The Obesity Epidemic Sweeping the Nation

901 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of food additives on the world

Repeatedly the news will highlight a story about the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation. Although the news and health experts bombard the common citizen with quick and easy ways to eat healthier and exercise more, the source of the issue is kept hidden behind closed doors. Before placing blame on the eating habits, it’s essential to take a closer look at what is being consumed. With rapid change in the food industry, progress must be met with caution because “The way we eat has changed more in the past fifty years than in the past 10,000” (Pollan and Schlosser). It is easy for the common man to provide the blanket statement of eating “better”, yet few actually proceed to do this. The average American has one of the worst diets in the world although opportunity and variety of options are overwhelming. Food industries are deceiving by masking the true process of how their food is produced. Not only does the eye not see how the food was made, but there is also a false sense of variety in the grocery market. The grossly unbalanced American diets and genetically modified organisms both coexist to create a greater problem than previously thought of. Chemical advancement in modern science is a contributing factor to “better”, faster, and cheaper food production. Although the ideas of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) that scientists thrive for are theoretically beneficial, they are corrupting the natural methods for farming and food that consumers will purchase. Nowadays, around 70% of food has a genetically modified ingredient. What is being consumed in mass quantities across the country barely constitutes as food in some instances. A prime example lies in the tomato. Tomatoes are sold year round in grocery markets nationwide.... ... middle of paper ... ...oo dominant to change their way of production but if the consumer who pays the money demands a change, change will come. All of these problems evident in the nation’s food and diet present the same question to each person “Are you willing to make an effort for change, or will you remain oblivious and blind to the ever present issues?”. Works Cited Bittman, Mark. "It's The Sugar, Folks." New York Times 27 Feb. 2013: A29(L).Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 May 2014 "Dietary Treatment for Overweight and Obesity." Weight in America: Obesity, Eating Disorders, and Other Health Risks. Barbara Wexler. 2012 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 May 2014 Kenner, Robert, dir. Food Inc. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Film. Quillin, Patrick. "Cancer's Sweet Tooth." Nutrition Science News Apr. 2000: n. pag. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Obesity In Michael Moss's Escape From The Western Diet

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    American health, specifically our obesity epidemic, has grown into a trending media topic. A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results containing a multitude of opinions and suggested solutions to our nation’s weight gain, authored by anyone ranging from expert food scientists to common, concerned citizens. Amongst the sea of public opinion on obesity, you can find two articles: Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss. Each article presents a different view on where the blame lies in this public health crisis and what we should do to amend the issue. Pollan’s attempt to provide an explanation pales in comparison to Moss’s reasonable discussion and viable

    Read More

  • Escape From The Western Diet Essay

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    When we think of our national health we wonder why Americans end up obese, heart disease filled, and diabetic. Michael Pollan’s “ Escape from the Western Diet” suggest that everything we eat has been processed some food to the point where most of could not tell what went into what we ate. Pollan thinks that if America thought more about our “Western diets” of constantly modified foods and begin to shift away from it to a more home grown of mostly plant based diet it could create a more pleasing eating culture. He calls for us to “Eat food, Not too much, Mostly plants.” However, Mary Maxfield’s “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, argues differently she has the point of view that people simply eat in the wrong amounts. She recommends for others to “Trust yourself. Trust your body. Meet your needs.” The skewed perception of eating will cause you all kinds of health issues, while not eating at all and going skinny will mean that you will remain healthy rather than be anorexic. Then, as Maxfield points out, “We hear go out and Cram your face with Twinkies!”(Maxfield 446) when all that was said was eating as much as you need.

    Read More

  • Food Inc.: Movie Analysis

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 2009 movie Food Inc. describes the major role that food production plays within many lives. This movie revealed that there is a very small variety of companies that consumers purchase their food from. These few companies actually control what is out on the shelves and what we put into our bodies. These companies have changed food production into a food production business. Many of these companies experiment with ways to create large quantities of food at low production costs to result in an enormous amount of profit for themselves. Some of the production cost cuts also result in less healthy food for the population. Instead of worrying about the health of the population, the companies are worried about what will make them the most money.

    Read More

  • The Pleasures of Eating

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Wendell Berry’s “The Pleasures of Eating,” this farmer tells eaters how their separation from food production has turned them into “passive consumers” who know nothing about the food they eat, or their part in the agricultural process (3). They are blindsided by a food industry that does not help them understand. Berry argues that the average consumer buys available food without any questions. He states consumers that think they are distanced from agriculture because they can easily buy food, making them ignorant of cruel conditions it went through to get on the shelf. Humans have become controlled by the food industry, and regard eating as just something required for their survival. Berry wants this to change as people realize they should get an enjoyment from eating that can only come from becoming responsible for their food choices and learning more about what they eat. While describing the average consumer’s ignorance and the food industry’s deceit, he effectively uses appeals to emotion, logic, and values to persuade people to take charge, and change how they think about eating.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Food Labeling

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    The food industry continues to be a major contributor to health problems in the United States and around the world. Currently, 13% of the world’s 671 million obese individuals live in the United States. (Kaplan) Some believe that it is the government’s responsibility to go to educate the people and then to further encourage them to make wise decisions on what they choose to eat. Others argue that it is the consumer’s personal responsibility to educate themselves and make a conscious decision about their food. After all, we have the freedom to do so. No one forces people to buy and eat the things that they do. But it would be naive and even outrageous to say that there are no extraneous factors counteracting a person’s will to make healthy

    Read More

  • Overview of the Obesity Epidemic

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is no doubt that obesity has taken its seat as one of the top disease that strikes the world today. In America, obesity has now spread through the country leaving 2 out of 3 adults either overweight or obese, and worldwide 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Overweight). The cause of this disease stems from multiple reasons such as the increase in modern food production, putting out ample amounts of food causing the prices for meat, groceries, and especially junk food to plummet. Subsequently, Americans especially were more inclined to purchase more food and showed an increase in the average American house hold food intake by 1,000 more calories a day (Dreifus).

