Obesity In America Essay

In the United States 68.8 percent of adults are considered overweight or obese (Watkins). A person is labeled obese when they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30, and are overweight if they have a BMI of twenty five (Dykman). Oklahoma now has a 32.5 percent adult obesity rate, the 8th highest of the 50 states (Watkins). Obesity is a problem that is faced globally, America is ranked 12th out of the 196 countries in obesity (WorldAtlas). A direct link has been found between obesity is women, men, and different races. A higher percent of men in the U.S. are overweight than women, but more women are obese than men (NIDDK). In the U.S. three of four Hispanics and blacks are obese or overweight. 78.8 percent of Hispanic, 76.7 percent of African Americans, and 66.7 percent of white people are

Scientists have conducted a study and it has proven that unhealthy food is $1.50 cheaper per day, or about $550 per year per person (Polis). The reason unhealthy food is so cheap is because it is made from cheap harmful ingredients. The four most harmful ingredients in processed foods are trans fats, refined grains, salts, and high fructose corn syrup (Readers digest). Trans fats increase levels of cholesterol, clog your arteries, and raise levels of triglycerides. Refined grains increase risks of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Having more salt than needed in the body can have many harmful effects such as high blood pressure. Excess sodium leads to extra fluids, making your heart work harder. High fructose corn syrup causes you to overeat, and is cheaper than other sweeteners and sweeter. Heart attack risks are also increased by 47 percent for trans fats, and increased by 30 percent for refined grains. Unhealthy lifestyle is cheaper at the moment, but the medical bills that lead after are way more than what you would’ve spent on healthy