Nutrition and Obesity in the U.S.

Nutrition and Obesity in the U.S.
by Neal R. Karski

Today, millions of people in the United States face the issues of choosing proper nutrition and obesity. Although the nation has recently embellished the “Stay Fit” and “Eat Healthy” propaganda, there has not been significant or visible progress toward improving or eliminating the status of the “World’s Fattest Nation”. But there have been some changes that took effect in the lives of Americans, such as: gym or fitness participation, straying away from certain types of foods, going organic, or simply cooking in a domestic setting rather than putting one’s stomach to a test of a fast food joint or a restaurant.

On my current trip to Europe, I have made a certain observation: out of the hundreds, or thousands, of people that I have come to notice with my own bare eyes, only two women have seemed to possess any kind of excess weight. Moreover, only older men [who have most likely given up their pensions of alcohol] carried larger frames, but did not have any major problems with being obese.

Now, my analyses – take it or leave it…

The United States largely depend on the consumer business provided to large corporations. The consumerism requires corporations in the food industry to produce at a faster and more efficient pace. Fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, etc, are not concerned about their client’s health; rather they are designed to volume-sell their products to generate large profits. Many animals that are raised for meat purposes are genetically induced with hormones and steroids, and they are grown at rapid rates without regard for their positive nutritional value [which often sufficiently lacks]. We frequently see others, who struggle with problems of excess fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates, yet even more frequently the eating habits are not altered and people give up on their bodies, therefore throwing away their changes of leading a healthier lifestyle.

People, on a general platform, need to be more educated about their bodies (metabolism, liver condition, cholesterol level, weight, etc.) and possess greater knowledge of the food they consume (nutrition facts, effect on the body). This notion is significantly neglected, i.e. parents do not teach or inform their children of health hazards associated with certain eating patterns or types of nutrition. Our food choices have a huge impact on our immune system and the way our bodies function, and we’re clearly not fully aware of the numbers of diseases and deficiencies that are caused by our diets. Sometimes, I advise, it’s better to ponder for a second “Should I eat this, or should I not?” or “How will this affect my body?” or “Maybe I should research the nutritional value of this or that food?”

The above-mentioned statement is much easier to accomplish, when the food we consume comes from home-made meals that we, ourselves, are capable of preparing and analyzing [given that we put the effort and time to do so].

God Bless.

Portrayal: Nutrition as Necessity, Obesity as Inevitability
by George A. Miu

Food is implicated in a strange duality in most modern cultures – it is simultaneously necessary for life, enabling people to partake in their quotidian activities, and potentially damaging, or even fatal. The distinction between the mentioned dual halves revolves around the quantity in which the food is consumed. Millions of famished people worldwide are noted to be lethargic and discombobulated as a result of a lack of nutrition, while ever-increasing numbers of First-World inhabitants are observed to suffer from the very same symptoms due to obesity.

The problems causing widespread starvation are well-documented, as they have existed since the onset of civilization. Proposed solutions are also being acted upon, at least to some degree. Meanwhile, nobody knows quite how to tackle the concept of getting people to eat less or eat more healthily while we are all surrounded by so many tempting treats that, over time, are liable to cause us grief.

Let’s be blunt about this – everyone wants to know why Europeans and Americans are becoming fatter. Personally, I point out two major factors – convenience and a mentality that stresses instant gratification.

Virtually every one of us reading this blog can count their blessings tonight, for we all live in a society in which one can find food if one are hungry. This has also caused a lot of low-quality, low-nutritional value junk to be placed out on the market; as with anything, it found a niche, which has spread. Why? Because junk food is easy to get, fairly cheap, and fast (hence the American term “fast-food”). Since we live busy lives in places that emphasize the importance of productivity, we are occasionally left with no choice but to indulge in this. If we do it enough times, especially with a sketchy metabolism, BOOM, one packs the pounds.

Furthermore, an ever-increasing proportion of people simply desire something tasty and immediate, without having to toil over the process of cooking. Subsequently, many are pushed to the dangerous precipice beyond which lies the chasm of fast-food, the above problem, all over again. Lastly, all of the variety of chips and chocolates (which are calorie-packed), designed to take the edge off the hunger, are abused beyond their means in order to instantly gratify the stomach to the fullest extent.

Combining these two factors, along with other miscellaneous ones, I am sure, yield the predicament in which society now finds itself. Fixing, it obviously requires some kind of paradigm shift of which I am not certain that humanity is capable; that is why obesity, and all of its associated side-effects, are categorized under inevitability banner.