Obesity in America, Essay Example

It is often said that Americans are the best marketers in the world. It doesn’t take much effort to understand why it may be true, given the sheer number of American brands that are world famous including Coca Cola, Pepsi, Heinz, Mars, Snickers, McDonald’s, Nike, and IBM. These brands have played a huge role in converting America into a consumerist society where almost every citizen has easy and convenient access to junk food and drinks. There are often more McDonald’s, Burger Kings, and KFCs in some small cities in America than there are in entire countries elsewhere in the world. The result has been a devastating rise in obesity which has imposed both huge economic and social on the American society. In addition, technology has made our lives even more convenient and growing competition has been leading to even busier work lifestyle. Thus, obesity crisis in America is not due to any single factor but the outcome of multiple factors including unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and genetic influences

Conclusion

It is clear that obesity crisis cannot be solved by focusing on only single factor but instead the solution requires multi-step approach such as tackling junk food culture and persuading Americans to engage in more physical activity. Obesity doesn’t only reduce quality of life for the individuals but also imposes financial and social costs such as higher insurance premiums, lost productivity, lower average lifespan, and higher risk of other medical conditions including diabetes and heart stroke. Health authorities may also work with Corporate America to join efforts to combat the national crisis which is obesity. Certain health professionals such as nutritionists can play an important role in combating obesity by helping clients with remedial action plans that do not only achieve results but are also practical, given the client’s unique circumstances.