Obesity The United States - 1268 Words

Joy Ekeoma Professor Beamen English 102 – OL 20 October, 2015 Obesity in America Over the past few decades, obesity rate has grown drastically in the United States. â€Å"A third of U.S. adults are obese† (Brady 519), placing them at a higher risk for diseases, and increased healthcare spending. It a preventable nutritional problem that affects people of all ages, gender and race, with minority groups and people of low socioeconomic status disproportionately affected. It is a multifaceted problem with many issues at its root. Obesity is the result of our agricultural policies, present economic condition, and unhealthy lifestyle. Food is critical to human survival; however, cheap food although an indispensable part of our current economy does†¦show more content†¦Astyk and Newton, in their essay: The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Go Hungry, explains that â€Å"around the world, industrial agriculture has consolidated land ownership into the hands of smaller and smaller populations† destroying local self-sufficiency (518). Individuals are no longer able to grow own fresh, healthy foods to feed their family. They now depend on industrially grown crops and processed foods loaded with chemicals for food. Additionally, because of the farm policy, farmers that continue to cultivate healthy produce like fruits and vegetables get little or no government support, thus the higher prices of fresh produce seen today at our grocery stores. With this increase in the productivity of farmers, came a proliferation of food processing industries and fast food restaurants. These food processing industries and restaurants capitalized on the abundant, overly cheap commodity crops to their advantage; to make profit, and to the disadvantage of poor Americans. During processing of these commodity crops, the natural nutrients that give these foods their natural flavors are destroyed. To replace these, food additives and flavorings are added to restore their taste and prolong their shelf life. Often these chemicals contain some harmful elements that affect the way our bodies use food. These highly processed foods, dense in calories,