Importance of Nutrition in the U.S
Though a lot of us do not think much about it, nutrition is huge part of our lives. As stated in the book, “nutrition is the study of food and nutrients we need to sustain life and reproduce” (pg. 8 Blake, Munoz & Volpe). Despite the importance of nutrition in our daily lives, many are oblivious to the nutritional value of the foods they consume. What drives us to food is “taste and enjoyment, social life and trends, nutrition knowledge, advertising, time, convenience, and cost, habits and emotions” (pg. 4 Blake, Munoz & Volpe). Out of these categories, the ones that stand out the most to me are culture, trends, and advertising due to the impact these have on one of the leading health issues in the United States; obesity.
Although in some cultures obesity is considered a symbol of beauty and wealth, in the United States, obese individuals are perceived as lazy and unhealthy. Despite these negative attitudes towards obesity, America remains one of the most obese countries in the world. For this, we have our culture to blame. Food such as burgers, fries, and hotdogs are often heavily associated with Americans. A big issue with these foods however, is that they are low in nutritional value. To make up for the lack of fruits and vegetables, our culture seems to heavily rely on vitamin supplements. These are great specially for people who want
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As stated in our website, “Oklahoma State University thrives within a culture of wellness” (Americas Healthiest Campus). Our campus does a great job keeping us active with the Colvin and other activities around campus however, we lack in healthy foods. While Jamba Juice can be considered “healthy” due to it being a smoothie place, their smoothies contain quite a bit of sugar and for us to continue being Americas healthiest campus, we must make healthier foods a
Imbalanced food habits are often the cause of obesity and as food habits are related to cultures, from the perspective of symbolic interaction theory of sociology, the cause of obesity can be explained. In this regard it is to be noted that, “Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Subjective meanings are given primacy because it is believed that people behave based on what they believe and not just what is objectively true” (Crossman, n.d.). In this regard it can be said that the popular food culture of America tends to be based on fast food and carbonated beverages. Most of the
Throughout the years in the United States, fast food has become the prominent diet of citizens. Many people do not realize the harmful effects of eating fast food on a daily basis. Many people in the United States are use to consuming foods that are processed with sugars and other chemicals, without being aware of eating a unhealthy diet can increase the risks of being obese ;as well as, having numerous health issues. Although people try their best to eat healthy and more productive they do not know what foods to eat or whether if it is healthy for them. In the articles “Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zincekino and “Escape from the Western Diet” by Michael Pollan. There were a number of similarities and differences in the details highlighted in these two articles.
The sources consulted for this essay are: Ann Cooper’s TED talk: “What’s wrong with School Lunches”, where she explains the issues on how America is feeding and educating their kids about food, Mark Bittman’s TED talk: “What’s wrong with what we eat”, in which he explains the western diet’s consequences on health and environment, and from the book “Food Matters”; Brian Wansink and Collin R. Payne’s: “The Joy of Cooking Too Much: 70 Years of Calorie Increases in Classic Recipes” where we see a chart that compares increasing serving calorie numbers on classic recipes through the years, Marian Nestle’s:“Eating Made Simple” where she takes a nutrition, as well as the diagram used for the U.S. Government’s Nutritional Guidelines. This essay
Many Americans are concern about the increment of disease and obesity caused by the limited options of healthy food, “since America is saturated with junk food advertising”(Khullar 135). However, in consequence of the absence of an American cuisine, fast food restaurants and foods high in fats offered by supermarkets, has become the first option to Americans. After all, Pollan’s argument that the lack of a stable traditional cuisine is the consequence of America’s national eating disorder and the steady national diet is reasonable since there are many factors that support his claim. For example, Mary Roach, in Liver and Opinions: Why We Eat What We Eat and Despite the Rest, claims that the food we eat is influenced by people’s cultural background; in other words, people are used to eating what their parents feed them when they were kids. “In addition, Americans have a conflict with having a stable eating habit; they tend to change their diet often”(Roach 123). Overall, Pollan’s is comprehensible while he argues that Americans do not have a stable culture of food, which causes an instability in people’s
I chose to address the questions what are the strengths and weaknesses of the American diet, as well as, what is distinctive about American food. I chose these questions to focus my research paper on because of the relationship between the American diet and health care. The United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, due to immigration, which is what makes it so distinctive. The diet also has many flaws including the cause for rising medical issues. I have a pre-nursing major, so diet plays a big role in the medical field. My purpose for researching the American diet is to be able to…. With the Industrial Revolution, the inventions of many new products such as processed foods, refrigerators, and fast food chains.
Following the election of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, the nation has been paying better attention to their health and the things that we eat. More healthy and organic food items are available to the general public, but the main problem is in lower income areas. Many of them do not get the same nutritious foods and are only offered junk foods at the local corner store and fast food restaurants. This results in a number of problems the contribute to the United States being one of the most unhealthy country in the world. Poor nutrition in low income areas have issues with the availability of healthy foods, fast food in poor areas, and the impact of food oppression on obesity.
