The American Diet

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Do you struggle with health problems or anxiety? If so, do not worry, because you are not alone. Today, America is in the middle of a serious crisis. Many people are suffering from diseases that are directly related to the American Diet. An estimated sixty-one percent of Americans are deemed overweight, and about one-third of these are currently obese (cdc.gov). Throughout the country, the obesity epidemic has struck every population demographic. According to the Center of Disease Control, an estimated 248,000 Americans die prematurely every year owing to obesity. The Center also asserts that many more people die prematurely today owing to illnesses related to obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. An even more ominous statistic is that the percentage of children and adolescents who are obese has doubled in the last twenty years (cdc.gov). In order to understand why obesity is on the sky rise in America, the average diet of Americans must be taken into consideration. In comparison to other countries, the American Diet is one of, if not the worst in terms of nutrition (Young 93). The unhealthy American Diet is a dietary habit that is highly associated with fast food, processed foods, soft drinks , and large portions, which explains why it has to change in order to save our country. Over the past 50 years, American diets have changed from leisurely family cooked meals that were usually prepared at home, using natural ingredients to today’s fast foods that are eaten on the run with little thought towards nutrition of content; at least one quarter of Americans eat fast food everyday (Harper 35). Eating out several times each week constitutes an important part of most Americans routines (Schlosser). The places as well as the foods consumed in eating out play an important role in fulfilling lifestyle aspirations. Compared to other foods

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