VS.
The video, The Obesity Epidemic, is a great video about the problems that are causing obesity. The way we eat has changed over the last 50 years. Americans are eating a lot more food that has been processed, and eating out way too much. For instance, the food that is being sold in restaurants, vending machines, and more is not the food that "we" would be making at home. It is higher in sugar, calories, and fat. In America, people are surrounded by food all of the time. Unfortunately, people who live in poorer areas have less access to quality grocery stores that sell healthy options. It is easier for people to buy unhealthy foods because they are cheaper. For example, at Walmart, a bag of bbq chips is $1.98 while diced pears are $2.50. Although this seems like an insignificant difference, it is enough money to make people buy the chips over the pears, especially if they have to buy multiple.
Besides eating, there are also other factors that contribute to obesity. Nowadays, it is more common to use cars or public transportation to get around. It used to be that many people were walking to school, work, or a friends house. Also, there are many neighborhoods or cities that are not safe for children to be outside playing, exercising or even trying to get around. These issues have caused many children to be sitting around in their homes. While they are not exercising, they spend much of their time in front of screens for entertainment. Be it computers, televisions, game boys, etc., all of this entertainment has become way more popular than picking up a basketball and playing outside.
Bibliography
Free Clip Art. 2012. 24 February 2012
<http://www.freeclipartpictures.com/clipart/food39.htm>.
Inc., Walmart Stores. Walmart. 2012. 24
February 2012
<http://www.walmart.com/browse/Produce/Fruit/_/N-8zaxZaq90Zaqce/Ne-8z35?browsein=true&ic=48_0&ref=418721.419001&tab_value=18728_All&catNavId=976793&fromPageCatId=976793>.
JessFed. Blogger. 2012. 24 February 2012
<http://jessfed-bristol.blogspot.com/2011/03/chips-are-lie.html>.
I completely agree with the statement that it has become simply, easier to just play a game on the computer than to go outside and throw the ball around. America has sadly become a dominantly lazy society due to the increase in obesity, which, is due to the increase in poverty, which in turn is due to lack of education and the want for education and a successful career and life. If you look at my blog, http://connectionofeducationandpoverty.blogspot.com/, you can learn more about the education gap that is growing between the rich and the poor and why researchers think that is happening.
ReplyDeleteI think shows like The Biggest Loser are helping to make a difference in people's lives and helping obese people understand the severity of the problems with obesity. Also, Play 60, organized by the NFL I believe, is helping children get more active at a young age. If children are active when they are young, they are more likely to stay active as they get older. Also, because childhood obesity is obviously becoming a huge problem, the fact that the NFL is helping create a huge movement towards kids playing outside as opposed to on their computers, hopefully is helping. If more big organizations help the people of America understand the problems with obesity, it can hopefully go in the right direction as opposed to right now, where it is heading in the wrong direction.
I think what is most fascinated about childhood obesity is that is HIGHER in developed nations, like what was said before. The common attitude is that developed nations, are all around better! They have more advanced medicines, a better economy, etc. All of these pleasures and added benefits cause laziness, and the better the economy the more processed foods that are made. This all seems backwards to me.
ReplyDeleteI think that the government should also institute more standards
on food, but it's not all up to the government. It's up to parents! I think doctors need to show more interest in healthy eating and make the fear of heart disease very evident to parents, and show them that this is real. I think more young people need to be tested, because of the problems with obesity! I think this is a prominent problem in the US, and I love that you're blogging about it Ali!!
Basic Facts about Childhood Obesity in the US
I completely agree with what both of you have said and I think the programs that Alyssa talked about are very important. I am going to research them more closely and post an entry about them because I think that they are interesting in how they run. Also, I agree with you Ali that it is up to parents but unfortunately some parents can't afford the healthier foods. A lot of the time, they can't even afford to have their children seeing a doctor every year so they are not hearing about all of health problems that come along with unhealthy eating.
ReplyDeleteI was watching a news program the other night that showed a family that was trying to eat healthier because they eat from a fast food place almost every night. When they went into the market they went over to the produce section to see that they could only get about 3 cucumber or so for the 3 full meals they could get from Burger King. This is the problem because they do want to eat healthier but their kids will starve if they are only eating one cucumber!
I wonder if the increased gas prices will effect how much people exercise. If people will choose to walk or ride their bikes a little more often instead of just driving.
ReplyDeleteI also think the comment about unhealthy food being cheaper is really interesting. A really large issue is also that unhealthy food is fast, and available. In may parts of the city you don't have access to grocery stores so your options are convenient stores (with junk food) or fast food - all of which are unhealthy.
And....congress just decreed that pizza and ketchup qualify as vegetables! Seriously!