Changes in the American Consumer's Food Consumption Pattern
argumentative Essay
2894 words
Obesity in the United State has increasingly been cited as major health issue. Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that the proportion of adults who are obese has more than doubled from 15% in 1971–1974 to 34% In 2003–2006 for adults 20-74 years.In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most US states however by the year 2010 , 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher and 12 of those states had obesity of 30 percent or higher (CDCP 2012).
Cutler et al. (2006) suggested that increases in food consumptions prompted by falling cost of food is the major cause behind the surge in obesity since 1980. A study of pricing effects on food choices shows that price reduction strategies promote the choice of targeted foods by lowering their cost relative to alternate food choices (Jacobson and Brownell 2000).
In an effort to promote a healthy, balanced diet and to reduce the incidence of diet related health conditions/disease. US department for agriculture and Human services jointly publish the dietary guidelines for Americans every 5years from 1980 to provide targeted Dietary recommendations (Wells and Buzby 2008).
Reducing the percentage of Americans who are either overweight or obese to meet Public objectives may influence agricultural production (Johansson and Brownell2006).
Although papers has been published on dietary assessment of some major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption comparing years between 1970-2005, the objective of this paper is to identify food consumption via trend analysis during past decade so that the information will be useful for agribusiness firms as well as individuals in the agricultural sector. Apart from identifying the changes in in ...
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...d system recommendations. Food policy (24), 117-133.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NHANES 2005-2006
Puthnam J.J. and Allshore J.E. (1999). Food consumption prices and expenditures, 1970-1997. Food and Rural EACONOMIC Division, Economic Research Service, USDA Statiscal Bulletin 965
Tokoyama Y., Chern W. S., Ishibaashi K. and Taniguchi K. (2002) Analysis of food consumption Behavior by Japanese households.
Wells H.F. and Buzby J.C. (2008). Dietary assessment of major food trends in U.S. food consumption, 1970-2005.Economic Research Service, Economic Information Bulletin 13.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005), sixth edition, www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/
United States Department of Agriculture (2012). Commodity Consumption by Population Characteristics. Economic Research Services (ERS)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the us consumer price index is constructed from basic component indexes. the usda's per capita food availability data reflect the amount of food available for human consumption in the united states.
- Explains the formula used in calculating the price and income elasticity of each food category.
- Explains that only few food products are analyzed in this paper because there was no available price data and per capita consumption for other foods simultaneously.
- Explains that usda's food intakes converted to retail commodities databases (ficrcd) provides data for foods consumed in the national dietary intake surveys at the retail commodity level.
- Analyzes the income elasticity of most of the product seen to be elastic ranging from 1.343 to 5.588 except tomatoes, pork, egg, chicken and turkey.
- Explains that the food intakes converted to retail commodities database (ficrcd) 1999-2002 shows that total us vegetables consumption (349.09 g/day) was higher than all other food categories followed by us fruit consumption (328.87).
- Explains that food intakes converted to retail commodities databases (ars) and national health and nutrition examination survey (cdc), 1999-2002.
- Explains the methodology and user guide for the food intakes converted to retail commodities databases: csfii 1994-1996, nhanes 1999-2000, and wweia 2001-2002.
- Explains that obesity in the us has doubled from 15% in 1971–1974 to 34% in 2003–2006 for adults 20-74 years.
- Explains the factors responsible for the changes in us food consumption patterns in the past years, including food prices, disposable income, and more food assistants to the poor.
- Explains that the formula for calculating the income elasticity of each category of food was derived by employing price and per capita consumption time series data for the period 2000 – 2009.
- Compares the consumption of beef and other food products, stating that the price elasticity of the products is inelastic.
- Describes the reasons why americans are obese, and explains kantor's findings.
- Explains puthnam, chern, ishibaashi, and taniguchi's analysis of food consumption behavior by japanese households. wells, h.f. and buzby, j.c.
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- Obesity Epidemic in Americaopinion essayThere is an epidemic festering in America’s streets today. It is not one of violence, nor is it one of drugs or abuse; instead it is a silent epidemic that is centered on our nation’s growing number of obese children. For the first time in the history of the United States, and perhaps in world history, the children of our future are expected to live a shorter life than that of their parents. The obesity rate in America has tripled in the last twenty years fostering three hundred thousand deaths per year with a growing number of obese children (greenblatt). Today in fact, it is estimated that as a result from this elevating number, approximately 32 percent of our nation’s children and teens are at risk for serious health problems, including but not limited to high blood pressure and high cholesterol (Hellmich). This epidemic is scary to say the least, and while some cases of obesity in children may have justifiable medical causes, the majority are due to a lack of poor eating and exercise habits along with irresponsible parenting. Ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children are receiving adequate nutrition, and to foster a healthy life style. Parents need to be held accountable for the health of their children.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that obesity is a silent epidemic centered on america's growing number of obese children.
