Research Paper on Americans and Unhealthy Eating: Obesity and Lifestyle Diseases on the Rise

Introduction

Good health has been the greatest concern for Americans. Good health is influenced by several factors where eating and nutrition is the major factor considered. Americans have the desire to eat healthy to avoid lifestyle diseases however actualizing this desire has been difficult in the last three decades. A reasonable population of Americans has turned to unhealthy eating and nutrition trends as well as lifestyle trends.

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Consequently, the cases of overweight, obesity and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes type II have increased steadily in the US. Therefore, different stakeholders in the eating and nutrition industry have become interested in understanding the factors influencing the unhealthy eating habits. Additionally, these stakeholders have raised eating and nutrition in America to understand who should be blamed for unhealthy eating habits.

Therefore, this essay ought to explain that eating and nutrition in America is part of larger issues such as economic status, dietary patterns, and the fast-food industry. There are different arguments about the solutions to unhealthy eating and nutritional practices among the Americans. For instance, according to Michael Pollan, the only solution to obesity and overweight cases is returning to the western diet.

In other words, he argues the ready availability of the processed foods in the market has increased the cases of obesity among the Americans (Baldwin, 2019). In the last four decades, the fast-food industry has grown extensively in America due to the heavy consumption of processed foods like French fries, burgers and soft drinks. The fast-food industry has mastered the art of packaging their foods and attractively such that it is hard for the Americans eaters to resist them.

Further, these foods are very tasty such that the consumers end up consuming more than enough. In other words they are emphasizing the people to overeat. Consequently, the Americans intake of the processed foods which have high calories content has increased which is a threat to the life of Americans.

Michael Pollan urges Americans to avoid processed foods and endorse the indigenous western dishes. Pollan encourages Americans to be watchful over the dishes and meals they are eating. He argues it is people to invest more time when buying foods and choosing what to eat at different times of the day.

Investing more time when buying food means that one will identify the ingredients as well as the number of calories present in the food they intend to buy. Currently, Americans are always in a hurry and most of them want to consume readily available dishes without considering the repercussion on their health. A person who takes more time to study the food that he or she intends to buy is likely to purchase foods with the fewer calories content.

Pollan also advises that the government should continue with its efforts of stopping obesity through investigating various foods options.one of the options is advocating for the vegan diets over the protein diets. Such efforts avail a wide range of foods for Americans to choose from hence reducing the intake of fast foods.

Pollan also continues the escaping from the western diet means understanding the advantages and the disadvantages of each meal consumed by the American people. For example, when one takes time before deciding the food to buy, he or she is likely to research on the impact of that particular dish upon consumption. For example, most of the fast foods and soft drinks list the ingredients and the number of calories present.

Additionally, the buyer can also take time and research on the internet the benefits as well as the disadvantages associated with consuming certain dishes. After the research, the consumer of the food can make an informed decision that exposes the consumer and his children to fewer chances of consuming an excess number of calories. The Americans will also be able to regulate the amount of food they are eating at a given time hence avoiding the tendency to overeat.

David Zinczenko argues that poor eating and nutritional habits are beyond the eaters' control power. According to him the fast-food company and the toughness of the economy have contributed to the unhealthy eating habits that have been experienced across the country. For instance, Zinczenko narrates that he had to feed on junk foods for at least twice a day because his mother was too busy with work and his dad had separated from their family.

He continues to explain that by the time he was 15, he had already accumulated 212 pounds(Zinczenko,s2002). The bottom line of the issue is that ready chunk food is readily available and the well-spread fast food cafes.at the same time, the economy is very tough such that parents and guardians have to work for long hours to pay bills. Consequently, they barely have to prepare healthy meals for their families.

Moreover, Zinczenko also mentioned the case of the obese children suing McDonald's for lack of displaying the possible harmful effects of excessive consumption of the foods they sell. It is time for the FDA to put emphasizes on the fast-food companies to issue a display of the ingredients, calorie amount and the possible negative health impacts of each of the dishes they serve. Since fast food companies have been failing to provide this warning, they have also contributed to the cases of obesity in society. Therefore, the eater should not be blamed for unhealthy eating.

David H. Freedman takes the eating and nutrition in America in a different direction rather than that of Pollan and Zinczenko. According to Freedman junk food can be used to end obesity if at all the there is advocacy for the right foods (Freedman,2013). Freedman explains that the main reason Americans are trapped in eating unhealthily is that the healthy dishes expensive compared to the less healthy foods.

For instance, freedman compared his experience on consuming low calories juice that cost him $7.95 and waited for 10 minutes to Blueberry -pomegranate smoothie that he paid $3 at McDonald's and it was prepared within seconds. In other words, the unhealthy dishes seem to be limited to the rich who can afford them. I am always torn between buying the cheap high-calorie foods or spending thrice as much on foods with that I assume to have low calories.

The point is if the low-calories junk is made cheaper and there is advocacy towards them the cases of obesity will be reduced among the Americans. Moss explains that there is extraordinary science behind addictive Junk food. When the processor of the different fast food companies is preparing them, they ensure that the consumer yearns for more of their dishes (Moss,2013).

The science is adding some additives such as sugars and salts that make their foods tastier. It is important to note the aim of the fast-food companies is to make more sales and increase their margin profit. However, this doesn't mean that they are not concerned with the welfare of the consumers. For instance, the CEOs of the fast-food companies such as Nestle are concerned with the increase of the children obesity cases that have increased across the country.

However, they at the conflict between producing healthier foods at increased prices or to make profits. I think that food and nutrition is a sensitive issue that should matter to all Americans. Our health major depends on the food we eat. To control obesity and other lifestyle diseases, it is time we take control of the foods we consume.

Americans should reduce the intake of high-calorie foods as well as the intake of processed foods. Its time for parents to try and prepare healthy foods for their families and reduce the rate of buying processed foods.at the same time, the government should stabilize the economy so that parents and people do not have to work for long hours.

As a result, they will have time to prepare healthy meals. The FDA should also introduce restrictions in the fast-food industry and control it more strictly like the drugs sector. Finally, it's time for fast foods to behave more ethically and stop making profits at the expense of the consumer's health.

References

Baldwin, B. (2019). Escape from the Western Diet. Retrieved 27 September 2019, from https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/escape-from-the-western-diet/Content?oid=1370632

Freedman, D. H. (2013). How Junk Food Can End Obesity, The Atlantic (July/August). Available (consulted 23 April 2014) at http://www. theatlantic. com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-junk-food-can-end-obesity/309396.

Moss, M. (2013). The extraordinary science of addictive junk food. New York.

Zinczenko, D. (2002). Opinion | Don't Blame the Eater. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/23/opinion/don-t-blame-the-eater.html