One concept that the author suggests is the link between the choices that American’s make now versus the choices American’s made in the past. The kinds of foods we choose to eat is very crucial to the body and if we don’t pay enough attention, it can lead to health problems later on in life. In the past, there were not much processed foods with added sugars and fats, as compared to now. Americans are consuming more processed foods than eating healthy, but eating healthy is not the only answer to lowering the risks of diseases; we also have to include daily intakes of vitamins and minerals and daily exercise. If Americans continue to choose eating processed foods and not maintain their health and weight; they will have a higher risk of diseases
Understanding the effects of poor and efficient eating habits and how to manage your health is crucial to the existence of a healthy population in the America. To understand these approaches, one has to understand some of the poor eating habits witnessed on most people in the United States. Paula (2015) states that only ten percent of the entire American population follow a daily diet consistent with the federal nutrient recommendations. Other than following the required nutrition, most people prefer meals rich in trans-fats, salt, saturated fat, and sugar and ignore fruits, vegetables, and fiber. The increased preference of poor nutrition contributes a total of four out of six in
Various regions of the world have different responses to the issue of obesity. Some cultures view obesity as necessary and attractive while others are taking drastic measures in an attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle. Although some of these drastic changes seem a bit invasive and controversial, policy makers are debating whether it is effective and even whether or not such a policy should be adopted in the United States. According to the article written by Gallagher, a culture sensitive approach should be implemented in order to tackle the issue of global obesity. A study of children of Mexican descent showed that about 32.6% of Mexican children occupying the U.S. are overweight and about 19.2% are obese (Gallagher 2010). The parents observed in this study were serving their children unhealthy foods, such as those from cans and fast food restaurants, due to price and convenience (Gallagher 2010).
Prior to the War, the American diet heavily consisted of “red meat, butter, wheat flour, and sugar.” Red meats, wheat flour, sugar, and butter were all consumed by many American families on a weekly basis, which is why the United State Food Administration felt the need to place restrictions on consumption and encourage the consumption of “milk, vegetables, nonwheat cereals, fish and poultry.” The American diet consisted primarily of these foods because these foods could be grown and harvested in America.
102). One might impugn that it is not poverty but lack of education that affects the obesity epidemic. It does not require a mathematician to comprehend that choosing a two dollar case of Honey Buns as opposed to a six dollar bag of apples will equal more food in the refrigerator. Generally, processed foods are more “energy dense” than garden-fresh foods; they contain less water and fiber but more added fat and sugar, which make them both less satisfying and more calorific (Pollan, 2006). Provisions similar to fruits and vegetables contain high water content that permits individuals to feel satiated rather swiftly. Nutritious meals are more expensive, less tasty, and are more time consuming to prepare, fostering unhealthy eating patterns. On special occasions, parents will treat their children to McDonalds where everything is “super-sized”. Adults and children can acquire debauched consumption patterns because they don’t comprehend the quantity they have enthusiastically ingested. Pollan (2006) stated that “Well-designed fast food has a fragrance and flavor all its own, a fragrance and flavor only nominally connected to hamburgers or French fries or for that matter to particular food” (p. 111).
Most Americans start the morning with the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Their breakfast usually contains fruit and dairy. Do they ever stop to think where their food comes from, or who works so hard to provide us with these foods? No, they don’t. Every day before the sunrise farmers are out doing their job to help Americans get the protein, vitamins, and fiber they need to start the day off. Feeding Americans isn’t the only thing farmers do.
The health of the public relies on many factors that can be related back to nutritional habits of the majority. By allocating resources to many of these nutritional issues, the chances of a healthier population increase exponentially. Increased sugar additives, misleading food labels, and fad diets using weight loss supplements are a few of the issues that continue to plague the health of the entire population.
Thanks to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, federally funded school breakfast and lunches are more nutritious than ever. The law ushered in requirements that school meals include more fruits and vegetable, more whole grains, less sodium, no trans fats, and limit on saturated fat and calories, and to improve the overall quality of the food sold at school, but food likes and dislikes, food fads, ethnic backgrounds, habits, religion, society and income all influence the dietary patterns of rich and poor alike. For food supplement to be successful in nourishing a malnourished population, it must be acceptable to the people for whom it is intended the children, even though there is about 70% of acceptance among parents, also children are growing, so they are in an anabolic state: muscle is being built; bone is being built; and the brain is developing. Changing food habits is difficult, therefore nutrition education is of the utmost importance since a child need all necessary nutrients as his/her body can double in high within a few years. Some research combines knowledge from the fields of behavioral economics, psychology, and food marketing to analyze how people decide to eat. A test was conducted on whether making healthier food more convenient would lead to their increased consumption, and after a 16-period, the sales of healthier foods rose 18% and the unhealthy food consumption decreased by 27%. The bad economy in recent years has place a burden on the schools
Nutrition is a basic and fundamental process for all living organisms, and there is a strong link between a balanced diet and the health. The issue of nutrition has received a considerable critical attention to immune defence and resistance to pathogens, with consequences that impact the health and reproductive success of individual organisms (Cunningham-Rundles et al., 2005; Rolff and Reynolds, 2009).