- Explains that american families spend between 15 and 18 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables, but should be spending between 43 to 70 percent to receive the servings recommended by the usda to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Argues that obesity isn't a result of genetics, but it's due to parents not having the necessary skills to maintain healthy lifestyles. america needs to get off the couch, turn the television off and get active.
- Opines that america's guardians need to provide their children with the essential fundamental knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle.
- Opines that america is fed up with the increasing number of obese children in america.
- Cites greenblatt, alan. "obesity epidemic." cq researcher 13.4 (2003): 73-104.
- Opines that parents should be held legally responsible when their kids are severely overweight. minnesota public radio. web. 15 july 2010.
1036 wordsRead More - Evidence Based Family Papercomparative essayUS Department of Agriculture. (2011, September). Eating on a budget - the 3 p's. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/PlanPurchasePrepare.pdf
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the family consumes fast food three to four times a week — it's easier and cheaper to pick up something from 'fast food' restaurants. they used the website choosemyplate.gov to teach them about nutrition and health.
- Explains that the sheet titled, "eating on a budget - the 3 p's" gives the family tips on how to shop right.
- Explains that they waited until their last visit to assess how many times the family had gone out for fast food over the span of approximately two weeks. cm confessed that she had not really had time to go out and do any healthy grocery shopping.
- Concludes that their family learned a great deal about the three priority teaching needs that were established in this family.
- Explains that fast food consumption and food prices: evidence from panel data on 5th and 8th grade children.
- Explains the us department of agriculture's sample menus for a 2000 calorie food pattern.
642 wordsRead More - Comparing the Japanese and American Health Care Systemsexplanatory essayThe population in the United States as of 2009 was 307,006,550 the younger population is projected to slightly increase and eventually plateau though the older population has been steadily increasing and projected to continue on an upward trend (Vincent & Velkoff, 2010). The lack of a healthier diet is something that has been highlighted in the media for the past decade and more often than not we are seeing the effects of overindulging and the consumption of highl...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that japan has used a universal health care model to understand where we are heading and why so many people are opposed to it.
- Explains that japan's older population is living longer than earlier generations. diet has a great deal to do with health and obesity.
- Explains that economic growth has improved the infant mortality rate through better healthcare facilities and living conditions. japan has fallen to 3.6 per 1,000 live births in 2006, which makes access to prenatal care easier.
- Explains that japan's aging population enjoys improved quality of life, quick and easy access to health care, and medical advances, so much so that the japanese older population outnumbers the younger population.
- Explains japan requires a two-year obligatory postgraduate clinical training program for medical specialists, and outlines how american physicians undergo up to seven years of graduate medical education.
- Explains that japan offers three types of health insurance programs to its citizens, all of which are government managed. preventative care is abundantly offered, though this has caused overcrowding in medical facilities.
- Opines that japan is trying to cut down on its debt accumulated by the increasing costs of healthcare. japan's private insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions like cancer.
- Opines that a healthy nation equates to progressive one. japan has created problems for itself with access to physicians, waiting times at health care facilities, and many people dying after being turned away at hospitals.
- Cites aoa, hashimoto, ikegami, and velkoff as sources for information on japan's health care system.
1650 wordsRead More - America’s Food Crisis, by Bryan Walshanalytical essayAmerican society has grown so accustomed to receiving their food right away and in large quantities. Only in the past few decades has factory farming come into existence that has made consuming food a non guilt-free action. What originally was a hamburger with slaughtered cow meat is now slaughtered cow meat that’s filled with harmful chemicals. Not only that, the corn that that cow was fed with is also filled with chemicals to make them grow at a faster rate to get that hamburger on a dinner plate as quickly as possible. Bryan Walsh, a staff writer for Time Magazine specializing in environmental issues discusses in his article “America’s Food Crisis” how our food is not only bad for us but dangerous as well. The word dangerous could apply to many different things though. Our food is dangerous to the consumer, the workers and farmers, the animals and the environment. Walsh gives examples of each of these in his article that leads back to the main point of how dangerous the food we are consuming every day really is. He goes into detail on each of them but focuses his information on the consumer.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that american society has grown accustomed to receiving their food right away and in large quantities, but factory farming has made consuming food a non-guilt-free action. bryan walsh discusses how our food is not only bad for us but dangerous as well.
- Explains that salmonella is a food poisoning caused by bacteria found on different food types that has caused an epidemic.
- Explains that manure lagoons are a dangerous process that affects workers and the environment or community. a rolling stone journalist, jeff tietz, wrote an article about them.
