The Cause of Obesity in the United States

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Obesity has increased rapidly throughout the years, especially in the United States. As of today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults in the U.S are considered to be obese. We all know that obesity is becoming a serious issue in the lives Americans. The effects of obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and in serious cases, death. So the question we can all ask is, “What is the cause?” The cause of obesity can come from, but is not limited to, some of these things: eating habits, lack of exercise, or a medical condition. Eating habits have become a cause of obesity because most people in America decide to take the fast route. Fast food has become so prevalent in the day to day lives of so many families and individuals. The cost and convenience of fast food has led to an increase in consumption, which does not help our cause. According to Carey Polis’ article in The Huffington Post, fast food is about $550 cheaper per year than choosing the healthy option. That means people are more likely to choose a cheeseburger from McDonald’s over fresh fruit and vegetables from the produce section at the grocery store. Along with how cheap it is to get our hands on fast food, the convenience makes it even more difficult to resist. With a fast food restaurant on every corner of every block in town, it makes it much easier for someone to pick up on a meal on their daily commute rather than actually trying to cook something healthy. Choosing fast food is not the most nutritious way to go either. Fast food is filled with sugar, fats, salts, and calories. It is usually low in nutrition and high in what are considered to be “empty” calories. By definition obesity is caused by the excess in... ... middle of paper ... ...ers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 May 2014. "CDC: 80 Percent of American Adults Don't Get Recommended Exercise." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. Hoffman, Beth. "It's Convenience, Not Cost, That Makes Us Fat." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 July 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. "Medical Causes of Obesity." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. "Obesity - Causes ." Obesity. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014. Polis, Carey. "Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy Will Cost You $550 More Per Year, Study Reveals." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. Sifferlin, Alexandra. "New Genes IDd in Obesity: How Much of Weight Is Genetic?" Time. Time, n.d. Web. 02 May 2014. Waehner, Paige. "How Alcohol Can Affect Your Weight." About.com Exercise. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

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