Let's Talk about Synthesis

Although writing a synthesis was not as exciting for me compared to writing a rhetorical analysis or argument, it came easily to me.  Having taken AP U.S. History sophomore year, along with taking AP World History this year, I was well oriented with DBQs, which are similar to what is provided for writing a synthesis.  However, writing syntheses helped to strengthen my ability to use what is already given to me to write an essay.  It was like writing a DBQ and not having to talk about history, but rather talking about things more applicable to my own life, which is much more enjoyable. 

When the annual essay came around, I'm not going to lie, I was not dreading it as much as many others did!  Annual essays are like a mix of argument and synthesis:  I simply created my own argument to answer the question asked, then I would use the sources I searched up to support my stance.  I wrote my annual essay on the obesity epidemic, and answered the common question of: Whose fault is it?  As the obesity epidemic is at an all-time high and is seen all around, I felt comfortable with talking about such a popular subject.  I liked how I was able to put my debating skills to use, while also having some practice with writing a synthesis.  The essay did not even take very long to write, since I already had an interest and background knowledge on the subject.  I wrote to the best of my ability, hoping that it would be a good start to the beginning of the third term. 

 

When I got it back, I was in awe.  I had just received my first 100 in this class!  It was essentially the best essay I had written this whole year!  I was very proud and excited that I, the girl who struggled to change her writing habits at the beginning of the year, actually was capable of getting an A+ on an essay in a college level class.  It made me more confident in myself and my writing.  Although I wasn't very phased with the synthesis topic as a whole, I found it helpful in tying in everything we learned throughout the year.  I also learned that it's never a bad thing to repeat something you already know how to do.  I strongly believe that as a result of doing syntheses prompts, I improved in writing rhetorical analyses and arguments, since it connects many different ideas together.  It even helped me receive a 98 on an AP World history in-class DBQ!  So even if the synthesis topic seemed like something  I had done before, it helped build up my writing in other aspects of my academic career.


A picture of the DBQ I got a 98 on, which was partly a result of the practice of writing syntheses

The following is my annual essay, titled "Obesity: Whose Responsibility is it?"

Margarita Forbes

Ms. McMahon

AP Language and Composition

February 5, 2015

Obesity: Whose responsibility is it?

In the United States, the obesity epidemic has gone out of control within the last few years, as more than one-third (36%) of U.S. adults were obese in 2009-10, up from an estimated 15% in 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The obesity epidemic is particularly worrisome and increasingly intractable as it becomes entrenched among children and adolescents as well. The CDC now estimates that about one in five Americans between the ages of six and nineteen are obese, two to three times the rate in 1980.  Despite new policies and programs for the bettering of people’s health, and even offering healthier food options along with the nutritional value insight in the fast food industry, individual citizens are the ones at fault for increasingly making the problem worse year after year.  However, when policy makers fail in effectively making the U.S. healthier, when fast food is unnatural and therefore unhealthy, and genetics play a crucial part in the way your body is, a person’s health is responsible by the decisions one makes for him or herself. 

People, especially those who are close to us such as parents, are influential to the lives of those around them.  For example, children adopt the habits of their parents. Patricia Leo, a nutrition professor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, states “A child who has overweight parents who eat high-calorie foods and are inactive will likely become overweight too. However, if the family adopts healthy food and physical activity habits, the child's chance of being overweight or obese is reduced” (“What Causes Overweight and Obesity?”).  Cristen Ollie, a fifteen year-old former overweight child, shares what her experience on how her parents change of lifestyle, changed hers as well. “When I was younger, I was on the edge of being obese, and was often fed the food that my parents ate, which was often unhealthy.  But, once they started having health problems, they changed their eating habits, which inevitably changed mine.  They are the reason why I used to be obese, and the reason why I am now healthy.”  The way people close to you live, is often the way that you live, as a result of being influenced by one another, hence why unhealthy eating can result from people in your life.  Nowadays with the obesity epidemic, food industries are not to blame, as they now are encouraging healthy eating habits by providing more nutritious alternatives for those who want to eat healthy.  Policy makers are doing the same, as First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Move” campaign and the CDC's Communities “Putting Prevention to Work” program, help educate consumers, children and adolescents in particular, and encourage all to engage in healthy lifestyle habits such as physical activity and good eating (Heather).  Policy makers and fast food industries are attempting to fix the epidemic, while individual citizens make the problem more serious.

