight Americans is
responsible for almost one billion additional gallons of gasoline being burned each year by our
automobiles—nearly 1 percent of our total gasoline usage”
6. Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus.
My argument is that obesity is a big problem for multiple reasons and one for those reasons is
increased health care costs for the government. This article only solidifies my argument.
7. List at least two details or references from the text that you have used in your
presentation and wiki post.
“Obesity has risen a full 34% since 1960 while morbid obesity is up six fold.”
“Obesity is adding $190 billion to the annual national healthcare costs.”
Annotation 2
1. Full citation.
Glenister, Autumn. "Reforestation Projects." EHow. Demand Media, 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 17
Nov. 2014. <http://www.ehow.com/info_8224489_reforestation-projects.html>.
2. Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his
credentials?
Autumn Glenister writes newsfeed for companies like Wickes and Total Jobs and typically
writes for charity. She has a Bachelor of the Arts in English and film from Manchester
Metropolitan University.
3. What is the main topic or argument of the text?
The article explains why deforestation is bad and why it occurs.
4. Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out.
The article is broken up into sections “Why Reforestation Projects Are Needed”, “Benefits of
Reforestation Projects”, “Disadvantages of Reforestation Projects”, and “Reforestation Projects”
and each section is explained in detail.
5. What three quotes capture the critical import of the text?
“Around half of the world's forests, which once covered nearly all of Europe, three-quarters of
Canada and almost 50 per cent of America, are now gone. Furthermore, the process of
deforestation is still happening, with 16 million hectares of trees disappearing every year.”
“When trees are cut down, a whole host of disadvantages can ensue, including more frequent
flooding”
“Reforestation projects are being conducted around the world, including in Madagascar, areas in
South, North and Central America and some countries in Africa”
6. Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus.
The other half of my post is how deforestation impacts the world and why it needs to stop. This
article helps give credence to my post.
7. List at least two details or references from the text that you have used in your
presentation and wiki post.
I mentioned the information in the quote about the disadvantages of cutting trees and what areas
are affected and why.