In the article “How Junk Food Ends Obesity,” David H. Freedman, an author and writer, discusses the pros and cons that weight engages in people all around the world. Freedman’s purpose is to solve society’s issue with obesity rates increasing by pushing and pressuring more processed food industry to be healthier. He incorporates ways for customers to eat what they like, but in a healthy way. This article, in my eyes, impacts many individuals that do struggle with weight in a time in their life. Freedman originates with a plan that if he can find a way to push healthcare system to eat better, business will expand. Not only will business expand, but more people will become healthy by eating the same food but without it being processed. His plan is to create a wholesome food movement that could work better, reducing the chance of obesity rates increasing.
Pollan defines the American problem as “unhealthy people obsessed by the idea of eating healthily.” (Pg. 3) The vast majority of consumers in our society are ones that envision themselves as striving towards a healthy lifestyle, yet many of these consumers don’t realize that in their attempts at eating healthy they are on a slow decline. A large sum of the population garners their information on which foods to eat from their daily news sources, trying new fad diets and picking up any food that Buzzfeed or the Huffington Post tells them will better their health (Pg. 1). This behavior in turn leaves those desperate for a slimmer and healthier bodies utterly confused and desolate.
In America’s society today, Individuals are taking the blame off of themselves and shifting it onto the food industry. The food industry does indeed put up a very tempting environment for Americans, targeting unhealthy choices, but nevertheless, it is up to the customer as to what they spend their money on. Even with attempted changes in nutrition within the food industry, most people take no interest in it. But, when someone is motivated, results of a healthier lifestyle is shown in multiple ways. Americans need to realize that dedication can overcome temptation and not only lower numbers on the scale, but better their overall
The Effects of the FDA and the American Lifestyle on Individuals America is a great country; with high emphasis on freedom, education, acceptance, and philanthropy, there is a strong basis to create a diverse, successful country. However, there is one aspect that America lacks: nutrition. The average American’s diets exceeds the recommended intake of solid fats and added sugars, refined grains, sodium, and saturated fats, and the average amount of calories consumed per American has increased approximately 600 calories per day. Clearly, America struggles to keep citizens’ diets nutritious. In fact, recent studies have projected that by 2030, half of all American adults will be obese (US Dept. of Health). At this rate, Americans will struggle
Achieving Better Health for the American Population Erick Dimalanta Western Governors University 000464183 Achieving better health for the American population Improving the health conditions of the American population ensures the increased quality of life. People eat for various reasons with the fundamental reason being for survival purposes. However, the issue of eating to live and
The environment in which people live in plays a huge role in the choices people make when it comes to food and activities. The subliminal marketing and the easy accessibility of junk food makes America a toxic place to live. It’s tough for individuals to make the right choices when bad influences are woven into the fabric of society. What can we do to fix this widespread epidemic that is affecting the country? Small changes in a person’s lifestyle can have a drastic effect on their health. Weight gain is closely linked to “a high intake of potato chips, potatoes, [and] sugar-sweetened beverages” (“Obesity in America”). So a change in a person’s diet to a healthier one can be very beneficial. Also, exercise and physical activity can help protect against sudden weight gain. Another culprit for obesity is TV, it is one of the biggest enemies of exercise and the friend of snacking. Under the protection of the First Amendment, manufacturers have the right to promote their products freely, regardless of the negative effects it has (“Pounding Away”). Thus, many people are overly exposed and tempted by many junk or fast food products that are heavily advertised. Putting down the remote and exchanging hours of surfing the net for leisure exercise can significantly change a person’s well
While it is common for many Americans to be preached to on a daily basis about the importance of healthy eating and exercise, what most don’t consider is that one doesn’t have to completely give up the food that they love in order to strive to become more healthy. Even though the best thing for America to do would be to give up unhealthy eating habits completely, this goal is just not realistic. Fast food and unhealthy eating are too deeply ingrained in American culture to change within a decade. As of now, the best thing to do would be to incorporate better foods into their daily diets in order to better balance out the unhealthy food. This way, at least not all of the total calories consumed on a daily basis are from saturated fats, and other bad foods. Approaching America with this idea can be less intimidating than to suggest completely taking away junk food. This way people are more coerced into the idea and are more likely to switch over to a healthier diet than telling them to eat healthy right off the
America, an Obese Nation The choices American’s make about their eating habits has drastically changed over time. Today America is an obese nation, because food is everywhere: at the grocery store, on billboard signs, or even at the hardware store. There are statistics that prove America is an obese nation, the public just has to go search for those. Many diets and experts have tips to give to help American’s and others lose weight. This is the point that Susan Brink and Elizabeth Querna are trying to get across in their article, “Eat this Now.” Within the article, the two go in to detail about how Americans eat all the time. Brink and Querna’s article really bring to light the problems that American’s have by showing how American’s eat to
