Running head: OBESITY AND WEIGHTLIFTING

Jared Delgado
Rhetoric and Composition 1302
Professor Large
March 1, 2016

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Abstract
This paper answers four questions pertaining to obesity and weightlifting. I explored the benefits
that you receive from weightlifting on a consistent basis. According to Taipale (2014), the
stronger and quicker you are, the faster your body will change, which will result in weight loss
and muscle growth. The connection between weightlifting and nutrition was determined to being
very crucial in weight loss, as being consistent with both will change your body immensely. I
was able to find out what programs were put into effect in order to help kids with obesity, many
things are being done in schools like a healthier diet is being provided and man exercise
programs to get kids off of their feet. Lastly I discovered that both nutrition and exercise both
play an equal part in weight loss as both need each other in order to perform the task. Many
things go into how the body is able to transform and many things are being done around the
country so many kids can have help before it is too late; as the body needs many nutrients and
constant exercise to reach the goal of weight loss.

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The United States has always been known as a country with different issues, ranging
anywhere from nuclear warfare to a rising number in the amount of students failing in the
education system. However, there is one problem that is undermined by the whole country:
obesity. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(2009), 2/3 of our countrys adults have been hit with the epidemic. The real question is, what
can we do together to help, not only our community, but our country? Its obvious that daily
exercise plays a huge role in negating the effects of obesity, no matter the age of the person.

What health benefits do you receive with weightlifting on a consistent basis?

What connection does weightlifting and nutrition have?

What programs have been put into effect to lower the percentage of obesity in the United

States?

What plays a bigger role in reversing the effect of obesity, weight lifting or nutrition?
Reversing Obesity
Our country needs answers and a solution in reversing obesity. As someone is trying to

change their life for the better, they must wonder what is going to have the biggest effect. They
must ask themselves, "What plays a bigger role in reversing the effect of obesity: weight lifting
and constant exercise or nutrition?" We all know that both are important, but first we should
determine what obesity is. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Obesity
is defined as the condition of being overweight and have a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or
higher (2012). Now, exercise has a never ending list of how it can improve one's health, but
which ones are considered to be the most important? Some of the most well-known effects
include losing weight, gaining muscle, improving ones self-esteem, and lowering the chances of
some life threatening diseases, such as diabetes or cancer. One downfall to people who don't
regularly exercise is that they don't know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Some people
respond differently to various types of workouts. For example, some people might struggle in an
exercise that requires high cardio and may start to breathe harder, while others may be able to run

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at ease. Exercise is very effective if it is done the right way. To see the best results, one must
keep up with the different workouts that are required to gain maximum muscle growth.
Nutrition has been preached as the key aspect to follow in order to be able to lose the
most weight possible. A high school health teacher (A. Enriquez, personal communication,
March, 2015) believed that losing weight is only thirty percent exercise and seventy percent
nutrition. With that being said, nutrition plays a very big factor in determining whether someone
loses weight or not. It is not all about staying active. It is often believed that excess calorie intake
relates to weight gain. As it is obvious to most people, the more one eats the more weight that
person will gain. To better understand how important a proper diet means to the human body
would be a never ending discussion. Eliminating small parts of daily eating habits can have a
huge effect on the body; for example, changing what usually drink to water will lower the
carbohydrate intake, resulting in the loss of weight. Its not a drastic change, but it is a very
beneficial one. Dr. Swinburg and his colleagues concluded that, Physical activity should not be
ignored in the battle against obesity But more emphasis needs to be placed on encouraging
people to make better food choices. Exercise is important, but if one wants to see the best
results, then one needs to eat healthy and lean in order to be able to lose weight.
Connecting Weightlifting and Nutrition
Weight lifting and nutrition have been proven to be beneficial in reversing the effect of
obesity. Weight lifting by itself will only provide strength gain; however, with a proper diet
muscle development will also occur. This means the proper intake of calories, the proper ratio
of macronutrients - protein, carbs, and fats and the proper timing of these macronutrients
(Brewster, 2010). The right amount of proteins and other nutrients will increase strength

muscle growth. Protein is the building block of developing muscle; the body uses protein to

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repair the tissue and maintain muscle tissue. Proteins are made up of 20 different amino acids
that are essential to building muscle (Brewster, 2010). The body cannot make some of these
amino acids, and the only way to obtain these amino acids is by proper diet. Carbohydrates have
been given a bad reputation, as most people try to avoid them. They think that carbohydrates will
make them gain weight and add belly fat. Carbohydrates are actually necessary in the body as
fuel for the workout. The reason people get the assumption that carbohydrates are bad for in
daily diets is because they consume way too many sugary carbohydrates, results in weight gain.
Another big factor that is associated with building muscle and losing fat is a word that everyone
is scared of: fats. There are actually different types of fats, some of which are actually healthy.
The 3 types of fats are saturated (whole milk, cheese), polyunsaturated (corn, fish oils), and
Monosaturated (found in vegetable and nut oils). All three are part of a daily diet. As some of
these fats are beneficial, it is greatly recommended to not consume too many of these fats.
Vitamins are also a big part of healthy nutrition, as some can help boost metabolism or improve
blood circulation. A lot of people find vitamins as one of the key component of their diet,
especially when trying to build muscle mass.
Changes Being Made
Obesity is an obvious issue that has to be dealt with at an early age, but what is being
done for both kids and adults trying to avoid the effects of obesity? There have been programs
put into effect in the United States to help children across America. Everybody knows that the
signs of obesity begin at a very young age. For the most part it is not the childs fault since they
cannot quite control what their parents feed them. They also have no say so in what they are
being served at school. Most people know about the different food policies and the changes that
are being made by Michelle Obama. She has initiated different programs for kids at school to eat

