Thursday, September 3, 2009

Obesity. How Much is it Really Costing Americans?

There is an awful growing trend in the United States. It is a trend that some researchers are saying costs the U.S over $258 billion in one year alone. And the problem is Obesity and Heart Disease In the past decade this number had doubled to this extreme measure. There is an easy solution to this problem. We need to cut the source of this trend at the source and that is the extremely fatty foods that most American grocery stores are selling to unsuspecting people.

This is just cause for the U.S. to act as heart disease is the #1 killer of all peoples and obesity is a terrible trend that people aren't getting over very quickly so they just need a little nudge from the government. As almost 700,000 people die every year from heart disease the citizens of the U.S. aren't getting the hint about unhealthy foods. This is where I think the FDA needs to step in and take control of products that don't meet a certain requirement.

The plan would be to set up these requirements so that the U.S. doesn't have a choice whether to get these foods or not. If a selected item doesn't reach the selected nutritional value then it should be taken off the market until the producer is able to make it pass those requirements. At first these restrictions should be very large to dramatically decrease these trends and then slowly have the requirements lower as the trend ends. If there is a suitable drop then I believe the FDA can step back and slowly watch how the world is handling it.

A government is set up to protect the people. And the FDA would just be doing there job and that is protecting the United States citizens.

We would see a more healthy nation and be able to lower the death toll of heart disease. By doing this it benefits all of America in general as the obese populous are a burden to many people of society. Airline companies and the cars they own have to spend more money on fuel to take them different places all because being obese.

So all in all this would be a plan to help all of the U.S. and maybe influence countries to do the same thing. If the government can help us out with this then it would be a tremendous advancement in the battle of many diseases and cancers that are killing thousands everyday. Does this seem like a world you would want to live in?

Blastoise

3 comments:

Sandy Beach said...

This is a really interesting article and there are some great points. I think the idea about food regulations is great. People may be unhappy, but it would probably be better than the hate they would feel towards themselves after they gain weight. Regulating food would help save lives. The facts are in the article. Some people just don't have enough control to stay away from unhealthy food. Someone needs to help them. Why not start with the government?

Germ-x said...

This article brings up some very good points. I agree with Sandy Beach and people would be terribly upset but i think it would be for the better in the long run. But regulating fatty foods isn't going to necessarily rid of heart disease. It will cut down on it undoubtibly but some kinds of heart disease is found in genetics and can't be controlled.

Snuffleupagus said...

I think the article has some valid points in it. Government regulating food and its nutritional value is a good idea, not only to help cut down on heart disease and obesity but it promotes a healthy lifestyle for people who don't necessarily have those problems. But, I disagree when you say "obese people are a burden to society". They might need extra care for their obesity, and in some cases eating unhealthy isn't their cause for obesity but i wouldn't go as far as saying they were a burden to society.