The Problem Of Obesity In America

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, and is getting worse as the years pass. The rising obesity levels is more prevalent in America than other countries. The presence of obesity in America has increased two-fold since the 1980’s (Pasternak). A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, over 30 is obese. Research has shown that 67.6 million Americans older than 25, are obese. Which exceeds the 65.2 Americans that are overweight (Dwyer). America is the most obese country worldwide.
America eats too much unhealthy food and not enough fruits and vegetables. A study reveals that the healthiness of our meals reduce throughout the day, approximately 1.7 percent per hour. Children's intake of vegetables are an average of two servings a day, especially
Over the past 30 years there has a 36 percent drop in calcium-rich milk consumption and a 200 percent increase in soda intake (Wasowicz). The average American consumes nearly one ton of food per year. Per year, Americans eat: 632 pounds of dairy, 415.4 pounds of vegetables, 273 pounds of fruit, and 183.6 pounds of poultry and meat. 10 percent of the average American's income is spent on food annually. A study shows that Americans consume significantly more packaged than fresh foods. Americans eat a lot of fast food, a study shows that 1 in 4 citizens consume fast food every day.
The way America prepares foods is more often fried and processed than not. Children are overly influenced by the food industry, without being able to vote, enter a contract, or even voice their own opinion. Nancy Amy, an associate professor of nutrition at UC Berkeley, quoted “The food industry is advertising heavily to young children for kids meals and fast foods.” Applying that kids consume twice the calories when eating out than eating a lot of what Mom or Dad supplies at home for a meal. Experts recommend parents to reduce the consumption of
Being overweight or obese is nonetheless a health issue (Gibbons). The world’s oldest metabolic disorder is impacting an even younger age group than ever before. Studies reveal that obese children run a high risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which can be fatal. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota identified obesity as the number one cause of Chronic Liver disease in the United States. America’s population is getting less and less healthy at younger ages, they will eventually face risks of chronic diseases. This problem is not going to be resolved by changing our way of life, America is going to end up replacing people's organs with artificial ones. Dr. Ariel Feldstein, principal investigator, quoted “As a pediatrician, I feel we are dealing with a big epidemic- NAFLD is certainly surpassing hepatitis C, in terms of potential damage to the liver.” Researchers have identified over 250 obesity-related genes (Wasowicz). Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way to determine obesity. As someone's BMI increases, so does their risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). CHD can cause build up in the arteries and leads to a deficiency in oxygen-rich blood traveling to your heart. There are a great deal of health issues as a direct result of obesity. One of those issues is heart failure, where your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply for your body. High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing on your