Many argue that the United States is no longer number one, but I beg to differ. We lead the world in the most reported rapes, murders, national debt, divorce rates, and most hours of television watched per person each week. More importantly, however, is the fact that we lead the world in the highest percentage of obese people.
When it comes to food and the health of our country, America is failing.
Our priorities have gradually become unrecognizable and unhealthy. While other countries produce, consume, and ban products for the health of their populations, the United States does not prioritize nutrition. America needs to look to other countries for guidance in lowering the obesity rates and producing healthier food.
There are countless chemicals the U.S. includes in its food production, and many of them have been banned in other nations because of potential health risks. America uses growth hormones in its meat production to make cattle larger and more profitable, but we cannot trade with Europe because of its growth hormone ban. While there is no concrete evidence of its dangers, taking the precautionary principle approach of keeping the product off the market until proven it is not dangerous is best. Other countries care about what goes into their citizens' bodies, and the United States needs to adopt this practice. The New York Times wrote an article on how chickens were being fed arsenic to appear pinker and fresher. This practice is also banned in Europe. The U.S. should be taking these unknown and untested chemicals more seriously and consider the potential consequences of using them in everyday production. Some states such as California and New York have already taken the initiative of making trans fats illegal. While these are great strides in the right direction, more effort is necessary to aid this country in its recovery to a healthier, trimmer nation. If we compare America to other countries, it is obvious that we are not eating to live, but living for flavor.
The United States is known for their unhealthy diet, lacking in nutrients and vegetables. American citizens do not consume many plants to sustain themselves, resulting in disease. However, countries like Thailand and Laos have over 70% of their calories coming from unrefined plant foods, resulting in far less deaths from heart disease or cancer. Other countries like Japan never even have to worry about obesity with a rate of only 1.5% while the United States’ is 36.5%. It would make sense for America to look into how the Japanese diet works, and how to apply this knowledge to our own, but these measures are not being taken. What we are doing is not working, and the evidence is in the increase of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and decrease in life expectancy. Maybe we could incorporate better eating habits into our schools, like many Italian schools that serve lunches with local organic ingredients. There are so many healthy food practices occurring around the world, and America is straying away from this trend. While we should be striving to be more like other countries when it comes to food, developing countries are, unfortunately, striving to adopt our eating habits.
Ignorant third world countries are beginning to incorporate more meat and dairy products into their diets because of American diet and lifestyle influences. Because of U.S. cars, businesses, and surplus amounts of food, less privileged countries are envious of these luxuries. However, these third world countries are likely unaware that our "obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades." They likely also do not know that the United States has the largest sugar supply per person, per day. Several Americans are probably unaware of these facts as well, and it is this lack of knowledge that hinders us from making a change in the American diet. If the world was to consume the same levels as Americans, then 3 - 5 more planet Earths would be needed. The average American body is consuming low-nutrient, high-calorie products that are causing weight gain and a hunger in which our bodies starve for nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. With this new type of “malnutrition,” some could say these third world countries are better off than us in what they put in their mouths. Not only are we eating high-calorie products, but the actual size and portions in this country are ridiculous when compared to others.
The people of America are big, and our food portions tend to match. You can make anything king size nowadays, and this may be best exemplified in the fast food industries. Researchers in 2003 compared food consumption, culturally, between the city of Philadelphia and Paris. They found that an American soft drink was 52% larger, a carton of yogurt 82%, and a candy bar 41%. These oversized portions are feeding the rise in obesity, and most of the American population is not taking the necessary action to lower it. At one point, New York made a strong effort to change the size of their soft drinks. While there had been controversy, it was a small step towards a better lifestyle, but this needs to carry on throughout all of America, and fast.
One of the first things that needs to happen in the United States to help us eat like other countries is to ban dangerous items in our food production. Our legislation should make trans fats, MSG, GMO, arsenic, growth hormones, and countless other harmful chemicals and food additives illegal. Americans are not fully educated on what they are putting into their body, and regulations need to be made in order for citizens to lead healthier lifestyles. Along with this, is a need for awareness. The educational system should evolve to better fit the world we live in and teach students about nutrition and what they should do to be healthy. More radical changes have been made in countries like Denmark that have put taxes on foods high in saturated fats. They also are considering putting a tax on sugar as well, and using that money towards their national public health system. This encouragement of healthy eating is exactly what the United States needs if we want to fix the epidemic at hand. While it is controversial and extreme, sugar damages our bodies just as alcohol and cigarettes do. New York, California, and a few other states have taken the brave first steps towards a healthier nation, and all states should follow their example. A lot of change is required for America, for we are behind other countries when it comes to nutrition. However, if we take these measures, America could be on the path to a thinner, healthier, and happier country.
The solutions are apparent. America needs to start taking note of everyone else's eating habits. While it's unfortunate the U.S. let it get this bad, using other countries as models can lead us to success. To turn our culture around for the better, the government needs to step in, and the education system needs to implement programs to teach the public how to eat properly. Being a country that developing countries admire, we need to adopt a healthier system that we can take pride in, knowing we are all on our way to a better life. A life without harmful chemicals, king size drinks, and ignorant overweight people roaming the streets.
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