There is a direct correlation to health and the cost of healthcare. As more people become sick and diagnosed with chronic diseases, more specialist and medical technology are needed, which leads to an increase in the cost of care. Due to the consumerism in America, Americans will continue to spend more of their money towards these services that have a low probability of improving their health. In order for the cost of healthcare to decrease, the health of individuals has to improve beginning with improving the individuals’ environment in order to reduce health risk. Texas ranks number 11 out of 51 of the states with the highest morbidity for obesity. According to the CDC, the prevalence of obesity in Texas is between 30 to 35 percent. Zoning …show more content…
This data shows how convenient unhealthy options are in low-income communities because of its affordability. Removing fast-food companies out of these neighborhoods and replacing them with companies that serve nutritious foods could decrease health risk. The city of Los Angeles is an example of how a city removed risk factors that increase obesity by placing a ban on the construction of fast-food restaurants in a 32-mile proximity to 500,000 low-income people. Unfortunately, the removal of fast food restaurants does not lead to the improvement of health because these companies are not only located in their communities, but also near jobs and schools. Through the availability of nutrition information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other organizations, Americans have started to become more aware of their food choices. The quality of the American diet has improved between 2005 and 2010. USDA researchers discovered that 42 percent of working adults used the Nutritional Facts Panel to make healthy food