    Read More

  • Obesity in America on the Rise

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today, 78.1 million American adults and 12.5 million children are obese. Obesity in America is a unstoppable epidemic. Since the 1960s, the number of obese adults have doubled and the number of obese children have tripled. Because of America’s obesity problems, Surgeon General David Satcher issued a report saying; "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight," said that obesity "have reached epidemic proportions" in America. Obesity in America has no doubt reached epidemic proportions. Since 2001, America has been the most obese country in the world. This essay discusses what obesity is and how it is affecting today’s America by answers the following questions:

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maria Mena is a second year undergraduate student at Merced Community College getting her general education. After she finishes with her general education she plans on majoring in Nursing. She is interested in Nursing because she wants to help the sick and wounded in a hospital or clinical environment. Nurses will help treat you whether they know you or not and they are there for you in times of great need. Maria Mena is very determined and driven to push herself to achieve her goals. They include but are not limited to graduating from college and getting her Nursing degree. Then also possibly going past just regular nursing and specializing in Pediatric nursing at some point down the road.

    Read More

  • Problems with Obesity in America

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Bad Food” – What’s the Best Food? Tax it, and Subsidize Vegetables”, Mark Bittman suggests that the people of America should stop eating unhealthy foods so often. In the article, Bittman tells his audience that people with “heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all in large part caused by the standard American Diet” (page 35). He also states that eating healthy can result in a better health care system, saving millions of lives. The big issue is Americans eating unhealthy every day, but proposing a plan to help stop it from happening.

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic in America

    2913 Words  | 6 Pages

    Imagine a world where a school aged child can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. A world where soda companies make millions of dollars a year by placing soda machines in schools. A world where 30.5 percent of adults are considered obese. A world where obesity is killing more people than smoking. What if I told you this world is not in your imagination but is the world we live in today?

    Read More

  • America's Obesity Epidemic

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    The government plays an important part in our safety, but many people think they take it too far. Recently, people have thought more and more about how much involvement the government should have when it comes to food regulations. Some people think the government's involvement in regulating food would greatly help obesity rates, and others think the country's obesity rates would show little to no improvement. Although no one cause of obesity exists, and no government regulations will likely alter someone’s lifestyle choices, the government should implement some regulations by implementing programs to educate and encourage citizens to lead a healthier life and by requiring companies to list a full disclosure of ingredients on their products.

    Read More

  • Food Vs Food

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    “What are we going to eat?” is a big question that we ask ourselves three time a day. We are eating the same kinds of foods over and over again. Most of our foods come from the supermarket, but many of us do not know where the foods origins. Most people don't realize the nutrition facts behind the fact. They are just simply filling up the stomach. As Michael Pollan, the author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, states: “Industry food system is most important reasons that make people unhealthy and obesity. Yet, eating organic food are considering healthier than industry food.” I believed although industry foods have less nutrition, and bad effects on human, individual responsibilities serve as the most important factor of the obesity in United States.

    Read More

  • Obesity in America: A Growing Health Crisis

    1512 Words  | 4 Pages

    As Americans, we all take our own approach to food, but most of us have the same initial feeling about it. And that is that we live and eat an unhealthy lifestyle to one that is leading to the increase of obesity and other diseases. In just 28years the rate of obesity in children has raised from 6.9% to 19.6%. We take that childhood obesity into our adulthood with us. Not only is the obesity rates increasing, but so is our chance of developing diabetes along with hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. People want to comment and have a say about the situation. But very few people want to take action and change the way our food today is processed and made accessible to us. The major argument people have is that they do not have the money for a healthier lifestyle. But,

    Read More

  • Obesity and the Food Industry

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with at least 2.8 million people dying annually as a result (World Health Organization). Among others, the food industry, governments and the private sector, all have vital roles to play in contributing to obesity prevention or more controversially, obesity continuation. These groups have the power to govern the constitutional elements of consumption, distribution, inspection, regulation, control and production of food. Competition within the industry is inevitable as it strives to supply food in a staggering abundance, at such a low-cost and without regard to geography or season. These high production rates have spawned powerful conglomerates as companies have merged to increase overall influence and reduce competition. In order to safeguard these positions, issues of regulation and conflict of interests manifest themselves in questionable industry funded food research centered on potential health benefits of their products (Sharma); these are conducted by government organizations responsible for promoting healthy eating habits but are funded by food manufacturers. They attempt to provide scientific proof in order to lobby the government to ensure a sympathetic legal framework to influence the implementation of nutritional policies. This repeatedly indicates that business interests are winning out over health concerns. Innumerable resources have been expended to develop and market products that are guaranteed to sell regardless of the global “eat less” message. In this essay I will explore how the food industry is promoting an environment in which the net result is an increase in body weight.

    Read More

  • Fast Food Industry Persuasive Essay

    625 Words  | 2 Pages

    Due to the food industry’s carelessness over people’s health and their lust to become more rich, they are causing people all over the US and the world become obese. The food industry claims this problem in society is not their fault, but because they label their products and so it is the people’s fault for not eating responsibly. Our communities are full of fast-food restaurants making people who busy working buy this junk they so call food not only for themselves but for their families too. The food industry states that they have nothing to do with the fast-food industry but in the contrary they supply the fast-food industry with their products and in the end they both win and the people lose. These are some of the justifications the food industry claims that are the reason as to why we have obesity in the US and the world.

    Read More

More about The Obesity Epidemic Sweeping the Nation

Open Document