According to the article written by Dr. Richard Carmona about the health status in America, it is evident that there is a problem in their eating habits. The article talks more about the health behaviors of Americans, and the impacts that those behaviors impose to their health. The essay will focus on Americans unhealthy eating and its consequences.
The possible solutions are also discussed. Although several deaths have been associated with more weight as because of bad eating habits, in America still other causes of overweight are not related with eating habits such as genetic constituent, social, and environmental factors (Carmona 49). Some eating habits can also be controlled early enough, to avoid reaching to that fatal point of causing deaths. To some extent, the bad eating habits can be well controlled during the early childhood stages when children are growing.
According to the research done by Dr. Richard Carmona, there is health crisis affecting various sates, cities, communities and schools in United States. The major health crisis that is causing many diseases and deaths in America is obesity. Although the crisis is growing rapidly, it can be prevented through the right measures.
According to the statistics provided in the article, it showed that two thirds of the Americans are either overweight or obese. One eighth of deaths in America are because of diseases related to overweight or obesity (Carmona 51). The worst part of these statistics is the fact of realizing that many people are dying of something that is preventable. Just eating something at the wrong time and in wrong amount will make some people have limitations of time they are planning to serve their communities and their families.
Through the unhealthy eating, and lack of enough physical exercises, young children are facing very serious consequences. The rate of childhood immunization is very high in United States, and the infant mortality rate is on the other hand low. Other discouraging news in this article and others are that a great number of children in the United States have excess body weight.
Due to this excess weight with the young children, there is an increased factor for these children to contract serious diseases, and experiencing other health problems (Dickinson and Leming 246). Some of the diseases that have been spotted out because of unhealthy eating habits are diabetes, heart illnesses, and mentally related problems.
The author of the article reminds parents and the guardians that they should work extra hard to enlighten their children on the importance of practicing healthy eating and physical activity at the same time. This idea of the author is very true, as this will be laying a good foundation for a future of people, who understand well the risks and consequences that are likely to arise because of unhealthy eating.
Moreover, if every child grows up with understanding of what is good and healthy for him or her to consume, it would be a very good start up for its lives. A study that was conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, revealed that there is epidemic of childhood obesity, whereby one quarter of the children in most of the public schools in the city are overweight (DeSpelder and Strickland 187).
Unless some efforts are put in place to educate these children on the risks that are ahead of them due to their overweight status, it would be preparing them for deadly diseases. The main reason behind people becoming overweight especially young children is by eating too much and making minimal moves.
The major source of this behavior is not the children, but their parents who increases the portion of food that their children feed on un-proportionally. Another cause is the type of games that the young children are introduced to, computer games and television programs are the main games that young children spent their leisure time engaging in.
Parents being the source of this problem are also expected to come up with solutions to solve their eating habits problems, and those of their children. One major step that the parents, organizations, and other leaders are taking is to facilitate the campaign against childhood obesity (Dickinson and Leming 112).
The main initiatives that are put in place are to teach children as well as the adults the importance of enjoying healthy foods in the required portions. Parents and guardians are urged never to use food as a type of a reward or a punishment to the growing children.
In addition to taking care of what the growing children and the adults are eating, physical exercise should be an important factor of controlling the weight gain. Young children are encouraged to engage in physical exercises at least one hour per day. For the children, simple things can do good to them like taking the stairs instead of using lift, riding bikes, and other times taking part in sports (Carmona 51).
For instance, Mr. Thompson the secretary in the department of Health and Human Services initiated the idea of dieting within the department, and set a good example by loosing more than 15 pounds. Children may find it hard to do what their parents may be telling them, but they do not fail to imitate what their parents are doing. The author of the article advises the parents to guide the growing children through actions.
Moreover, something else that should be considered in the United States to guide the eating habits of both the children and the adults is through conducting regular check ups (DeSpelder and Strickland 177). Someone may not be sure of how the body is responding to the foods he or she is feeding on. Instead of waiting until the body start experiencing some healthy problems, one should be always visiting the physician for BMI checks and nutritionist for more advice on what best to feed on, and at what time of the day or night.
The whole process of feeding on healthy foods starts with the initiative of making the right and informed decision of what to eat and what to avoid eating. Things like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs should be avoided, as they are also contributors of healthy problems. The healthy status of anyone may be deteriorated by consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Another initiative that may work best to promote healthy eating is the youth media campaign, as it is discovered that most of the American youths spend a lot of time watching television (Dickinson and Leming 113). These media campaigns would help a great deal to pass the relevant information to the youths concerning what is health for them.
Through these campaigns, it would be possible to remind them on the importance of taking part in physical activities, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and eating small proportions of food regularly, instead of taking much food at once. When people realize the consequences of unhealthy eating, they would be in a position to make informed decisions on what to eat and what not to eat.
In conclusion, the high level of globalization in America has come up with advancement of every aspect affecting the citizens eating habits. There are foods that are refined to an extent of loosing their nutritional value, hence increasing their energy contents. When these foods are consumed, they end up adding more calories in the body than what the consumers are utilizing hence weight increment (DeSpelder and Strickland 231).
To some extent, the citizens are coming up with such foods, and consuming them without engaging themselves in physical activities. The articles discussed in this paper are enough evidence that, it is the Americans, who are killing themselves and their children through bad eating habits. Most of the foods that add many calories to consumers are manufactured by the United States` industries.
Unless some positive steps are initiated like what the Department of Human health is doing, the Americans will continue to kill themselves with high-energy foods that are the cause of deadly diseases. Most of the people suffering from obesity and other healthy illnesses are because of unhealthy eating, while others suffer because of genetics and environmental factors (DeSpelder and Strickland 203).
To avoid the overall health related problems with adults and their children is to practice regular check ups to discover when things are going wrong. It is the responsibility of everyone especially the manufacturers, restaurant workers, and other people dealing with foods to provide people with healthy foods, especially the growing children. With this, the society will have a healthy generation with a bright future and unlimited lifespan.
Works Cited
Carmona, Richard. “The obesity crisis in America.” Public Health (2003): 40-56.
DeSpelder, L. and A Strickland. The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Dickinson, G. and M. Leming. Dying, Death and Bereavement. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.