According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, over 66% of adults in the United States are overweight and over one-third of those people are classified as obese. Moreover, in 2010, about 17 percent of children and teens fell into the ‘overweight’ category. Every year, these rates get higher and higher, especially as it pertains to children and adolescents. While movements like clean eating and keto diets have become more popular in the last few years, the obesity rate continue to spike. America has become one of the world’s most obese nations.
The calculation for weight relies on the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI measures body fat by using the person’s height and weight in relation with each other. There is a difference between those who are overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. An adult whose BMI is between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. Moreover, a BMI over 30 defines obesity. Obesity can lead to many life threatening and life changing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and strokes.
This paper will focus on the dietary concerns I have regarding the United States. It
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5,000 steps denotes a sedentary, or inactive, lifestyle. People who work office jobs or do not have labor intensive jobs may have trouble reaching 10,000 steps a day, especially if they drive or take public transportation.
Many of the people who are obese fall below the poverty line. It is more difficult for impoverished people to eat healthy or make healthier food due to the price of foods like fresh produce and lean meats. They simply cannot afford to eat healthy. In addition, there are more fast-food restaurants and convenience stores on average in lower income areas than higher ones. Higher income areas tend to have more grocery stores, which have a variety of foods, healthy or not, for residents to choose from.