What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America? I am sure many beautiful things come to mind, yet we must look beyond the beauty and face the facts. Did food cross your mind as well? How about fast food? I mean, fast food may come to mind when considering the tremendous number of available options. Did you think about obesity and how it affects both adults and children? The frequent, dangerous, and expensive chronic disease is claimed to be “a grave public health threat, more serious even than the opioid epidemic,” and before I forget to emphasize the seriousness, “obesity accounts for 18 percent of deaths in America" (“Rising Obesity in the United States Is a Public Health Crisis”) Many of you may argue that we are responsible for the food choices we make, and I agree to some extent. However, it is time to realize that our food choices negatively affect our health and the environment. It is not too late to make a change; healthier food choices can improve human health and keep the environment safe. Additionally, we urgently require …show more content…
It is time to make a change and take control of our health and the health of our planet. An article on the WHO website states, "A healthy diet is the foundation for health, well-being, optimal growth, and development" (World Health Organization: WHO, “Healthy Diet”). Instead of planting nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are needed for a balanced diet, we use over one-third of the world's croplands so we can feed the many cows needed for the meat industry. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions will rise and eventually destroy the environment. For this reason, we should start educating ourselves and those around us on the importance of healthy eating and exercise and push for policies that make it easier for everyone to access healthy food
The topics presented are relevant because many college students are already in an economic crisis, due to the rising amount of debt weighing on their shoulders, and usually are not financially stable enough to provide themselves with fresh and healthy food all the time. This explains why obesity is becoming a larger issue in college students, for the reason that they can only afford cheap foods. By supporting and being involved in the food movement, college students could fight for their ability to attain hearty local and natural foods to sustain themselves with. Also, creating social spaces to
After I read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I changed my mind on how food is produced. This impacted me because I became more aware of where my food comes from. In summary, over the last three years my mind has changed from being less aware of the nutrition my body receives to incredibly conscious about what I consume. I have not only educated myself, but, also, the people around
This shows the impact on how important it is to make a priority in eating and making well balanced meals. Being able to see the history in how eating habits have changed generation to generation gives an insight on what we need to change. Many people such as Mark never ate a fresh vegetable until 19 years old. This shows that there is a big gap in eating balanced and healthy meals because of the mass production of frozen and canned foods. Mark Stated that, “it cut down on the variety of food we ate” (Mark Bittman 2007 Ted Talk, transcript 10:17).
Hunger is a serious problem throughout the world, but today I will be focusing on hunger in america. Just for reference, I don’t mean the time between breakfast and lunch. I mean people who don 't know where their next meal is coming from, or are starving. I will be delving into the problems that exist, systems set up to help people do, and what an average person can do.
The high obese population can be explained by culture, portion sizes, food companies and restaurant policies, diets, and traditions. Obesity is not only an individual issue; it is most importantly a national matter. It raises both individual and collective problems related to economic and demographic dynamics. Therefore, based on the alarming rate obesity is growing, it is crucial at this point to find a solution in order to slow down and hopefully stop this epidemic. Comparing diets of different countries and taking a look at the background story of American nutrition and regimes, it is clear that the American diet is very different from other nationalities and has worsened over the decades.
accepting soft drink and fast-food contracts because they provide large commissions for financially strapped schools. Obesity is a grave public health threat, more serious even than the opioid epidemic. It is linked to chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Obesity accounts for 18 percent of deaths among Americans ages 40 to 85, according to a 2013 study challenging the prevailing wisdom among scientists, which had placed the rate at around 5 percent. This means obesity is comparable to cigarette smoking as a public health hazard; smoking kills one of five Americans and is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
Obesity is a medical condition that affects much of the global population. This medical condition can bring about other medical problems and issues if not treated properly. Obesity is a complex condition with many risk factors that can cause a person to develop the condition. These risk factors are environment, genetics, sleep, etc. Obesity can bring about serious health issues such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and mental health problems.
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.
Kalista Cook Miss Grimes College Composition II 9 February 2023 Persuasive Techniques Used by McKay Jenkins and Anna Lappe The topics of food sustainability and agricultural awareness are incredibly important. Authors McKay Jenkins and Anna Lappe bring awareness to these topics in their articles Can GMOs Be Sustainable and The Climate Crisis and the End of Our Fork. In these articles, the authors address the negative impacts of the food and agriculture industry. More specifically, they attempt to educate on the importance of creating environmentally conscious eating habits.
Over the last few decades, obesity rates have increased by a large margin. In the 1970s, only five-percent of American youth were considered obese. However, as of 2017, this percentage has increased to nineteen percent. Many blame fast food chains for this epidemic, but fail to recognize that a large portion of American eating habits are also a major contributor to the issue at hand, specifically the amount of food that is consumed. The average calorie intake in the 1970s was around two thousand per day, but in 2010 it was twenty-five hundred calories.
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?
According to Harvard Men's Health Watch, “In less than 40 years, the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has increased by over 50%, so that two of every three American adults are now overweight or obese”("Obesity in America: What's driving the epidemic?"). The issue of obesity in America has grown over the years. Many adults are having weight problems now more than ever. There are many reasons why it is such a big problem, but in America, one thing that stands out is the food industry. There are so many unnecessary ingredients that are not commonly known to the public which makes consumers not realize what they are truly eating.
Some may argue that even if organizations provide countless healthy options to people, they will still opt for unhealthy, processed foods due to convenience and cost, therefore perpetuating their health issues. For example, in recent years under the Obama administration, schools have attempted to implement healthier school lunches for kids in hopes of promoting nutritious eating. Although these new lunches included fruits and vegetables, “A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that some 60 percent of vegetables and 40 percent of fresh fruit are thrown away” (Source 6). This demonstrates that despite various attempts to try and sway the public, many will not be influenced by their immediate surroundings and that ultimately the choice to be healthy is something a person has to make on their own. Although this argument is valid, and there are instances where people will continue to make counterproductive decisions regarding their health, the systems in place in society make it so that it is nearly impossible for people to find a facet of life where unhealthy options aren’t forced onto them.
After watching the Food Inc. documentary film and participated to in class discussion, I realized that people are living in a world that is featuring a totally wrong image of the food that individuals are consuming. People are blindly following the path of an unhealthy life that leads them to death. Population is restricted from information and people are being victims of a dirty and contaminated food era. People are being lied about the food they are eating and the fast food industry is bigger than never. The process that food is produced today has drastically changed and some aspects to talk about are: farmers are being manipulated; fast food is being supported by the government and consumers always have the choice of living healthy.
People need to take initiative to stop eating food that’s not healthy for them because at the end of the day it’s all up to you to stay healthy. Our country become less responsible for their own health and start to blame everyone else for their own health but look at us not eating right and wondering why they are not feeling good, you’re not doing the right thing. This world is full of