Obesity In America Research Paper

Obesity claims the lives of one-third of adults and seventeen percent of children in the United States of America. (Solutions for Obesity). Those numbers are too high; but why are they higher than 185 other countries in the world? The United States is known around the world for being an obese country when people travel to the United States from other countries they are mind boggled by the portion sizes of American food. What foreigners also find crazy is how unhealthy America’s foods are; so why do it’s citizens not find it crazy? Are Americans aware of how large and unhealthy their food is? While Obesity is not technically the number one cause of death in the United States, heart disease is, which is closely tied to obesity and often times
“Food portions in America's restaurants have doubled or tripled over the last 20 years, a key factor that is contributing to a potentially devastating increase in obesity among children and adults.” (Larger Portion Sizes Contribute to U.S. Obesity Problem.). Portion size is not the only aspect of this problem; what food is currently made from and the way it is processed is also a factor. Processed foods have shown to be very addictive, a University of Michigan study shows “that foods high in sodium, sugar, or fat are likely to trigger food addiction and overeating, due to the way they act on the brain’s reward system. They found that highly processed foods were more likely to have the same effect on the brain as hard drugs, compared to non-processed foods like wheat, fish, and other “boring” and “healthy” foods.” (Bushak, Lecia). The combination of oversized portions and highly addictive additives in food has led to an epidemic of obesity in America, leaving people without a chance to learn how to properly diet and live a healthy
It seems to be common knowledge among most people that going out to eat and getting take out food is unhealthy and expensive, but that still does not stop them from doing it. Studies show that less than three percent of Americans live an unhealthy lifestyle (Less Than 3 Percent of Americans Live a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’). We live in a country where you can buy a hamburger for cheaper than you can buy an apple. It is also quicker for a person to pull up the drive through at McDonald's than going into a grocery store and buy a healthier option for a meal or snack when a person is in a hurry. This is not good knowing that a majority of fast foods and snacks contain high amounts of high fructose corn syrup which is proven to be an addictive additive. For example, when a person says “I just couldn’t help myself.” they might be right. Studies have shown that bad foods can cause changes in brain chemistry, involving dopamine and opioid receptors. These changes in the brain have similar effects as illegal drugs would have on the