America 's Present Economic State, Citizens Are Looking For One Thing

Ask any person on the street what is the one issue that consumes more than half of the nation and the answers will vary from cancer to the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Most Americans are blind to the modern day plague that consumes even the nation's youth. What is this black death that promises health complications in the future, obesity affects more than two-thirds of American adults and one-third of American children. The term obesity is defined as the condition of being grossly fat or overweight. The “American diet” of processed foods is the root of the problem. The nation's health conditions have declined since the 1970’s and reached an all time low in the early 2000’s. The solution lies within the 18-27 year olds of the country

The quality of life for the average American faces many threats, one being obesity and malnourishment. Although, many Americans do not see this as a pressing threat due to the other serious issues going on around the world such as terrorism or global warming. However, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and digestive and Kidney Diseases, “Seventy percent of Americans are overweight and forty percent of children are overweight.” Many find this concerning and question the creditability of this statement. Though this may seem hard to believe, as posted on National Geographic, America’s main food group as of 2016 is sugar and fat. This disheartening statistic spotlights how the addiction to artificial, processed foods and sugar pose the biggest threat to Americans’ quality of life.

In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time when Americans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto the treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obese Americans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 58 million

America is known for its advanced society and technology, but is also known to be one of the most obese populations. Found in “Down to Earth”, America is one of the most progressive countries to exist; therefore it should be the healthiest (“Obesity in America”). If America is so highly advanced, more advancement needs to be put towards obesity rates. As time goes on, adults and children are having to consequently expand their waistbands because of unhealthy habits. In an article previously discussed, Brown-well states that Americans are at an all-time low in exercising (Murray). By having less motivation to exercise, family health is at stake. Future generations need to be more pressured to keep physically fit for their health. With less motivation for a healthier lifestyle, communities across America will remain obese. According to CBS news, Americans prefer to consume Twinkies over Tofu (“The Blame Game”). With Americans not giving healthier options opportunity, less interest will be put into healthy options. Individuals are focusing on the pleasure of taste than their own well being. Internationally speaking, Americans have one of the strongest societies, but the weakest mindset for healthy living. With stubborn attitudes and continual unhealthy choices, obesity will not only stay but

68.8 percent of people in the United States and 30 percent of the entire global population are obese. “Obesity today is officially an epidemic; it is arguably the most pressing public health problem we face, costing the healthcare system an estimated $90 billion a year.” said Michael Pollan in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.”

Obesity has been framed as a topic of personal responsibly for a long time. For many, the fundamental notion has always been that if you stop eating junk food and eat “healthy”, you will maintain a healthy weight. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s 2007-2008 Health and Nutrition Examination survey, it was found that 73.7% of all Americans 20 years old or older were overweight, obese, or extremely obese. That is a lot of fat people and it is hard to believe that fast food alone is responsible for 70% of adult Americans being overweight.

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

As seen during the eighteenth century, the presence of excess body fat was envied and very rare; seen only in kings, the rich, and the wealthy as a sign of power and prosperity. Once food shortage was no longer relevant, the 20th century re-assessed this “sign of power” as a sign of ill health, and was then documented in medical practices as the chronic disease known as obesity. As we look at the roots of obesity today, causes of the disease cannot be attributed to a single origin. However, there are many daily influences that justify our nations expanding waistlines; the most obvious being an unhealthy diet. The role of food in our society has altered the way Americans perceive nutrition. Meal times are advertised as social events; an instance of mindless eating, with little awareness on stopping when you’re full, and overeating as a result. Portion sizes are much larger than nutritionally necessary, and lack in substantial protein, causing you to

For years cartoons have depicted obese kids rolling down streets, however, this may become an unfortunate truth. The issue of the obesity epidemic in America has become an enormous issue. Obesity, which is the accurate term to describe being above overweight on the body mass index (bmi), is an epidemic with many causes that can have staggering effects. Industries have found ways to market their food products in order to gain money, uncaring of the trouble and harm they may be causing to others. The obesity epidemic has become a very controversial political topic being discussed nationwide. Despite how bad things have gotten there are ways to fix this broken country.

