After much thought, I have officially decided to base my research for the “Experience and Other Evidence” paper on the topic of overweight/obesity. I ultimately chose this topic because I have been exposed to overweight people my entire life.
Besides the millions of Americans who suffer from being overweight, my family also shares this disease. Most of my relatives on my father’s side can easily be considered overweight if not some obese. One of my uncles on my father’s side, who shall be nameless for now, is extremely overweight. As a consequence, he has been admitted to the hospital at least a dozen times over the past five years due to back problems, heart problems, and the like. Specifically, when I was a junior in high school (I would like to say March or May of 2009), my uncle was admitted to the hospital for heart surgery. The procedure entailed the use of stents in his coronary arteries to provide a larger amount of blood supply to flow to the heart. Due to the anesthesia and severity of the operation, my uncle lied in the hospital bed looking very ill and in massive amounts of pain for days. I remember thinking that I would possibly lose my uncle to obesity; however, he healed from the operation and is still around today.
The possible stasis questions that I wish to analyze originate from the Definition and Cause/Effect sections. From the Definition section, I wish to possibly answer “What the definition of obesity is?”. From the Cause/Effect section, I wish to analyze “What causes obesity to occur in most Americans?”, and “What are the effects of obesity?”.
My uncle’s close call to death due to his weight made me realize how dangerous obesity can be, and I want dedicate my paper to answering the stasis questions based on the above experience.
Hey Mark,
ReplyDeleteI think that obesity is a very serious topic to discuss about. I find that with obesity continually increasing, it is a necessity for people to be aware of the consequences of this disease.
I am glad that your uncle was able to go through the surgery and was healed. It must have been a scary time for you. I am eager to hear the answers to your questions.
- Jason
Hey Mark,
ReplyDeleteI think you chose a great topic! Obesity is definitely a big problem these days. It is important to know why it is such a huge problem and the side effects of it. I'm excited to possibly read your paper.
-Alex
Magic Thesis Statement:
ReplyDeleteBy looking at the negative consequences of obesity, we can see why it is dangerous to be extremely overweight; this is important because it will motivate larger people to become healthier in order to avoid serious medical complications.
This is a good starting point, Mark. You have a very important and personal experience that will inspire your research, and as your group mates have pointed out, this is a very important issue in the U.S. right now (so this is a timely topic). With regards to your magic thesis sentence, I think you have a promising start in terms of what you will research -- what ARE the negative consequences? -- and after you've read more, you'll be able to hone in on even more specific issues. For example, you may find that there are consequences that have been downplayed in the national debate about obesity, which you would like to draw more attention to. Or, perhaps the ways that we are trying to combat obesity are simply not working (This also means we need to figure out what IS being done to help... while this may not figure into your first paper, it will definitely be helpful to have information on for your future papers). You have a lot to work with in anticipation of Library Day, and I look forward to reading more about how we have come to define obesity, and perhaps even when it was that we as a country decided to care about it.
ReplyDeleteHello there Mark!
ReplyDeleteYour topic is awesome, especially because of its extrinsic value--one of America's biggest problems is the increasing rate of obesity. I, as I'm sure most other people, also can relate to this topic. Some of my relatives have also struggled with their weight and have experienced many health problems due to it. My friend actually did this topic for a cause-fair in my high school and one of the most compelling aspects of his argument had to do with serving size. It's mindblowing to compare an actual serving size to a typical serving size people eat. That's just a tidbit I found interesting!! Feel free to or not to use it!
Good Luck!