Obesity In America Essay

“When incomes drop and family budgets shrink, food choices shift toward cheaper but more energy-dense foods. ... Lower diet quality separates lower-income from the more affluent Americans 3. Higher-income households are more likely to buy whole grains, seafood, lean meats, low-fat milk, and fresh vegetables and fruit” ( Drewnowski ). Not eating a healthy whole food diet can lead to health problems, weight gaining, and even obesity. Low-income families have no choice but to eat unhealthy foods because there are no affordable grocery stores close by.

For starters, the price gap between actual groceries and fast food is astronomical. When you can buy a burger at a fast food restaurant for a dollar but a salad at the same place cost 7 dollars, the cheaper option—more times than not— appears to be more desirable. In many cases, the financial burden forces them to sacrifice a healthy lifestyle for full bellies. While accessibility to healthier food choices is scarce in many areas, fast food restaurants have managed to appear on just about every corner.

Fast food due to its harmful high calories has caused many to become obese. Due to the way Americans eat daily, ¨the United states now has the highest obesity rate of any industrialized nation in the world¨ Schlosser 240). America has high obesity rates because most industries are fast food restaurants and because of this, ¨now one quarter of all American children are now obese or overweight¨ (Schlosser 240). The number of children who are obese in America is pretty high and it was all caused due to the lack of nutritious meals and their popular culture of consuming high amounts of calories through fast food

The main contributor, widely reported by top experts, is the consumption of cheap, and convenient foods such as fast food and the myriad of boxed foods available in the supermarket. Diane Brady asserts in her essay, “The Employer-Friendly Case for Pricer Big Macs” that “Of all the reasons why a third of U.S. adults are obese, the lure of cheap, unhealthy food ranks near the top” (519). With continual attention being given to the effects of unhealthy foods on adults and especially young people, one would think that America would wise up and stop consuming it at such an alarming rate. Again, Brady points out that, “Fast food chains have raised their game with healthier menu offerings and support for programs that encourage physical activity, but they continue to thrive by selling high-calorie food. McDonald’s salads, introduced in 1987, make up just 2 percent to 3 percent of U.S. sales” (520).

Obesity Epidemic in America Americans in the United States are gaining more weight at a rapid pace which eventually leads to a high chance of becoming or being obese. The World Health Organization defines obesity as the “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health”. (WHO, 2012). This trend dramatic has become known as the obesity epidemic as it continues to sweep the states. Centers of Disease Control conducted studies and results showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight.

One of the main causes is the abundance of unhealthy food options. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores that sell highly processed and calorie-dense foods are ubiquitous, making it easy for people to consume more calories than they need. Moreover, these foods are often cheaper than healthier options, which can be a significant barrier for individuals on a tight budget. Another factor that contributes to the obesity epidemic in America is the sedentary lifestyle that many people lead.

The rising health problems in the United States of America are caused by poor nutrition, people who are sedentary, the lack of healthcare prevention, and many more. As reported on the Tikkun website, “Of the many systems in our world today that need to be reimagined, none is more important for our future than our food system” (1). The lack of our food system is one of the many factors that has led the United States to its uprising dilemmas; one of the many factors are the food deserts across the U.S. Food deserts are geographic areas where access to affordable healthy and nutritious food are limited, or impossible to purchase, by residents in the area. Food deserts are prone to low-income areas that can’t afford transportation, and due to the lack of grocery stores and supermarkets that sells fresh produce and healthy food within convenient distance to resident’s homes, there is a difficulty in obtaining healthy food options which leads to countless health issues. According to the Diabetes Forecast website, “About 18.3 million Americans live in low-income areas and are far from a supermarket” (1).

With this Americans are opting for convenient means of nutrition to fit into their already hectic schedules. Examples of convenient nutrition would be fast food, or an item picked up from a gas station in the morning. In addition, children are being advertised sugary foods and beverages that do not have much nutritional value. The two mentioned examples play a small part in the growing concern about obesity in the United States of America. Obesity has been a buzzword within the news for the past decade and is still as reelevate as before.

Elyette Millar Professor Ross English 102 30 January 2023 Modern Argument Obesity in America More than two thirds of adults in the United States are either obese or overweight. 36.5 percent of adults are obese with another 32.5 percent overweight. That is more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or have obesity. Limiting the availability of fast food and their locations can decrease the obesity rates in the United States. Fast food is one of the top contributors to obesity and should be more regulated.

Instead, junk food increases risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more. Despite all of this, we saw change with the COVID-19 pandemic because people were eating at home more often, and that food was typically significantly more healthy than what is sold at the average fast food joint. This cooking at home stuck with people, and many continue to do it because of the many benefits that it does provide. People’s eating habits and self control are only partially to blame for the high obesity rates in America for these reasons, as it was shown people can eat healthy when given the choice. But since the popular restaurants prepare their food in such an addictive manner, people keep coming back to consume just one more Big Mac.

Americans today are fighting an obesity epidemic. According to a study published by Genomics & Genetics Weekly, the number of severely obese Americans has increased by 70 percent in a 10-year span (2012). The study also claimed that over 15 million Americans have a body mass index of greater than 40 percent (Genomics & Genetics Weekly, 2012). To put that number into perspective, people with a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29 are considered to be overweight while people with a BMI of 30-35 are considered to be obese. Some may ask what has led to this significant increase in obesity?

With the rising price of groceries, the amount of food deserts, and the rampant amount of cheap, fast, unhealthy food in low income communities, it is no wonder that poverty level and obesity rates intersect. Without proper access to affordable groceries, coupled with the sheer amount of fast food restaurants, many families fail to get proper nutrition. Instead, meals are filled with empty calories and no time to burn them off. To what extent can we blame individuals before we have to take a look at their food environment? Without support for low income families and individuals, obesity rates will continue to rise at an unprecedented rate.

It is argued that what one person chooses to eat, another will pass up due to it being unhealthy. Although yes, only individuals can decide this for themselves, many surrounding factors influence the end conclusion. For instance the type of neighborhood one lives in. A study found on average there are three times as few supermarkets in poor neighborhoods, then there are in the average wealthy neighborhood (Source 2). Instead there are closely located fast food restaurants that offer meals for appealing cheap prices.

Obesity is a major problem in the United States, and with all the special privileges given to its people, America has become very lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how the rates on obesity has risen over the years in America. Obesity is a major problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people of every gender, age, and race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled rather tripled within the last twenty years due to the many privileges that the American people have before us. Something must be done to overcome decrease the

This lack of access to healthy food leads to disproportionately high rates of obesity and diabetes in these