Obesity is a threat to the health of this nation and is the root of many life-threatening ailments, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and type 2 diabetes (“What are the Risks of Obesity and Overweight” 2012). These diseases severely decrease the the quality of life for those affected, with many of the victims suffering greatly until they are consumed by death. The treatment of these diseases is expensive and it does not cure the underlying cause nor does it ameliorate its grueling side effects. 17% of children aged between 2 and 19 are obese (“Prevalence of Childhood Obesity” 2015), creating a new generation of obese Americans. These children are being plagued by diseases that previously solely affected adults, namely diabetes and heart disease. Along with the children, the elderly and middle-aged are prone to obesity as well. 40.2% of Americans between the ages of 40 and 59 are classified as obese, along with 37% of people over 60 (Ogden et. al., 2015). The quality of life for these individuals is severely diminished, and it is

It is no surprise that obesity is becoming an increasingly prominent health concern. In fact, since 1980 global obesity has almost doubled. (1) “The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” (2) “35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.” (1) To put these percentages into perspective, in 2008 the world population was at almost 7 billion, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight, roughly 500 million were obese. (1) Obesity can no longer simply be a concern; it is a

More than one third of adults in the US are obese, and 8.4% of children age 2-5, almost 18% of children aged 6-11 and 20.5% of kids aged 12-19 are considered obese (Ogden, Carroll, Kit & Flegal, 2014). In 2008, obesity was estimated to cost the United States $147 billion dollars (Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen & Dietz, 2009). The rates of obesity among Americans of all ages points to a lack of nutrition education and a lack of cultural and institutional support for healthy eating habits.

Back then, the 20th century was seen as the eradication of many infectious diseases and the development of vaccines, this century has started with an epidemic of diabetes and obesity. Roslin continues by claiming that in some way, Americans are ineffective or unsuccessful to resolve the disease of obesity, and it is affecting many Americans. Most of the people’s troubles are due to their appalling habits: people do not consider what is healthy and natural for them, and before they eat, they do not concern to read the labels of what they eat or drink. Such people pass these habits to their family and most specifically to their kids. It has been predictable that children obesity is becoming an increasing subject in the United States. While that might sound less threatening to people, it is, in fact, not, says Roslin. He asserts that despite the United States’ huge investment in healthcare, life expectancy is expected to decline due to obesity. Roslin ends this paragraph by stating that the obesity epidemic is increasing at such a fast pace that, if the current trend continues, the entire America will be obese by 2050.

Eight obesity-related diseases account for seventy-five percent of all health care costs in the U.S. These problems, which are directly tied to obesity, range from diabetes, stroke, and the leading cause of death in the United States, heart disease. One in every five American deaths are related to obesity. It is the second leading cause of preventable death, with nearly three hundred thousand people perishing every year to obesity-related diseases. Obese individuals not only feel the effects of their addiction physically, but financially as well. Adults who are considered obese spend forty-two percent more on healthcare costs than those who are deemed healthy. As U.S. citizens’ waistlines have expanded over the years, so have their portion sizes. Today, the average restaurant meal size is four times larger than it was in 1955. Hamburgers have expanded by twenty-three percent, while soft drinks have increased in size by fifty-one percent. As a result, the percentage of obese adults has more than doubled from 13.4 percent in 1962 to 35.1 percent today. The correlation between the disease epidemic and health care spending is connected by the United States’ lack of diet

The current issue of junk food consumption and the overall obesity battle in America continues to plague our nation. The suggestion to counteract this problem is the implementation of a “junk tax”. ProQuest states that, “’junk food tax’ refers to a tax placed upon fattening foods or beverages” (Par. 1). The intention of the tax is to minimize the consumption of unhealthy foods, which would expectantly lead to a healthier population. A junk food tax would also generate revenue for causes such as: improving diet, preventing obesity, and educating Americans about nutrition. The main purpose is to maximize health benefits. However, the tax has sparked controversy about interfering with freedom of choice and personal liberties.