As time extends, so do our waistbands. Obesity has become an issue in our country. Families on the go would rather spend an average of forty dollars on food to go than cook a meal at home. The calories in the average Fast Food burger are equivalent to what a person should have in one day. It is no wonder why Americans are having issues with weight. This issue has grown exponentially causing the government. Even though the government has created new laws that help guide how we eat, Americans should be held accountable to following these new regulations.
New legislations have been debated over years in regards to the obesity epidemic, because the government believes people need an incentive. Most people do not know how to address the problem, because another person cannot control what a person puts in their mouths. Therefore legislation is trying to control what happens in a person’s wallet. As stated in Rob Longley’s article, “Big Brother - Thinner Brother, Can legislation prevent obesity in America?” “Some insurance industry officials have suggested charging obese persons higher premiums.” This is due to the heightening costs of obesity-related health care, which is currently about $117 billion dollars. Yet the message is clear Americans need to monitor their eating habits.
It is expensive to eat healthy. Most Americans will confirm that buying a salad from a store is more expensive than a burger at a Fast Food restaurant. With the economy at a steady decline, Americans are more than ever concerned about the money in their wallets. So why would anyone follow the suggestions of the government, when it is easier to say than to do? Who really wins? The medical centers that treat people with obesity are those that benefit the most from illness related to obesity, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. As stated in Michael Pollan article, “Big Food vs. Big Insurance,” “There’s lots of money to be made selling fast food and then treating the diseases that fast food causes.” It is a cycle. We eat poorly to save money so we can pay our medical bills, but we lose even more money, because of our poor eating habits. Americans must break the costly cycle, but we need some help.
Since Americans cannot control their calorie intake, new regulations have been passed to insure that most public restaurants insure consumers the lowest calorie intake and a choice on what to eat. Fast Food restaurants have had to change how they prepare food as well as show the calorie intake for each item. It is a way to alert consumers on what they are eating and the most cost effective item is not always the healthiest. The Federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has also made new guidelines that, “[Americans] are to engage in regular physical activity, urging adults who want to lose weight to participate in 60 minutes to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily,” as said in Kim Krisberg Article “New Dietary Guidelines Advocate Physical Activity, Calorie Control.” Americans must contribute to the reform; we must make the right decisions.
Although most Americans believe it is unjust that the government has created new policies that restaurants must follow, it is for the betterment of America as whole. This change causes the restaurants to spend more money on healthier products such as cooking oil and condiments. They also must spend more on advertisement as well as the addition of Nutritional Facts to what they sell. Yet this is beneficial for those that take their health seriously. Even for those that are not as concerned with their health, they have been warned. This in turn increases the accountability each individual American has for their health.
Americans must be accountable for their own eating habits. It is no longer the fault of the restaurant with the juicy steak that shoots a person’s cholesterol sky-high. The government has warned us and has tried their best to open healthier options for us all. It is what we do with these opportunities that will define what our health as a country will be in the future.
