Obesity In America Essay

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Since the beginning of the 21st century obesity has been a prevalent health concern in America. It has become so common that now what was once a rare occurrence is now seen as an epidemic. It is said that that currently 1 in every 3 adults is obese. That’s 33% of the adult population in America! Using a model population and health trends a researcher even found that by 2030 half of the adult population will be obese. Some people may ask what’s the big deal? So what if a few people are overweight? However it’s not the problem that they’re overweight it’s all the diseases and health risks associated with obesity including but not limited to heart disease, gallbladder disease and diabetes. It is even estimated that 18% of all deaths in the United …show more content…

While scientists cannot completely blame the rise of obesity on one factor there are a few more common ideas. The first is the the abundance of food in America which is in sharp contrast to previous life styles of hunting and farming. It is believed that because of this high amount of food intake levels increased leading to people becoming overweight. The second idea is the the rise of poverty in America leading to people having to settle for cheaper less healthy foods also adding to this obesity. The third reason seen by scientists is the high increase in intake of fats and sugars in the late 1990’s. While all of these factors may seem different when compared they all can be found in one major change in America. That change is the development of the fast food industry. People were now able to save money by spending less on food that happened to be unhealthy. The rise of the fast food industry directly correlates with the heightened rates of obesity and sugar and fat intake. Food should always be healthy because, even though it may cost more money or taste worse, people should be more healthy in America than they are and food companies can deal with a few consequences that are direct results from their actions

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