Globalization, according to author Thomas L. Friedman describes the changing relationship between business and governments. But “it is not simply how governments, business and people communicate, not just about how organizations interact, but about the emergence of completely new social, political and business models” (Friedman, 2006, p.48). As expansive as it is pervasive, globalization is a force with many faces. A multifaceted concept, globalization is the driving force pulling the world closer together and essentially, pushing Westernized thought, culture and practices on often unwilling receivers. In recent years, the emphasis of globalization had focused on technology and its outgrowths, such as the exportation of media produced by the United States. But movies and music only influence the injection of American culture to a certain extent. The new wave of globalization revolves around exporting the American diet. With the omnipresence of cross culturally recognizable institutions like McDonalds and abandonment of exercise, increased portion sizes, and abundance of processed food, the opportunity for American eating habits to reach other countries is skyrocketing in chance. The practice of imitating American attitude toward food comes with enormous consequences. The outbreak of global obesity is wreaking havoc to indigenous traditions, cultures and social systems around the world. Already unstable economic systems are taking a huge financial hit with increasing medical expenses and subsequent treatment. Obesity, having stretched its ever growing hand indiscriminately to adults, children and low to middle income countries is rapidly expanding waistlines and its prevalence across the globe. The question remains—is America to blame for the obesity epidemic sweeping the world? “Today the United States stands alone as the world’s only superpower” (McPhail, 2006 p.1). Holding this distinction places a lot of weight on the shoulders of America. Remaining a superpower entails much more than compiling a strong military or being financially well situated. The title of “superpower” not only includes the aforementioned characteristics, but it holds the ability to transmit messages and influence other nations through the actions of its people. Globalization is similar to this idea of a superpower. America leads the pack in regard to globalization, as Western ideas are consistently transmitted to less developed and economically challenged countries. The power of United States citizen’s behaviors is as equally powerful as force or wealth. Also the spoken word, used in advertising or marketing is also a key factor in American dominance. For example, two-thirds of available global video programming comes from the United States alone (McPhail, 2006). Culture transmission is also extremely relevant in the fact that ninety percent of the world’s wire service information originates from the western news agencies (McPhail, 2006). Underdeveloped and struggling nations often cannot afford to provide their countries with locally produced and distributed news, thus providing a stream of influence for American and western idea transmission. Using the American lifestyle as a guide, many fall victim to rather unhealthy and unproductive facets of this new dominating culture; “Made-in-America messages, imagery, lifestyles and information technologies are being internationally circulated and, equally important, globally imitated” (McPhail, 2006, p49). Without strong internal communication systems and financial resources to counter a larger nations influence, less developed countries will continue to have imbalanced transmission of news, ideas and eventually, cultural behaviors. A cultural behavior that is rapidly being transmitted across the global from the United States is the eating habits of its citizens. These eating habits largely include increased portion size, repeated trips to fast food/convenience restaurants and more frequent meals. As a result, the trim waistlines of the United States are no longer the majority of citizens today. Approximately 127 million people are overweight in America, with forty-five percent of those people falling into the obese category. Also, the youth are not spared by this epidemic; over thirty percent of children age six to eleven are currently overweight (Obesity trends, 2005). American obesity is not a segregated problem. True to the definition of globalization, the American diet and lifestyle is being transmitted influencing obesity levels to rise substantially around the globe. Not specifically limited to underdeveloped countries, rise of obesity is a global phenomenon. Over the last ten years in the majority of European countries, obesity has risen from ten percent to forty percent. Even in countries such as China, where the majority of the population remains at a normal weight, obesity is rearing its ugly head. A women in China, having once been rationed on rice as a kid, now frequently stocks up on soda, cookies and chips saying “I like these things, they taste great” (Obesity global problem, 2004, 14). In Mexico, forty percent of the population live in poverty, yet almost 2/3 of their entire population of 151 million are classified as overweight or obese (Obesity global problem, 2004). Less developed countries such as those in the Southeast Asian area or parts of Asia and Africa are witnessing a rapid change in their population’s obesity levels, where some 60% of citizens are overweight or obese (Shah, 2006). Perhaps most importantly is the fact that global obesity now rivals the once dominant epidemic of worldwide hunger; “While the world’s underfed population has declined slightly since 1980 to 1.1 billion, the number of overweight people has surged to 1.1 billion” (Shah, 2006, 6). Increased consumption of unhealthy food and lack of exercise in these countries mirrors both American’s outlook on diet and lifestyle and globalization effects. Globalization has undoubtedly brought an intense interdependence among nations and in recent years, created a greater homogenization of culture. This homogenization relates specifically to the influence and practice of America diet in foreign nations. American institutions such as the quintessential fast food restaurant, McDonalds, show the increase in culture transmission around the world. McDonald’s holds stake in 119 countries worldwide, with just over 30,000 restaurants scattering these countries (Scholsser, 1998). The increasing locations and rate at which fast food restaurants are being built coincides with the likelihood that consumers will opt for the quick and easy option when they are hungry. Women in the workforce have “created a demand for convenience foods” to the point where women complain they are just too tired from working and buy only pre-packaged food” (Obesity global problem, 2004). The emphasis on the value of time does not fare well for those seeking a healthy or traditional meal; rather the lack of time and energy to maintain a typical matriarchal lifestyle has pushed consumers towards fast food and unhealthy dietary options. America is home to the “Biggie-sized” options and “Big Gulp” containers, hinting not so subtly at the lack of dietary restraint pervasive in society. The loss of what constitutes a sizeable and nutritional meal by Americans is certainly not something lost in translation. Because Americans no longer regard portion size to be the same as a quarter century ago, the rest of the world is following suit. Portions served at fast food restaurants overseas have the same enormous options as those eating in the United States. In association with proportion size, exercise has also decreased worldwide. In China, the percentage of people performing strenuous jobs such as farming and mining has decreased significantly in proportion to the growth of service sector jobs, causing more people to remain sedentary (Popkin, 2006, p.559). An increase in portion size and a decrease in exercise compound together to increase the probability that global citizens, like Americans following the same “dietary plan” will become overweight or obese in the near future. America also provides a jumping off point for countries to model their own food industries around. Food in recent years has become cheap and plentiful in many regions of the world. Exploiting this idea, Americans created inexpensive and tastier food using money as the bottom line. By using hydrogenated oils and cheaper sugar, unhealthy alternatives to meals are easily and readily created (Obesity global problem, 2004). “The food industry alters the nutritional content of foods to make them longer lasting on store shelves by increasing fats, sugars, and salt, making it less healthy for the average person to consume them” (Cohen, 2007, 7). It is estimated that inhabitants of China ingest eleven more grams of hydrogenated oils per year than just a decade ago. This increase of edible oil nearly doubles caloric intake and creates numerous health problems for the consumer (Popkin, 2006, p.560). Sugar is also a new staple to the world’s diet. Soda, a widely devoured beverage in the United States, is consumed on a 55-gallon a year basis. Only thirty years ago, people consumed thirty five gallons less per year (Obesity global problem, 2004). The food industry spends billions of dollars each year to develop products, packaging, advertising and marketing techniques that entice us to buy more food (Cohen, 2007). The relentless marketing and construction of soft drink plants in developing countries only obscures the public from healthier options. Diets in the developing world have followed suit with that of the processed, pre-packaged American diet. The major change that has sparked the combination of advertising and marketing of food is the rise of the supermarket. The “mom and pop” stores and open fresh markets of a quarter century ago have been wiped out by national chains which dominate the food landscape of American society. Sixty percent of Latin Americans now buy their groceries from chain supermarkets, coinciding with only fifteen percent in 1990 (Obesity global problem, 2004). The globe is changing in response to calls from citizens for a more westernized approach to diet, but can this change come without disastrous consequences? As obesity has grown more into the mainstream, the problems it has produced for the world have not been overshadowed by its tasty façade. Obesity, a non communicable and preventable disease causes nearly 300,000 deaths per year in America. In all countries, obesity risks remain the same, accounting for millions of new cases of type two diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and high blood pressure (Obesity trends, 2005). Calling attention to the prevalence of fast food in the global diet is filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. In the documentary Supersize Me, Spurlock sought to highlight the potential harmful effects that convenient food has on one’s health. In a period of thirty days of eating nothing but McDonald’s food, Spurlock gained twenty five pounds and his cholesterol skyrocketed sixty five points (Spurlock, 2004). As new diagnosis of these diseases continues to rise, the public health costs are also climbing steadily. In 2001, public health care costs worldwide totaled 117 billion dollars per year (Gregory, 2006). For countries who are considered under or less developed nations, the fight against obesity is two fold economically. Countries such as Zimbabwe and Brazil are struggling to eradicate infectious diseases while also devoting funds to those inflicted with chronic illness stemming from obesity. These countries struggles are unique because in order to reach developed nation status, their financial troubles must be alleviated and not pushed further into the red. With great power comes great responsibility. America is the world’s sole superpower. Harnessing this power to help stamp out obesity within the country may do wonders to help the global community’s fight. It is estimated that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese (Continuing challenges, 2006). The world has a potential epidemic on its hands, which will only grow larger if changes are not made quickly. Instead of exporting a diet rich in fat and heavily emphasizing convenience over health, the messages the western world sends to countries can be dramatically different. Government intervention in the form of food policy, reform of the food industry and nationwide dietary standards and practices could pave the way on the road to recovery. The fast food industry, with its 123.9 billion sales each year in America alone begs for a makeover (Gregory, 2006). Consumers are not simply going to stop eating McDonald’s or Wendy’s; but they may choose healthier options if these ideas are ingrained in early childhood education and represented in menu options. Globalization begins with wealthy and influential nations and is spread to deprived and struggling nations. By using globalization advantageously, America may be able to curb the impending epidemic of global obesity by changing their own eating habits and reinventing the image they portray to the world. Globalization is a concept that is in effect around the world and is here to stay. The world, through advanced technological invention and cooperation, has become a smaller, cozier terrain. As Friedman asserts (2006) “The global competitive playing field is being leveled. The world is being flattened” (p. 10). Simultaneously, the world is getting larger— in the form of the waistline. If Americans, and those using America as a dietary model, do not stop their terrible habit of forgoing exercise, eating only concerning ease, and disregarding healthy food options, this lifestyle will cement itself as a prominent and transmissible culture norm. With the demise of globalization far into the horizon, the preventable obesity epidemic fast sweeping the world may literally lead the world’s citizens to “eat their hearts out”.
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Other resources related to obesity
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
CNN Health Library
American Heart Association
World Health Organization
Web MD
