Obesity Epidemic

Fast food, it’s cheap, convenient and darn tasty when you eat it. However, that has become a growing concern who consumes these products because it is causing obesity, a quickly rising health issue in America. Just like clothes fads, the industry controls what people eat. It is not a habit that should be acquired yet people do it. I believe the food and restaurant industry is partially accountable for the foods they serve and should at least focus on product liability and have some measure of corporate responsibility.

It is interesting to know, that the most powerful country in the world with some of the most advanced technologies from medical to fire power, is also the most obese. You see those Americans walking down the street, a bulge here, and a bulge there. It is not an appealing sight, yet it is all over. There are also its extremes of being too skinny, but that really is not the concern. Cardiovacular Disease is the number 1 killer of American lives. Former President Bill Clinton has recently started a campaign to battle the causes of obesity. With the help of the American Heart Association, he hopes to promote healthy eating habits in children and to also encourage them to exercise. It is much tougher to push or even encourage the older generation to eat healthy and exercise. Although it is never too late to start, it is an excellent strategy to encourage the young to eat healthy so they build healthy habits which will most likely stay with them for the rest of their lives. I really applaud Mr. Clinton for his campaign, because it will forever change the way Americans live. Ignore those tv ads! If Clinton can avoid eating fast food permanently, dont you think we all can do the same? Thinking about it, I should start eating healthier and get more exercise in my schedule too before anything bad happens.

I believe as time progresses, the way business advertise food to the public, will become healthier. I am not sure how long this will take, since taste preference usually supercedes if it is healthy or not. Fast food is still cheap and affordable, just not very healthy, and business make a huge margin on that. Healthier foods tend to be of more quality which costs both the seller and buyer more. Since neither wants to pay these prices, it is still difficult to promote healthier foods. It is especially difficult for people with low incomes, as low quality fast foods are affordable, whereas healthier alternatives are not, even if they are only slightly more. Hopefully time will help lower the costs of healthy alternatives and the unhealthy counterparts are banned.