The Cause Of Obesity Epidemic

It’s no secret that obesity is a huge issue worldwide; over three hundred million people are clinically obese on the earth. People of both genders, every race, and all ages are prone to obesity, yet the fault for obesity is not solely each individual's responsibility. In our society, obesity is killing people, and not simply due to the health problems associated with the disorder. Changes must be made to our obesogenic environment to fight the obesity epidemic.

Obesity is an issue of the old, middle-aged, and youth. More than one-third of adults are considered overweight, more than two-thirds of adults are considered to be overweight or have obesity, more than one-third are considered to have obesity, about one-thirteenth of adults have extreme obesity, about one-six of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are considered to be obese.

There are so many Americans that do not understand how to eat healthily.

Although food labels are meant to make comparing different foods easier, they often stump hasty shoppers. The ingredients listed are not always common knowledge and the differences in the nutrition facts from box to box are misinterpreted due to the different serving sizes. Each individual tries looking for numbers that appear less, especially in terms of calories, when trying to lose weight. However, calories are not always the primary cause to consider. Too much sugar will overload the liver, build up fat, and grow just as addictive as alcohol or drugs. Too much sodium will cause dehydration and high blood pressure. Too much cholesterol increases your chances of a heart attack or even a stroke which can lead to

death.

We try to take the initiative and research what each of those percentages of ingredients mean but manufactures manipulate their advertising. It’s their payday to trick us into thinking we are buying something healthier, and when we fall for them we end up with the health problems that can kill us.

The adults of our country should know better, alas children do not. Imagine having to watch an exhausted mother tell her child that he can’t have the cookies with the Mona Lisa on the box. The muscles in his checks tremble as his eyes swell with tears, and he drops to the ground, hammering his feet on the floor and flinging his arms. His mother’s crouches beside him, dominated by a profound sadness and attempts to explain how the cookies are not good for him.

Today, the majority of schools do not offer nutrition education as a curriculum, so teachers are responsible for their own lessons on healthy eating. Otherwise, it’s considered a role for parents to teach their children. Except, when school districts coordinate nutrition education efforts, it presents a more focused message to students. What’s more, being a high schooler, I volunteer in helping with children events from school festivals to the town’s farmers’ market, and I have seen that students are growing less active. I have seen that students would rather sit aside and play video games while snacking. I have seen children that get bullied because they are overweight.

Unfortunately, we blame parents for their children’s weight gain and not feeding their children proper meals, but how are parents meant to buy healthier foods when the costs are out of their budgets? Can we blame families who struggle to support their families and have to buy the cheaper alternative in fast food? Fast food restaurants exaggerate their portions and their prices of larger sizes generally appear cheaper relative to smaller sizes, and any other healthier choice. Just the other day, I decided to have Popeyes and the large fries was spilling out of the box that is used to fit the family meal order.