Obesity
...domestic battle is taking place: the battle against fat. At the turn of the millennium, an estimated 64 percent of American adults were either overweight or obese (CDC). This unsettling statistic reveals the fact that the United States' proud citizens have trouble digesting, that we are the fattest country on the planet. In today's society, technological advances allow us to go about daily life with the least possible amount of physical exertion. Combine that with an infinite supply of cheap, delicious, and high-calorie food and it adds up to a problem of "supersized" proportion. It became official in 2000 when U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher declared obesity a national epidemic. Although the government failed to anticipate this problem before it exploded to such an epic proportion, the obesity epidemic in America could have been foreseen before it escalated to this level. America's sedentary lifestyle, overconsumption, growing portions, high fat foods, and a barrage of advertisements from food companies equated to the growing number of obese.
It is no secret that physical activity is essential to maintaining one's health and well-being. However, many Americans do not get adequate exercise. In fact, twenty-seven percent of American Adults engage in no physical activity at all (Brownell 71). In the past, one could manage to maintain weight by simply going about their daily routine, whether it was school, work, or engaging in recreational activities. However, in today's world, elevators, escalators, cars, dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, and other machines make it possible to get by with the least amount of physical activity. Computers and the Internet make a trip to the library a thing of Harnois 2
the past. Now there is even a device that will walk for you! Many people have simply become lazy, and if there are machines to do everything for us, then why...
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