Is obesity the new trend?

   

                                                                     
        We play the blame game constantly with the outcome of our decisions even with our health. In the United States, there has been an increase in obesity during the past years with rates multiplying almost three times the previous year, especially with children and adolescents. We see more fast food advertisements, locations, and coupons that lure us into consuming the high saturated fat foods. But when are all these tactics going to end? Never. Fast food chains or any other companies that sell unhealthy foods to us are never going to indulge you into consuming healthier foods; thus it is up the individual to choose if he/she is willing to risk their health for that one minute of craving.


         What we consume is up to us to decide, not the government or anyone else. It has been debated that the government is at fault for the increase of the obesity epidemic. The government does not actively enforce many food companies to put all the nutritional value of the food in the food label, which citizens are complaining about. Though, even if the nutritional value was packaged with every food item consumed, would you even look at it? Many of the food we consume has nutrition labels, and we tend to ignore it because we do not care for the nutritional value. It is a personal choice if you want to mask yourself from the truth about what you eat.
         Furthermore, there are free resources available online for adults to begin their health journey. One of the main reason many people do not start a healthy diet is that of their lack of motivation. There are many resources available to the public online to choose from that motivates you towards your goals, such as YouTube and WeightWatchers.
         In this century, children weight gain has grown exponentially. Parents find it convenient to go to the next door restaurant or convenience stores to buy their child breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of providing a healthy home cooked meal. Parents are producing “fast food babies.” In a documentary conducted by BBC, it reveals babies and toddlers are eating a diet of chips, burgers, and kebabs; all washed down with soda. Children are not aware of the health risk they are undertaking by consuming such high calorie and saturated fat food. Thus it is up the adult to show early healthy habits. Often, parents blame the unhealthy food habit bestowed on their child on the government for increasing the prices on the necessities like gasoline for the car and electricity. 


Parents stay overtime at work to financially support their child in his/her needs. But governmental assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP are available for parents to apply and get financial assistance to buy healthier food options as well as other resources needed to accommodate a junk food free healthy environment for the children. This assistance alleviates the parent's finances. 




       
          Individuals are provided with the necessary resources to change their diet. It is up to the person or parent to decide if they or their child want to be another statistic in the obesity trend. 





References:  

Cooper, V., & Emerson, D. (2011, December 02). Fast Food Baby. Retrieved October 09, 2018, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010y763

The State of Obesity. (n.d.). National Obesity Rates & Trends. Retrieved October 09, 2018, from https://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/


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