OBESITY WEIGHS HEAVILY ON HEALTH, LIFESPAN

Source: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/obesity-weighs-heavily-on-health-lifesp-20100804-115nu.html

Image taken from:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/uploads/image/obese%20women%20colros%20text.jpg

According to a new study, the rising rate of obesity in the US is detrimentally cutting short the number of years Americans live in good health.

This is a hard news story, providing relevant facts and statistical information to substantiate its claims. It is timely, new and has human interest. The source is reputable and credible - the story was taken from the SMH website and the study was conducted by American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

What I found interesting in this piece is the angle. It specifically draws from the study the ethnic distinctions derived from the study. African American women were most likely to be obese and lost the most quality years of life due to obesity than any other race, rising from 25 per cent in 1993 to 41 per cent in 2008.

The story is an informative piece, informing its readers that high obesity rates is correlated to poor dietary behaviours and sedentary activity. It also provides readers with information of the health ramifications and risks associated with obesity such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The story has impact (covering one of the key news values of journalism) as it is a health issue that affects a lot of people nationally according to the latest trends and statistics on the growing rate of obesity. 

What the story has failed to do is provide quotes from various sources. There is only one quote from the author who conducted this study. It would have been helpful and interesting if the story provided views from someone who is suffering from obesity or is overweight. This could have personalised and humanised the angle of the story.


The story could have also provided views from doctors and dieticians, who could have provided lifestyle choice and medical advice as well as preventative measures as to how to curb the growing obesity rate in America.


Quotes from the Health Minister in the US or a relevant spokesperson from the health department could have also provided information for readers as to what is being done on a policy-making level in relation to this issue.

Another criticism of the story is that despite providing relevant percentage figures, it should have informed its readers as to how many participants were in the study conducted between 1993-2008, so readers can better comprehend the magnitude of the problem.