Obesity In America Research Paper

Chew On This: Obesity
America’s population size is rapidly growing in more ways than just one. While an increase in humans in the country does not stand as a problem, the average size of an American is increasing, thus causing the obesity epidemic. Obesity has only recently become a problem in the past couple of decades, where the percentage of Americans with health problems has increased dramatically. The question What is causing the problem, and how can we stop it? has been thrown around in almost every corner of the country, leading to many related studies devoted to answering the question. Some answers have placed the blame of the newly developed dependencies on the convenience of junk food and also the lack of education about the epidemic. …show more content…
The main problem is that the effects from obesity are going unnoticed until it is too late, and children are being diagnosed with diabetes and other health issues at very young ages, causing health care costs to skyrocket. The resolution for saving today’s young adults from the obesity epidemic starts with education of the overall problem, adjustment of the food industry, and self responsibility of an individual.
Education on the issue of obesity should start in elementary schools and continue all the way through until the end of high school for students. Allowing for young adults to be properly aware of the full situation requires early exposure to it, which is why education courses in early stages of their lives are critical. The youth of this generation are going to be the first generation to die before their parents if eating and exercise habits are not drastically changed. The idea that parents might actually have to bury their children is something that should be drilled into American’s minds to illuminate the seriousness of the situation. Not only should children be taught the main causes of obesity and its effects on their life, the emphasis should be in assisting children to determine on …show more content…
“Currently, estimates for [health care costs] range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. In addition, obesity is associated with job absenteeism, costing approximately $4.3 billion annually and with lower productivity while at work, costing employers $506 per obese worker per year” (The Healthcare Costs of Obesity). As stated by this statistic, health care costs obviously add up to a majority of total money brought in by the industry. While the healthcare industry is bringing in this money, the everyday American is losing out on the same money, whether they are paying for their medical bills or paying taxes going towards this medical care for others. According to Mark Bittman, other countries have already taken similar actions, such as Hungary who has “...propos[ed] a new tax on food with ‘too much’ sugar, salt, or fat, while increasing taxes on liquor and soft drinks to pay for state-financed health care...” (Bittman). Instead of wasting tax dollars on diseases that could easily be avoided, the money brought in should be spent subsidizing the production and distribution of healthier food choices, all while adding extra taxes to foods deemed harmful. Just as fast-food joints are easily accessible and seen on nearly every corner, there should be fruit and vegetable stands on every corner as well, along with drive thrus

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