Effects Of Obesity On America And Is Reaching All Time...

Isabelle Eckel Mrs. Bradshaw AP Psychology May 7, 2015 Research Paper Obesity has been on the rise in America and is reaching all time heights. Obesity in America is at 27.7 percent and 1 in 5 children in America are obese currently and many will have to deal with it throughout their lifetime. With almost a third of our population struggling with this problem, the increasing obesity rates are becoming a major concern. Even though there isn’t a single answer to why obesity has become so prevalent, there are many contributing factors such as socio-economic status, the rise in technology, fast food, car culture, politics, socio-economic status, stress, and biology. While children used to run around outside and play sports for fun,†¦show more content†¦New innovations in the food industry also play a role in the increase of obesity. The creation and popularity of processed foods, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, and dangerous chemicals and toxins like fructose corn syrup have a detrimental effect on human health. People in the United States spent 6 billion dollars every year on fast food in the 1970s. However, this number dramatically increased in the year 2000 when the amount spent annually on fast food jumped to 110 billion dollars (Wile, Elise). Tons of money is also spent on enticing fast food advertisements, which draws many people in. Socio-economic status and obesity also relate. A concerning problem is that buying a burger off of the dollar menu can actually be cheaper than buying fruits and vegetables. It has actually become easier and more affordable to buy unhealthy foods such as fast foods and processed foods. In low-income areas, schools also tend to serve unhealthy processed foods in the cafeteria. It has become much more difficult for the poor to access healthy ingredients so they turn to cheap processed foods. The correlation between socio-economic status and income is shown by the fact that Mississippi, the poorest state in America, has the highest obesity rate in the nation (Berl, Rachel). Many Americans rely heavily on their cars to get them from place to place. In the past, people walked to get to where they needed to go. In the suburbs for example â€Å"walking as a