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right and exercise. Changing our food environment can improve nutrition and reduce obesity
(Frieden, 2009). In other words, the better environment that is provided to children, the better
shape he will be in. Other things that affect schools not being able to provide healthy lunch
options is the price of how much the food actually costs. Both the school and parents are on a
budget, Over the past-century food has become relatively more expensive and junk food
relatively cheaper (Frieden, 2009). Physical Education has always been in schools, but studies
show that the class has become so simple to the point where the physical activity doesnt even
get the child tired anymore. One thing that needs to be done is educating kids more about
nutrition and exercise. This will help kids achieve the ability to make the right decisions when
choosing what to eat and what to do while exercising to avoid an injury and to be able to see the
best results. Schools can also promote health outside of the classroom by surrounding students
with opportunities to eat healthy and stay active (Perkruhn, 2008). Schools can help promote the
healthy lifestyle by providing children with healthier food choices during school and eliminate
all unhealthy food. According to graph 1 some children are not getting 60 minutes of physical
activity. To improve activity, schools can develop safe walking and biking routes to school, and
can promote recess time (Perkruhn, 2008). Some small ideas like these can be put into effect to
try and get kids more and more active, also actually trying to promote exercise by inviting
students to try and participate in athletics. One way would to make this successful is to have club
teams; if kids aren't talented enough or just aren't able to participate in these activities, club
teams will at least give them the chance to lose weight and stay active. As schools try to
incorporate a healthier lifestyle, it is important for the students and parents to keep up with it at
home. As most people who have ever tried to lose weight know, healthier food is a lot more
expensive than junk food. Just changing the drinks that the children consume during lunch can

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help them lose a lot of weight. The smallest changes can become the cornerstone of being able to
change not only one kids life, but the country as a whole. If schools can incorporate some
programs that are being offered by the government, then Americans may be able to live in a
country that is healthier and hopefully change the view that other countries have towards us.
Graph 1

The Benefits of Weight Lifting

As people try to change their life by participating in daily exercise, the person must first
be able to answer why he is doing what he is doing. If a person has a reason why he is doing
something, he is already halfway there and is less likely to quit along the way. Weight loss would
be a simple answer to what seems like a very simple question. When one starts working out, a
sense of weakness and fatigue may be felt. This is completely normal as the body is not used to
it. However, the more this physical activity is performed, the greater strength that will be gained.
The stronger you are, the quicker you can transform your physique with subsequent training
(Taipale, 2014). Being stronger also has a connection to how fast the bodys metabolism (the
amount of time the body takes in order to digest something) will be. With a faster metabolism

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comes an easier and quicker process of building muscle. An obvious result from working is an
increase in muscle. As muscle is grown, simple daily tasks around the house or at work, like
picking up something heavy, can be accomplished with greater ease. The greater muscle mass
you have, the greater your chance of survival from cancer. (Taipale, 2014). Gaining muscle will
allow the body to have a better chance to fight different illnesses and conditions. Most people
who run or do some sort of Cardiovascular exercise to improve their cardio think that those
type of exercises will help them burn the most fat but they get it confused with burning calories
which is completely different. Lifting weights has a different effect on the body after the
workout. Lifting weights elevates post-workout energy significantly more than stead-state
cardio due to the metabolic stress that it causes. (Taipale, 2014) This will speed up the weight
loss process. Working out will also assist someone in gaining some self-confidence, they will
notice their body slowly starting to change and they will be able to carry themselves with a more
positive mindset, and it will make their morale feel a lot better also. A big part of exercise is the
brain where one is supposed to make a mind to muscle connection, simply put it is where one
envision them self training one body part and they are supposed to really focus on it and it will
help the body and muscles grow. By lifting weights youll improve the health of other systems
in your body: your brain, heart, hormones, and metabolism.(Taipale, 2014) By working out one
will be able to improve on a lot more than their muscles as all of these things are very beneficial
to living a healthier lifestyle. Lifting heavy weights is protective. As the body is struggling
with every rep and it is questioning why exactly is all this actually beneficial it should remind
itself that lifting weights will help strengthen connective tissues and bone in the body. There is a
certain type of training that will allow the body to develop stronger tissue. This training is known

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as eccentric training (pushing muscles past the point of failure). Weightlifting is very helpful and
useful, as it affects many parts of life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, weightlifting is a great way to lose weight and change anyone's lifestyle to
a healthy one. This epidemic can be changed if everyone comes together and does their part.
Weightlifting and different types of exercise can be used to avoid obesity. Weightlifting has many
different effects, including building muscle, losing weight, and being able to strengthen other key
parts of your body including some organs. Nutrition also plays a big factor in losing weight; the
better diet that is consumed the greater the results. Also, providing the body with the right
amount of proteins and nutrients will increase muscle mass and overall weight loss. Many
programs can be put into effect to try and help kids overcome early obesity issues and develop
better eating and exercise habits. These programs also target the education of children about
these issues. Overall, reversing the effects of obesity should be one of the top priorities in the
country; there are many different ways the body can be changed in order to live a healthier life,
ranging from daily exercise at a physical education class or extreme weightlifting every day and
pushing it to the next level.

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References
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2012, October). Overweight
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