Obesity in America
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 people in our country weigh over 20 percent of their body’s ideal weight. The article “Fat Times” states, “If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called an epidemic” (Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce gluttonous children, over-indulgent adults, and a food industry set too much on satisfying our appetites.
Obesity can begin at a very young age. Many children in our society are overweight, setting themselves up for serious health problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks. Children who are overweight also tend to feel less secure, less happy, and be stressed more than normal weight children do. They get teased, criticized, and judged. In many cases, the problem is not the child’s fault. Being overweight may run in that child’s family, or their parents do not encourage them to be active and get enough exercise. Many children spend too much time indoors wasting away in front of the TV, playing video games, or spending time on the computer, and consuming high fat snacks, soft drinks and candy at the same time (Weight Management). The CDC performed a study in 1994 that was
Obesity can begin at a very young age. Many children in our society are overweight, setting themselves up for serious health problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks. Children who are overweight also tend to feel less secure, less happy, and be stressed more than normal weight children do. They get teased, criticized, and judged. In many cases, the problem is not the child’s fault. Being overweight may run in that child’s family, or their parents do not encourage them to be active and get enough exercise. Many children spend too much time indoors wasting away in front of the TV, playing video games, or spending time on the computer, and consuming high fat snacks, soft drinks and candy at the same time (Weight Management). The CDC performed a study in 1994 that was
Cited: Critser, Greg. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Elmer-Dewit, Philip. “Fat times”. Time. Jan 16, 1995 v145 n2 p58 (8). 3 June, 2010 "Junk Food: How Much Can You Get Away With?" The PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Center. 3 June, 2010 Klein, Calvin v211 n12-13 p28 (5). 3 June, 2010 Poston, Walker and Keith Haddock, ed Jacqueline L. Longe, Editor. 5 vols. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2001. 3 June 2010. “Weight Management for Children”. CareNotes. March 1, 2005 pNA. 3 June 2010. In consultation with Lee M. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D. Stanford, CT: Harvard Health Publications, 2001. Health and Wellness Resource Center