The Student Body Page #8

without necessarily studying

the science of obesity

and that's the dangerous part.

More scientists

learn about obesity,

more I learn about obesity,

more I learn what I don't know

and what we need to find out.

The danger comes

from simplifying the issue

considering this complex disease

as a simple matter of willpower.

And that's where

the danger comes

about assuming so many things

that it is your choice

to become obese

and it's your choice

that you will remain obese.

Sleep, you know,

too much sleep

or too little sleep

is linked with obesity.

Environment of a baby

in mother's womb,

in uterus,

is linked with obesity

as well as many other

metabolic diseases

such as diabetes.

There are certain infections,

viral infections

or other microbes

that have been linked

with obesity in humans

and having shown

to cause obesity

in various animal models.

So, the...

These are numerous factors

that are an...

What they call

as endocrine disruptors

so these are chemicals

in our environment.

And there are people

who are investigating

if those chemicals

in our environment

are contributing to obesity.

So, intuitively,

it sounds like it's only that

and exercise,

but what are the other factors

that maybe sort of superimposed

on that diet and that activity

or that hunger and that satiety?

And that could be many.

Chemicals?

Microbes?

Infections?

Viruses?

If you find that

hard to believe,

hold on to your seats.

Look at this data

from the center

for disease control

showing what an outbreak of flu

looks like.

As a contagious virus,

notice how it moves and spreads

exactly as we would expect

a contagion to do.

Now, here's a map

showing asthma.

As a non-contagion,

there is no pattern

whatsoever to its growth.

It appears random.

Now look at this data

also from the CDC.

This is the spread of obesity.

It spreads

exactly like a contagion.

It acts like a virus.

It moves.

If obesity is only

about an individual's diet

and exercise,

how do we explain this?

The world health organization

has declared that we,

as in the world,

is in the middle of a global

obesity epidemic.

Every single country

is experiencing

increase in prevalence

of obesity,

and this phenomena is observed

only for the past few years.

What's going on?

Every population

is getting heavier

in the United States,

to some extent Canada,

- Britain definitely, Australia.

- Worldwide,

about twenty-two

million children

under the age of five

- are estimated to be overweight.

- Now one in five people

are overweight

or obese in China.

- More than 250 million people...

- Mexico has overtaken

the United States

in levels of adult obesity

according to a recent

united nations report.

There have been various

theories offered

why we're having

increase in obesity,

prevalence all over the world,

but not a single theory

explains situation

in every country.

We have been focused

on obesity in humans,

but it has also been noticed

that while we're doing that

in past 20 years or so,

animals have been increasing

their weight as well

and we don't know the reason.

But it has been seen

that companies

that supply...

A certain company

that supply animals

for research,

they have animals

in very controlled environment,

and those animals

have also gained weight.

When we are talking

about obesity,

it's not only

in the United States,

it's many countries

in the world.

And, no, it's not only humans,

it's even animals

seem to be gaining

more weight in the recent past,

and what would be

a satisfactory,

like, explanation for that?

I don't know.

It's

are in the building.

It's been seven months

and I'm calling

senator Kearney back

to schedule an interview,

and they told me

they'll email me,

and then surprise, surprise,

they never emailed me back.

So, I'm calling again

- to see if it's impossible.

- You... it's not an issue.

No, no, no,

it's not an issue of gaining

additional information from you.

It's an issue of creating

a paper trail.

- Right. Um...

- One thing we do

is... I'm sorry?

Is there...

Is it possible for today

to pick a date

or are you guys busy?

No, like it's over...

Yeah, I actually have a meeting

in six minutes and...

- Okay.

- If you can email it

to me then from you.

It's an issue of creating

a paper trail

in a way that we do in...

Can, um, we can pick a date

in six minutes,

is that all right?

Bailey, no.

You need to email me, Bailey.

I mean, I don't know

what's the deal.

Like, if I call,

I can't schedule,

email can't schedule.

She tried to blame it on me

like it was my fault,

that I'm not emailing

the questions,

or maybe I'm not calling,

I'm not...

Working as hard as I should

for this interview.

I actually have emailed

lots of times

and nobody's gotten back

with me.

I've called like six times,

I've emailed,

more than six times.

I don't get it,

like, why would you

be rude to me?

I'm not being rude,

I'm just being...

I'm determined.

There's nothing wrong with that.

In here and send it to me.

I'll go over it with the senator

and I'll be happy to get back.

How far will I go?

I think I'll...

I think I've gone far enough.

It's been seven months,

why not seven more months?

How about a year?

And they, like,

make walls for me.

The walls treated me bad

and they treat me

and my friends bad

and now they're treating me bad

personally on the phone.

I don't know.

I didn't know about...

I didn't know

that our government

was like this.

I guess this is, kind of,

like a learning experience,

but I will get his interview.

You know, who gets to speak

and who gets spoken for

in our society

is an issue of power.

If I had a message to give

to young women,

to young people in general,

I would say

nobody can give you your voice.

You have to claim your voice.

And you have to speak,

and if they don't hear you,

you have to speak,

and speak, and speak again.

If they're not willing

to listen,

you have to say it again

and knock on a different door.

Hi.

Do you know where

the senate session is gonna be?

Yeah. Upstairs.

Okay, cool.

Thank you.

If they're still not

willing to hear,

well then maybe they need

to move over

so that those banded together

young people

can make the change

that's needed themselves.

This place is huge.

I don't know where I'm going.

Hi.

Hi. Do you know

if senator Kearney

is gonna be in here

for the hearing?

Senator who?

Kearney.

I don't know.

Oh, okay.

I don't know.

Okay. That's fine.

I'm not sure, honestly.

Okay. Thank you.

Yeah, I recognize

that guy over there.

He was one of the people

at the hearing

who spoke out against...

Or for the waver

and he explained

that and he said

that to pretty much lie

if it's not a financial burden

to put down for the waver.

So he's one of the makers.

Hi.

I watched the hearing...

I said I'm doing this project,

on childhood obesity

and I heard that he spoke out

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