Unhealthy Lifestyle

Over the years teenagers have been getting fatter and every year the number of individuals who are obese increases. In America, today's youth is known for having the worst eating habits in history. Teenagers are eating large amounts of obesogenic foods and craving Hot Cheetos for breakfast. Over the decades the eating habits of individuals have dramatically changed. Since 1980 obesity among adolescents has increased dramatically. Obesity is more common in adolescents now than it ever has been and the current generation may not outlive their parents. It is clear that something has to be done and quick before all of America is obese. It is not just the problem of one group or individual to fix. It is going to take everyone, including the government,

Therefore, understanding the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle can help encourage healthier choices. There are a number of diseases that can result from living an unhealthy lifestyle such as type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Type 2 diabetes is defined as a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. Cardiovascular disease which includes heart attacks, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, damages blood vessels, places high levels of stress on the heart and ultimately may lead to a stroke. Due to living an unhealthy lifestyle an individual also increases the chance of being diagnosed with prostate, esophagus, kidney or pancreatic cancer. It is clear that there is a connection between lifestyle choices and chronic disease. According to the article “Chronic Diseases As a Result of Poor Lifestyle Choices” the author, Pan Koenig states that “A diet of fast food, highly processed or salty foods and large amounts of starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, cereal, baked goods, sweets, sugary drinks, alcohol excess, overeating and lack of exercise are the primary causes of obesity”(5). It is clear that eating unhealthy foods will give an individual harmful diseases. Therefore, to prevent a life full of pain and disease an individual must begin to change and improve their quality of life today, but one cannot accomplish this on their own

Local governments around the country like San Francisco, Seattle, and Berkeley have started to make or propose laws that tax sugar-sweetened drinks, they have set a precedent but more needs to be done. In the article “The New War Against Obesity” the author states that while coming up with a long term fix for the problem will take a lot more than just taxation, an in depth look at early experiments show promising results. Taxation on sugary beverages is where the government has the most solid evidence of an effect. The main goal of the government is to reduce consumption, especially in lower income families who are more likely to have untreated diseases related to excessive consumption of unhealthy foods. Another thing the government can do to push America towards a better future is to reduce the prices of healthier foods. Healthier foods are known for being more expensive and unhealthy foods are always a lot cheaper. According to the article “The New War on Obesity” the author states that “...most [Americans] say they would eat more healthy foods if it cost less”(23). Overall it is up to those who have a voice to push their government into adding more levies to unhealthy foods but, those who have the most power in raising healthy children and young adults are