With cups of ice-water replaced by sugary soda and people munching on chips instead of fresh fruit and vegetables, it is no surprise that twenty-seven percent of American adults are clinically obese. But with the expected percentage for 2030 skyrocketing to a whopping eighty-six percent, it is time to take responsibility for what we put into our bodies. Just like getting shots and attending that dreaded trip to the doctor’s office, we are obligated not only to ourselves but to our loved ones to become healthier by changing our dietary habits. While ice-cream and chocolate are admittedly therapeutic, a constantly poor diet leads to many complications including bad emotional health, low physical fitness and bone density levels and diabetes. Obese people are five times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma, ten times more likely to develop diabetes and have much higher blood pressures. Lack of energy is also a given, which means no long walks on the beach or neighborhood soccer games.
In my experience, children follow the health priorities of their loved ones and "Fourth Meal" at Taco Bell could be all they know. For this reason, people need to make a change not only for themselves, but also for their children and families. There is nothing sadder than a small child waddling behind as their friends gaily run ahead or a person who has a better relationship with their pizza than their peers. I love to eat my feelings just as much as the next teenage girl, but my parents have always made it clear that there are other outlets for my sadness and boredom. There are many diseases that steal loved ones away, but obesity is one hundred percent preventable.
Education is the only way to solve this mess. Schools, television and people everywhere need to spread this knowledge like a vaccine and promote awareness because temptation is everywhere. It has become so easy to “get two for fifty cents more” or drive through to pick up a thousand calories for under five dollars that people don’t slow down enough to think about consequences. In my experience, just being conscious of how much junk I am consuming helps keep my sweet tooth under control. While choosing organic brands and unprocessed food are obvious solutions, making a deal with myself to be healthier but still allow yummy treats has worked for me. For example, I atone for every guilty pleasure by later eating a serving or two of fruit. It is ultimately each person’s choice to become motivated, but I think more media coverage on the importance of nutrition, such as “Food Inc.” and “Supersize Me”, would help people understand the gravity of the situation.
There is a big difference between rooting for a person trying to lose weight on television and taking the initiative to change your own habits. Eating well is very important, so I think everyone should motivate themselves to eat plenty of wholesome food and enjoy the good times that come with it.
Sources:
http://www.foodincmovie.com/index.php
http://www.foodroutes.org/
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/07/19/nutrition-that-rocks-using-media-to-solve-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic
http://www.takepart.com/issues/obesity/1625