The Declining American Diet

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In centuries past, America’s diet has turned from small portions and locally grown food to processed meats and high calorie meare easily attainable and affordable. In 1984, 72% of our dinners were home-made. In 2007, just 57% were (Doane). As a nation that is always on the move, Americans tend to look for fast and easy ways to live our day to day lives. The growth in fast food restaurants has taken over our “convenient” country and has trained us to become dependent on cheap and easy food, also known as a lead cause to obesity. Restaurants aren’t the only reason American’s are eating so unhealthy. The mental stimulation that our favorite calorie filled foods provide us are causing our country to lose their health-and their sanity.
Most of us could eat healthier if we wanted to, but we just don't want to. It is a growing mental issue for many people. As a country in a battle with obesity, it is clear that healthy eating isn’t easy. Over a third of the American population is classified as obese; this means that almost 41 million women and more than 37 million men aged 20 and older were obese in 2010 (Avena). Obesity comes with not only physical problems, but also many emotional problems. Individuals who are considered obese are often judged as lazy, unintelligent and overall not socially accepted. In a way, it is definitely unfair. There are people who can have a disease, such as with their thyroid, which can cause them to not be able to get weight off as easily as others. But for the majority of American’s, we tend to feed into what we are feeding ourselves, almost as if it were our own addiction; and drive-thru’s are our dealers.
When compared to drugs ands their criteria for addiction, food is just as easily considered addicti...

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...lth, but all the others can do is try and make a positive difference. The lack of motivation and support coming from our country is, and will always affect how we deal with our help. America has a lot of work to do, and it is not possible, but it will require a big change.

Works Cited
Avena, Nicole. "The American Diet." Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Brody, Jane E. "America's Diet: Too Sweet by the Handful." Nytimes.com. New York Times, 9 Feb.
2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Doane, Seth. "America's Changing Eating Habits." Cbsnews.com. CBS, 23 Nov. 2008. Web. 27 Nov.
2013.

Patenaude, Frederic. "Eating Habits of Americans vs French People and Europeans."Renegadehealth.com. Renegade Health, 11 July 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Reilly, Rachel. "Food Addiction Does Exist." Dailymail.co.uk. Daily Mail, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

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