There is no question that obesity in America is on the rise. After all, just go to the mall and you will see many, many overweight people. Why is obesity in America such a problem, when it is not an issue in many of our sister countries? What can be done to fight this problem?
Lifestyle Causes
Part of the reason that obesity in America is such an epidemic is because we are a food driven society. Turn on the television for five minutes and you will be bombarded with advertisements for food, restaurants, sugary drinks, and more! Drive down the road and an enormous hamburger will be staring back at you from a billboard. There is simply too much food to choose from in America, and we eat far more than we should.
When you combine this overeating problem with the fact that the American lifestyle has become one of sitting on the couch, behind the computer screen, and in our cars, and you can easily see why obesity in America is on the rise.
In many foreign countries, people do not drive from place to place unless they have to. When the destination is close enough, they walk. Part of the reason for this is the high price of gasoline, and the close proximity of everything in a city. This is not the case in America, which leads to a problem with weight. Americans drive everywhere! If an American can avoid walking, he does! After all, why have a car if you are not going to use it, right?
Treating Obesity In America
The best way to treat obesity in America is through education. The American public needs to be better informed about what food choices they should be making. Restaurants should offer smaller portions to the health conscious individual. People need to learn what simple carbohydrates and saturated fats do to their bodies, so they can make informed decisions about the foods they choose to eat.
Another way to treat obesity in America is to get people walking! Walking is an exercise that just about anyone can do, from the small child to the grandparent. Simply increasing your walking each day can help you shed the pounds quickly and easily. In other words, park in the far parking place when you can, and take the stairs, not the escalator. Once Americans get off the couch and start moving, obesity in America will start to decline.
