Every country has their health problems, but it seems that when it comes to obesity, the U.S. is the first place that springs to people's minds. What are the consequences of obesity for the American society? Obesity causes serious effects on the health of Americans. Because of lifestyle changes, changes in food production and less physical activity, the life expectancy is lower, the healthcare has gotten more expensive and the number of people suffering from diabetes has increased.
The American lifestyle has become more hectic and more focused on efficiency in the last decades. People starting to use more electronic devices, cramming meeting after meeting into their schedules and spending more time at their desks, leads to less moving and more than 50 percent of the food dollar spent on eating out, which is also to attribute
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Cheaper sugar substitutes that have been added to more a wider selection of foods and lower food prices combined with bigger portions lead to increasing calorie intakes. All those aspects have contributed to the rising number of obese Americans. Obesity does not only affect the physical health, it also brings mental, social and financial problems, leading to an altogether burdensome life.
The excess weight caused by unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle choices results in increasing the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, high blood pressure and sleep apnea and a lowered life expectancy to the point that children have a good chance to die at a lower age than their parents.
These health conditions coming with obesity also have an impact on the healthcare, since $150 billion a year, a number set to rise to over $190 billion, which is also paid by unaffected Americans. If nothing changes, 42% of the population will be obese by 2030, causing health care costs rising to $550 billion a