Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Obesity in the United States

Obesity is escalading throughout the United States as we speak. It is a serious health hazard that is not nearly being taken as seriously as it should be. The number of fast food places; and convenient restaurants are growing in number. People are eating on-the-go more, and more. Restaurants are serving larger portion sizes for less money. This ends up creating having less time to think and plan out their daily nutrition requirements, and just eating whatever is easier to get. It is understandable for the people who live fast lifestyles and who don’t have time to really think about what they’re eating; but perhaps an apple will be a healthier choice than a bag of chips. Statistics show if a person cuts out soda, and replaces it with water then they will cut out a lot of calories. If people eat six smaller meals than three square meals a day; then they would most likely have a lower BMI. It would also be healthier to eat out less, and consume more home-cooked meals. This trend of obesity has dramatically increased in the last decade, and it continues to rise.

Fast food, snack food, and sweets have become an everyday choice. It is fine to have these foods on occasion, but consuming foods high in fat and sugar everyday will most certainly take a toll on your health. People who are obese have a higher risk of developing cancer, having heart disease, diabetes, depression, arthritis, stroke, among many other dangerous health risks. Obesity is preventable, if you make healthier food choices, and start being more active then you will end up living a longer and happier life. Once people become more aware of the dangers, then they will hopefully be more open to a healthier lifestyle. Statistics show that the reason why children are obese is because of their parents’ poor food choices.

In order to avoid becoming obese it, is very important for the younger generations to learn and be educated about obesity. This is because today’s children are tomorrow’s parents, and they must set examples for their children to come. Our youths aren’t nearly as informed about these hazards, as they should be. The main reason is because many schools still have unhealthy cafeteria choices. And the rates of children being obese are higher than ever. So let’s start now, and be an educated, aware, and active group starting now. Make good nutrition choices and you will be a healthier person.

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