- How would you explain the high obesity rates in the United States despite changes to our food markets? Are we focusing on the wrong things? If so, what should we focus on instead? (15 points)
Changes in our food markets does not affect the overall obesity rates because that is not the root of the problem. Obesity is a domino effect starting with affordability. Junk food is significantly cheaper than any heathy option you’d find in a grocery store. Organic fruits and vegetables are marked higher in price and are considered a luxury food item instead of an essential food item (Harvard T.H.Chan, 2014). A second effect of obesity is attainability of healthy foods. Food deserts, or locations where healthy food markets and healthy food options are not readily available, are one of the causes of why obesity is still a significant issue in our country (Harvard T.H.Chan, 2016). Low-income and less accessible parts of the country are dominated by fast-food chains and junk food markets that are thriving with their cheap costs and their fast service. Usually, these food deserts are cities that do not have much revenue coming in and are limited in jobs and affluence. These are contributing factors to the obesity problem in the U.S. but the root of the problem has to be the addictive nature of junk food and the following advertisement of it. Since junk food is loaded with refined sugars and complex carbohydrates, it can become extremely addictive (Gunners,2019). Junk food then becomes more than a matter of will-power, but a matter of food addiction. When an addiction follows with companies spending billions or dollars on advertisement, there is little hope left for the problem of obesity in America.
The focus should be centered on limiting the harmful and addictive ingredients that go into junk food, limiting the amount of screen time junk food advertisements get, and significantly increasing the promotion and advertisement of healthy foods. Some controversial ideas might include creating a tax on all junk foods, making it more expensive and less desirable. With this option however, there should be cheap healthy options readily available anywhere in the country, and food deserts should become a thing of the past. If healthy food was cheaper, more accessible and promoted, we might make a breakthrough on trying to solve the obesity epidemic.
2- As Americans have become more and more obese over the last few decades, food manufacturer’s have responded to consumer concerns by making so-called “healthier” foods that are low-fat or low-sugar. Despite the marketing and consumption of these products, the obesity epidemic has continued to rise in the U.S. As we learned in our class, low-fat and low-sugar products are not necessarily healthier as the makers of the products want to make us believe. A low-fat product gets added sugar or other artificial substances to make it taste good. In fact, low-fat diets during the 1980s and 1990s did not seem to slow the progress of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. (Hall, 2017).
To explain the high obesity rates in the U.S. we must look at a combination of factors that have contributed to this problem. Economic and policy changes that occurred in the last few decades in efforts to maximize agricultural production resulted in an increasingly industrialized food system that made cheap, convenient, and highly processed foods. These foods are high in salt, sugar, fat, and flavor additives to increase consumption (Hall, 2017). These foods are all around us, they are a very convenient and affordable way to eat, and this has led to increased calorie intake which results in obesity. Other contributing factors include a decrease in physical activity, as well as lack of nutrition education.
In order to decrease obesity rates, I believe we should focus our attention toward eating more whole foods and less of the highly processed foods. It is no coincidence that the obesity epidemic has only occurred in the last few decades, which is when highly processed foods have become so prevalent. For thousands of years humans survived by eating things that come directly from the earth or were very minimally processed, so I believe that is what our bodies are meant to eat. I don’t believe there is an easy fix, like so many companies want us to believe (Diet pills, fad diets, etc). It will come down to individual responsibility for our own health, and perhaps putting pressure on the government and food companies if more people demand healthier food options.
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