For those who suffer from obesity, change can be made; it just takes determination and will-power by that same person.  People have the choice whether or not to be obese or not.  In the United States, people have the option to exercise at their leisure or not, and even have the option of buying junk food or healthy food.  It is up to the people themselves of whether they want to make a difference.  “It’s tough for individuals to make the healthy choices that are so important to a good quality of life and a healthy weight.  Obesity and its causes have, in many ways, become woven into the fabric of our society,” explained Dr. T. H. Chan from the Harvard School of Public Health.  Fast food industries, such as McDonald’s and Subway, now often have menus with the nutritional values and amount of calories in a serving of a certain food for people to be more aware of what they are going to eat.  People can see what the nutritional value of the food is, and then make a decision on whether or not to purchase it, as they have the option.  Policy makers even try to make it easier for those who are trying to be healthy, by putting healthier food options into schools, and taking out sugary sodas and other drinks.  For example, in the 2012-2013 school year, HSC (Healthy Schools Campaign) debuted a revamped school lunch menu with higher nutrition standards for over 25 million students around the nation. The revised standards included smaller portion sizes, twice as many servings of produce and only fat-free or low-fat milk.  Advocate Muna Husain mentions how beneficial the program is when saying, “We are supporting higher nutrition standards beyond the National School Lunch Program, such as limiting fast food and unhealthy vending machine options.”  Policy makers are now reaching out to schools to make the U.S. healthier, and fast food industries are making people more aware of what they are putting into their bodies, so that individual citizens make better choices for themselves.

            Although much of obesity is a result from individual citizens, that may not always be the case, and more importantly, policy makers and the food industry may also contribute to the downfall of U.S. health.  Government policy plays a crucial role in our food system. Decisions made in Washington about how government supports and regulates American agriculture have far-reaching impacts on what food is available, what it costs, and how it is produced.  Current U.S. food policy is a major contributor to the failures of our food system—making junk food cheaper, healthy food more expensive, and sustainable farming more difficult (Stossel).  The fast food industry, although having many healthy options, is often full of unnatural and premade ingredients that may be harmful to the body.  Avid McDonald’s eater, James Cran, explains how the unnatural ingredients affect him: “I do frequently eat McDonald’s, but I know that much of their food is processed and not natural, so it can’t be as healthy as they say.”  Also, health can be genetic, therefore it may not always be controllable. Studies of identical twins who have been raised apart show that genes and environment have a strong influence on a person's weight (Whiteman). Overweight and obesity tend to run in families.  However, by exercising and following a healthy diet, older people can lower their risk of illnesses and diseases like that of obesity. Adults over 65 who already have coronary artery disease can lower the danger of heart attacks by as much as 45% (“What Causes Overweight and Obesity?”).  "Staying healthy is still mostly a matter of the choices we make," said Brenna Ellison, a researcher from the University of Illinois.  Therefore, making choices of whether or not to exercise and follow policies to better your health, or whether or not to have junk food or not, is up to you-You are responsible for your own destiny of health.  Policy makers do not always make quality or effective regulations, the fast food industries repeatedly do not make food that is not as healthy as it seems, and genetics and environment will ever play a part in the health state of your body.  However, choices one makes of how to treat and feed their body is the true driving force of one’s health.

            The obesity epidemic rising is one to be concerned about, as  more than one-third (36%) of U.S. adults were obese, and about one in five Americans between the ages of six and nineteen are now obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Although there are new programs made by policy makers for the bettering of people’s health, and healthier food options are now available in the fast food industry, individual citizens are at fault for increasingly making the epidemic sustain itself, but yet, can have the power to change it.  Even when policy makers fail in effectively making the U.S. more healthy, fast food is processed and therefore unhealthy, and genetics and surroundings play a crucial part in the way your body is, a person’s health comes down to the choices they make for their own body, whether that means eating right or exercising more.