United States Department Of Agriculture

After reading chapters 15 and 21 in our Current Issues and Enduring Questions book and viewing Forks Over Knives, I am afraid I do not see this worrisome food issue in America improving in the near future. Obesity is a known epidemic and it is widespread throughout the entire country. According to the documentary film, Forks Over Knives, “We spend $2.2 trillion a year on healthcare: over five times more than the defense budget.” This quote reveals the issue regarding the state of health and by maintaining a healthier diet not only do people benefit, but the government does as well. The current relationship between food and health industries brings an uncertainty that should be seen as a critical concern to the eyes of the public. Too many people

This article was to examine how the US government uses dietary guidelines for Americans and how the guidelines were supposed to help us eat and stay healthy. Diet and chronic diseases are sometimes connected. For example, it is proven that nutrient deficiency disease like scurvy can be cured by consuming the lost nutrients. However, it is also shown that some nutrient exposure can cause chronic illness such as energy, fats, sodium dietary fiber, and food exposures, etc. making it difficult to set dietary guidelines. In addition to some nutrient causing chronic diseases, nondietary factors such as stress, lack of exercise, smoking and other environmental factors are linked to causing chronic illnesses (Slavin, 2012).

In the past forty years, the average American’s weight has skyrocketed. This can be traced to the introduction of fast food into our everyday lives. Fatty cheeseburgers and grease laden French fries have replaced fresh fish and crisp vegetables. Americans have come to value convenience more highly than personal health and consequently we are paying for what we consume.

Why does America have an obesity problem? Do we blame it on ourselves, the government, or the supermarket? It is obviously and individual’s responsibility to keep one’s self healthy, but are there ways the government can strive for an overall healthier diet for Americans? Can we change the manipulative ways of Super Markets and persuade them to look past profit? The American government should put in effort to provide a better dietary path for American citizens by working on motivating individuals to make better choices in their diet, pushing Super markets and industries to work together to lower prices of healthier foods, and placing policies and banning unhealthy ingredients in junk foods. It may not be the governments fault, but obesity is such a big issue in American culture that we need to make some major changes and the government is the only one who can make that happen.

It has become impossible for low-income families to provide healthy meals for their families. Government, Farm policies and the food industry itself are main reasons as to why the cost of healthy foods has become harder for American families, especially low-income families, to provide the healthy foods needed to fight the obesity epidemic. With low- income families being the main focus point on the problem of

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.

The United States was once one of the most healthiest countries in the world ranking second, but after some years the United States has plummeted to rank thirty-seven. The current problem of poor health in the United States is caused by the United States government’s lack of innovation in keeping America healthier that has damaged every American’s evolution to stay healthy in the day and age of technology. According to The State of Obesity there are now four states that have over thirty-five percent of their citizens who are obese, all states having above twenty percent obesity rates and thirty percent in twenty-five states. All together over thirty-five percent of the United States population is obese (including super obese) that and of

In the United States, more than one third of adults are obese. One in five American deaths are now associated with obesity. The prevalence of obesity has increased at an alarming rate in the USA: in 1960 only 13% of Americans were obese. Obesity has become an epidemic and the number of preventable deaths from obesity-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease continues to rise. Despite the well-documented association between obesity and significant morbidity and mortality the American administration has not taken many steps to combat this problem. There have been attempts by government to try and stem this epidemic, but the food industry is so wealthy and influential that policies against obesity are very

To conclude, Americans need to be concerned about their food consumption. The origin of where most food comes from, and the conditions in which livestock are raised contributes to many health risks that Americans face. Those who consume meat risk their health, and their children’s health. Due to the food industry that keeps the truth away from the public, many people not only uninformed, but also mislead by these corporations. Obesity has become an epidemic in the U.S. that many Americans are struggling to battle. However, by raising concern and seeking truth many Americans can overcome their

Obesity has rapidly emerged as a serious health issue in America. The cause of obesity results from America’s social injustices. Today, food advertisements are in all places promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Considering the great expense of healthy foods, low income families can barely afford fruits and vegetables. These two factors contribute to the increasing obesity rate in the United States. Unfortunately, it has taken an excessive amount of Americans to become obese for America to become aware of the issue and take action. Although obesity is still an increasing problem, America is fighting to reduce the number of obese citizens. As a result of low income and the media advertising unhealthy lifestyles, America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic.

The answer to the increasing American’s waistline is not simple regulation. According to Jeffery Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, exercise needs to be part of the normal routine and there is a need for more affordable healthy foods. Dr. Kelly D. Brownell, director of Yale University’s Russ Center for Food Policy and Obesity, believes that “until the government takes on the food industry, we’ll continue to see the appalling numbers in this report” (Healy, Melissa).

In America, there are families who struggle to get by on minimum wage and others who make millions per week. What every person has in common is that to survive we all must eat. While some may think that everybody generally eats similar diets, depending on Americans socioeconomic class and what a citizen can afford, these factors determine what they eat and how much. In today's society, there is evidence of an increase in obesity from unhealthy choices. Sometimes technology, possessions, or education are valued more than personal health and it has detrimental effects on the population. Although there are food banks and government meal plans, they can be unhealthy and the food given may cause health concerns or other negative effects on human life. Technological advancements, change of regulation in fast food chains, family history, availability of grocery centers and knowledge of consumers all determine American's diet and choices.

It is no secret that the food industry in the United States has many flaws and problems that need to be addressed. Among the worst offenders is the obesity problem that the American public faces due to our highly processed food industry. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately seventeen percent of children 2 – 19 years of age have obesity (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). This statistic gets worse as you look at the adult population of which about thirty five percent are considered obese (“Adult Obesity Facts”).

According to a survey done by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), it was found out that in America the average daily calorie intake per person is 2700 which has increased by 24.5 percent or about 530 calories between 1970 and 2000 [usda.gov]. This is a reflection of the growing demand in the food industry in the last decade. To cater to such high demand is particularly very challenging especially with the growing consumption rate. According to another survey done by the food science department of Purdue University, it was seen that in 1995, the food manufacturing industry accounted for about 14% of the total US manufacturing output. In that same year, the processed food market represented in $372 billion in value added. Clearly, the food manufacturing sector has been a dominant sector since then in the US economy [Sasha et al., 2001].

The United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion focuses on the well-being of each citizen. According to its mission Statement “The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers” (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1). However since the 1980s, public health declined and led to an epidemic of obesity among adults and children. According to Table 1, the United States ranks highest among other