Class,

Good morning. I hope each of you is well.  I have had a few questions regarding your upcoming outline assignment so I wanted to provide a bit more information about that assignment.  The outline assignment is to help you set a foundation for your final paper.  By now, you have already selected a topic which you began researching as part of your annotated bibliography.  You must select one of the topics outlined in the assignment unless you have communicated with me about a different topic.  

I have attached a template you can use to get started on your outline.  Note that I borrowed the outline from another source but have added to it to make it reflect better your assignment.  Where you see “Body of Paper 1,” you can also replace that with each of the topics that are required to be in the body of your paper as described in the assignment. 

Pay careful attention to the formatting of the outline, particularly the references.  They are in APA format.  Also use that as a guide as you find your own references and begin formatting them correctly.   Let me know if you have any questions. Sample Outline: Argumentative Paper on Obesity and Government InterventionI. IntroductionA. Thesis: An individual’s weight should be a governmental concern because the medical costs associated with weight-related issues cost taxpayer money, retailers of unhealthy food need to be regulated, and children need to have better options for diet and exercise made available to them. The author of this paper plans to investigate the costs of obesity in the United States and its impact on the healthcare system and why the U.S. government should be concerned about the growing rate of obesity.II. Body of Paper 1: The medical cost associated with weight-related issues has significantly contributed to individual taxes.A. Supporting evidence: “…the costs of obesity arising from individuals’ poor nutritional choices are borne by society as a whole through taxes, lost productivity, and an overburdened healthcare system. In 2008, the medical costs associated with obesity and obesity-related illnesses totaled US $147 billion in the United States” (Franck, Grandi, & Eisenberg, 2013, p. 1951).1. Explanation: This quote demonstrates not only the connection between obesity, medical costs, and increased taxes, but also shows the exact dollar number costs from a fairly recent year.2. So what? This quote supports the claim that weight-related medical issues contribute to increased taxes for all taxpayers by explaining the connection and demonstrating the high dollar costs to show that this is a current problem affecting a government process (taxation) and therefore could appropriately be addressed by government intervention.III. Body of Paper 2: Another reason that weight should be considered a governmental issue is that the market for unhealthy food in America has overtaken the general food market and the government needs to actively curb the incentives to frequent these establishments.A. Supporting Evidence: “[M]eals are increasingly being consumed outside the home, and these meals tend to be higher in fat. A literal fat tax… theoretically would encourage individuals to opt for low-fat or nonfat alternatives” (Franck et al., 2013, p. 1950).1. Explanation: This quote alludes to many of the main problems with fast food consumption and explains what a fat tax would attempt to do to curb the consumption of junk food.2. So what? Showing that a fat tax would be able to curb overconsumption of obesity-causing fast food demonstrates the need for the government to impose such a thing.IV. Body of Paper 3: There is widespread evidence that obesity is a significant and costly public health problem. Affecting over one third of the entire United States population, obesity affects all races, ethnic groups, and genders (Caprio et al., 2008).1. Obesity and obesity-related conditions are estimated to result in economic costs in excess of $149 billion at the national level, making obesity a significant public health concern and financial burden (Carpenter, Lovejoy, Lange, Hapgood, & Zbikowski, 2013; Kim & Basu, 2016).V. Body of Paper 4: Finally, the government is responsible for ensuring that children have access to healthy food and exercise while in school.A. Supporting Evidence: A connection between Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign and a reduction in overall childhood obesity across America has been demonstrated (Tucker, 2013, p. 1).1. Explanation: This information shows the effectiveness of government-backed programs, with “Let’s Move!” as the specific example.2. So what? Demonstrating the effectiveness of “Let’s Move!” campaign supports the concept of government involvement in school food and exercise initiatives to help curb childhood obesity and provide children with the foundation for establishing healthy habits.VI. Conclusion: Obesity among American men, women, and children has increased dramatically over the past 50 years and now affects over one-third of the entire United States population. Obesity has become a national security concern as the pool of eligible recruits among all branches of military is shrinking due to the rising rates of overweight and obesity resulting in decreased military readiness (Hertling, 2012). More must be done to address this public health crisis.ReferencesCaprio, S., Daniels, S., Drewnowski, A., Kaufman, F., Palinkas, L., Rosenbloom, A., &Schwimmer, J. (2008). Influence of race, ethnicity, and culture on childhood obesity: Implications for prevention and treatment. Diabetes Care, 31(11), 2211-2221. doi:10.2337/dc08-9024Carpenter, K., Loveyjoy, J., Lange, J., Hapgood, J., & Zbikowski, S. (2013). Outcomesand utilization of a low intensity workplace loss program. Journal of Obesity, 2014,1-7. doi:10.1155/2014/414987Franck, C., Grandi, S., & Eisenberg, M. (2013). Taxing junk food to counter obesity. AmericanJournal of Public Health, 103(11), 1949-1953. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301279Hertling, M. (2012, December 6). Obesity is a national security issue: LieutenantGeneral Mark Hertling at TEDxMidAtlantic 2012. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sWN13pKVp9sKim, D., & Basu, A. (2016). Estimating the medical care costs of obesity in the UnitedStates: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and empirical analysis. Value Health, 19(5), 602-613. doi: 10.1016.j.jval.2016.02.008Tucker, C. (2013). Q&A with first lady Michelle Obama: How the Let’s Move! campaign is changing the way kids eat, move: ‘everyone has a role to play in helping our kids lead healthier lives’.  Nation’s Health, 43(9). Retrieved from http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/43/9/5