Obesity: An American Epidemic

The obesity rate in the United States is appalling. We have the highest rate of obesity in the entire world. Some countries are known for having such a healthy population when it comes to weight as determined by the body mass index. Our country is known for having the worst rate of obesity and even an unusual amount of cases of morbid obesity. Morbid obesity is when you are so overweight that you are far more likely to have heart attacks or other weight related issues. So why is it that America has the highest obesity rate? Let’s look into some of the factors.

Food in this country is something we often indulge in. People are more likely to have a burger and fries or pizza than a salad or a healthy meal. Most people’s dinners don’t contain any vegetable that has not been deep fried. Diets like this are one of the reasons that we have such a problem with weight. We don’t eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables, and we also tend to snack far too much. Foods that are bad for us are more readily available and require less work to get. People are more likely to order in than to cook a healthy meal.

There is also a huge amount of mental illness and an epidemic of depression in this country. People in this country use food to mask emotions as well, causing them to overeat and eat poor foods for comfort. This habit is one that is hard to break and takes a great deal of willpower to overcome.

Exercise is a big deal in keeping a healthy weight as well. Now that we have such a technological age, and everyone has gone so internet crazy you are hard pressed to find a child outside playing a game or participating in a sport. You are more likely to see children playing on their iPads and on their Xbox rather than doing anything resembling exercise. With patterns for this child and even adults are more likely to become obese. It is a simple fact that comes from doing more sitting and playing than running, and bike riding like they used to before technology was so far advanced.

Obesity is so common because of the way our country is these days. Fast food and take out are available and easier than cooking, and technology is what we have replaced with playing outside like kids used to do. There are many factors that contribute to obesity.

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