The United States is mindful of this deadly disease and the lives it has taken, yet little has been done to spread awareness and decrease the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in foods sold. In fact, America encourages unhealthy eating by displaying advertisements which convince the audience that the food will not have a negative effect on their health. A majority of these advertisements are directed towards children due to the fact that they are easy to convince. And this is a huge reason behind the increasing obesity rate in the United States because the decisions made as a child reflect those made in adulthood. If a child is constantly eating unhealthy food, rarely exercises, and is unaware of the consequences that come from the lack of living a healthy life, he or she will grow up continuing this lifestyle. O’Connor explains that, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, seventeen percent of American children and teenagers between the ages twelve and nineteen years old are overweight (39). Unless the child is taught about the harsh reality of eating so unhealthy, it may be too late before he or she becomes obese. Similar to tobacco and alcohol, food has addictive qualities which are hard to change. Another factor to consider involving the obesity epidemic in the United States is the expense of healthy foods. This high price hinders U.S. citizen’s ability to pay for a healthy diet. One of the many low income mothers in the United States, Maria Gonzalez, comments, “When you only have a dollar to spend and you have two kids to feed, either you go to the market and try to find something that’s cheap or just go straight through a drive thru and get two hamburgers for them and say, ‘Okay, here. Eat this.’ This is what’s going to fill her up, not that one single item at the market”
The results Making American Healthy has gathered together follow our solution, we have Just like we say “We are what we eat”, the role nutrition plays in our life is essential to determine our health status.Obesity can lead to other critical diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems or even cancer.Overweight is an issue that is increasing rapidly and it is being inherited by generations. More than just a social issue obesity is taking control of obese people's life by placing them under a category of American citizens who believe they are not capable to overcoming their weight. One of our perspectives on the topic is that obesity can be prevented if Making America healthy can inspire and teach Americans for a better nutrition. Many issues develop into huge problems because of the lack of information to solve them.Our solution is focused on providing free information and about a healthy diet along with effective practical solutions to every American willing to take the journey with us making no exceptions on race or social status. Other fact is that healthy food in general is more expensive and it takes time to be prepared. The American life is consider as being busy, Americans rarely spend time on their kitchens that is why many citizens lean towards greasy fast food most of the time of low prices due to the
We live in a world where we acquire the necessities we need through simple means. One of the main things that we need, food, can be acquired through groceries and food markets. They present us with options that comply with almost every preference that customers are willing to buy. With the variety that they present, may it be organic, naturally grown, or processed the problem of obesity comes along. Abundancy of food has taken a toll on the weight of humans, especially Americans. It affects one – third of the adult population in the United States, the numbers are about 78.6 million Americans who are affected by obesity (Obesity Society). Obesity can be caused by a number of reasons not only because of the food that we intake (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) and it has also affected and continues to affect the health of numbers of people (Center of Disease Control and Prevention). There are times that we fail to take notice that it is a problem that needs solving. When is the right time to make a change? Are the changes that we have already implemented enough for Americans to take it seriously? What are the ways in which we can prevent this from happening to children? There are always going to be a bunch of questions that we
Cultural Influences on Obesity There are many influences that increase the risk of obesity in our society. Many of these influences are related to society, culture, and personal beliefs. In America, snacking has become a huge mode of calorie intake (Miller, 2015). According to Miller (2015), 56% of Americans snack three or more times a day and even skip main meals to snack. Majority of these snacks are processed food, low in nutritional content and high in fats and sugars (Miller, 2015). This meal skipping is due to a lack of planning and an increase in impulsivity (Bilge Burcak, 2010). An increase in impulsivity has led to an increase in binge eating and an interest in high calories foods (Bilge Burcak, 2010). This social norm has had a huge influence on increasing caloric intake and increasing the obesity epidemic.
As the level of non-nutrientive food consumption increases, the amount of Americans that consume the recommended servings of five fruits of vegetables and fruits a day decreases. Currently, only 22% of all Americans actually meet the recommended servings of five a day. 77% of Americans eat between 1 and less than five servings a day. Females tend to eat less fruits and vegetables in comparison to men. Over the last twenty years, food consumption increased. Although there was an increase, fruit consumption increased only slightly and milk consumption decreased by an average of 14%. Meat Consumption, however, went up by 45% and soft drink consumption went up by 132%. In effect, Americans are over consuming foods that are putting them at more risk for obesity, weight gain, and health problems.
Establishing a healthy country, the United States must educate the public instead of restricting the population’s freedom. With health concerns on the raise, nearly all people are looking for simple ways to eat better. Although this seems positive, the country must understand that food isn’t the only component to health and limiting what Americans can and cannot consume fails to solve the current obesity problem. Sadly, “some 38% of Americans are obese” (Paarlberg). Not only should this alarm society, but it should also result in a drastic transformation in the United
The “Healthy” Lifestyle Everybody sees it everywhere. “Lose 60 pounds in 6 weeks!” “Skinny is what’s in!” “Detox diet plan!” It’s a fair assumption to assume that the world, especially the United States, is obsessed with being healthy. From celebrity workout programs to expensive diet systems that