This nation is a large contradiction when it comes to health; although America has the largest number of gyms, it is the fattest nation in the world. America’s weight epidemic is now starting to affect people from ages 18-25 due to an early upbringing of being fed nothing but high sugary food and drinks. In addition to a sugar laden childhood, young adults from the ages 18-25 are becoming extremely lazy due to the convenience and advancement of technology. Also fast food corporations and restaurants are becoming convenient, cheap, and satisfying, which leads young adults to opt out on buying healthy and fresh meals. To diminish obesity, the current and future generations need to make a stand against the fast food corporation while searching
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Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables, Mark Bittman, (American food journalist, author, and columnist for The New York Times), states, “ The average American consumes 44.7 gallons of soft drinks annually” (6). That statistic is just for the average american, so a non-average american can consume less or even a lot more than just 44.7 gallons in a year. Also, on another note, Bittman goes on to argue that, if the nation implemented a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, there would be a 24 percent decrease in the consumption and a $13 billion dollar annual income (27). If this was to be put into action, we would not only see an increase in the economy, but also a decrease of intake of these sugary beverages. In addition to the previous information Bittman also points out, “ of the 278 additional calories Americans on average consumed per day between 1977 and 2001, more than 40 percent came from soda, “fruit” drinks, mixes like Kool-Aid and Crystal Light, and beverages like Red Bull, Gatorade and dubious offerings like Vitamin Water, which contains half as much sugar as a Coke” (12). People are still not aware of the amounts of sugar there are in sodas and other drinks. For example, there are approximately 65 grams of sugar in a 20 ounce bottle of Orange Crush soda and 64 grams of sugar in a 32 ounce bottle of …show more content…
Becoming a percentage of the obese or overweight population is in the hands of the individual. Some are able to to have self control when walking thru an aisle or driving down a road and seeing a fast food restaurant advertising a new shake, and others can not at all. Also, people seem to believe that fast food is simply addicting, as if there is something in the food that makes them crave more and more. Yet there are individuals who eat nothing but fast food and seem to have little to no care in the nutritional facts. In addition to that, some consumers of fast food claim to have little to no time to cook a meal and are almost forced to eat out. And yet when there are healthier options on the menu, consumers still choose the triple decker grease laden burger with large fries and a large soda. But some fast food restaurant goers actually make a healthy choice and chose the grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. Also there are few but some people that eat fast food for almost every meal. Which and most likely any doctor, nurse, or pediatrician would not agree with those actions. But what some people seem to forget is that there is a choice when it comes to eating the right thing. In other words, instead of blaming the fast food corporations and restaurants, the consumer is responsible for his or her health and physical
Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables, Mark Bittman, (American food journalist, author, and columnist for The New York Times), states, “ The average American consumes 44.7 gallons of soft drinks annually” (6). That statistic is just for the average american, so a non-average american can consume less or even a lot more than just 44.7 gallons in a year. Also, on another note, Bittman goes on to argue that, if the nation implemented a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, there would be a 24 percent decrease in the consumption and a $13 billion dollar annual income (27). If this was to be put into action, we would not only see an increase in the economy, but also a decrease of intake of these sugary beverages. In addition to the previous information Bittman also points out, “ of the 278 additional calories Americans on average consumed per day between 1977 and 2001, more than 40 percent came from soda, “fruit” drinks, mixes like Kool-Aid and Crystal Light, and beverages like Red Bull, Gatorade and dubious offerings like Vitamin Water, which contains half as much sugar as a Coke” (12). People are still not aware of the amounts of sugar there are in sodas and other drinks. For example, there are approximately 65 grams of sugar in a 20 ounce bottle of Orange Crush soda and 64 grams of sugar in a 32 ounce bottle of …show more content…
Becoming a percentage of the obese or overweight population is in the hands of the individual. Some are able to to have self control when walking thru an aisle or driving down a road and seeing a fast food restaurant advertising a new shake, and others can not at all. Also, people seem to believe that fast food is simply addicting, as if there is something in the food that makes them crave more and more. Yet there are individuals who eat nothing but fast food and seem to have little to no care in the nutritional facts. In addition to that, some consumers of fast food claim to have little to no time to cook a meal and are almost forced to eat out. And yet when there are healthier options on the menu, consumers still choose the triple decker grease laden burger with large fries and a large soda. But some fast food restaurant goers actually make a healthy choice and chose the grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. Also there are few but some people that eat fast food for almost every meal. Which and most likely any doctor, nurse, or pediatrician would not agree with those actions. But what some people seem to forget is that there is a choice when it comes to eating the right thing. In other words, instead of blaming the fast food corporations and restaurants, the consumer is responsible for his or her health and physical