- Explains that open-air lagoons can overflow in heavy rains and contaminate nearby streams and rivers, posing a risk to the community in that they can breathe in diseases from walking outside of their homes.
- Analyzes how walsh discusses the danger of farm animals being medicated, which eventually gets passed down to the consumer.
- Explains that obesity is a major issue that is discussed in walsh's article.
- Analyzes how bryan walsh discusses the dangers of eating food in his article, "america's food crisis." factory farming has become the new way of producing food for america.
961 wordsRead More - Obesity In the United Statesopinion essaythe past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in the United States? (Nutrition,1).
In this essay, the author
- Explains the surgeon general's estimate of the number of children in 1999 and 2001.
- Explains that scientists have found that there are four main components working against us in this battle of war.
- Analyzes how the pill helped people lose weight, but after taking it off, they gained weight back.
- Opines that america is at war right now and we are losing, this war started many years ago and has not yet been won.
- Explains that with our growing wealth and appetites, we eat way more than three meals a day.
- Opines that the media's pressure on people causes a low standard of living.
- Opines that the media tells you that you are worthless, but they try to fool you into thinking you might not be so valuable if you bought some.
- Explains that in 1999 a study was done to determine if diet pills really helped weight loss, in this study four leading brand name weigh loss pills where used, they tested 100 males and 100 females.
- Explains that television raises your calorie intake and deprives you from getting the exercise you need.
- Explains that eating the right types and amounts of food is key to a healthy life style. people who eat too much junk food or not enough food are at high risk for obesity.
- Explains that diets make people bigger than they were in the beginning and that not everyone is made to be the same size.
- Explains that if you eat too much food, it starts to burn calories faster and you lose weight.
- Recommends eating at least 6 servings a day of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and lean meat at every meal.
- Opines that the hardest part of exercising is making a plan and sticking with the plan. most people come up with excuses when they think about exercising like "i don't have the time" or "my family will get in the way."
- Opines that people should do exercises that they know how to do or ones that appeal to them in the beginning.
- Explains that other ethnic groups, such as asians and anglos, store less fat. this does not mean that one group cannot become overweight or be overweight.
- Explains that technology and wealth famine is a thing of the past; people no longer hunt for their food or have to starve for long periods of time.
- Argues that if we can come together and learn to live a healthier life,full of eating right, and exercising, we could overcome this monster which kills many of our beloved ones each year.
- Explains that aliha bauman and the editors of prevention. fight fat. library of congress: st. martins press.
1759 wordsRead More - Diet Exercise And Culture Essayexplanatory essayIn 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most U.S. states. By 2010, 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher, and 12 of those had obesity rates of 30 percent or higher. (CDC) Today, nationwide, roughly two out of three U.S. ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that obesity rates have skyrocketed within the last 10-20 years due to the diet and exercise habits of cultures.
- Explains that two out of three u.s. adults are overweight or obese, while non-hispanic black, hispanic, and mexican american adults have higher rates of obesity.
- Explains that mexico is the second country in the world with the highest obesity rate and overweight people. adjustments in behavior towards unhealthy diets and changes in availability of food have contributed to this increase.
- Explains that obesity rates in pre-school and schoolchildren more than doubled over the past decade. overweight is defined as an increased weight, while obesity indicates an excess in fat mass.
938 wordsRead More - Argumentative Essay On Healthy And Obesityexplanatory essayOver the course of the last few decades, the U.S. has seen a drastic rise in the spread of obesity. Through the rise of large-scale fast food corporations, the blame has shifted toward the mass consumerism of these global industries. It is, however, due to poor lifestyle choices that the U.S. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity. In 1990 the percentage of obese people in the United States was approximated at around 15%. In 2010, however, it is said that “36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher”(Millar). These rates have stayed consistent since 2003. The obesity problem in America is
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the u.s. population has seen a significant increase in the percentage of people afflicted with obesity due to poor lifestyle choices.
- Explains the health risks linked to obesity, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancers, gallbladder disease and gallstones.
- Explains the benefits of exercise and healthy eating, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Explains the results of a research survey conducted by two food economists, brenna ellison and jayson lusk, which revealed that people made better food choices when food policies were taken into action.
- Explains that parents and families must encourage their children to make healthy choices, such as following a healthy eating plan and focusing on the balance of energy in and energy out.
2246 wordsRead More - Low Income Families Living in Food Desertsanalytical essayPloeg, M. ver; Breneman, V.; Farrigan, T.; Hamrick, K.; Hopkins, D.;Kaufman, P.; Lin, B. H.; Nord, M.; Smith, T.; Williams, R.; Kinnison, Access to affordable and nutritious food measuring and understanding food deserts and their consequences : report to Congress ([Rev. Sept. 3, 2009] ed.). (2009). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that southern los angeles is a food desert, where mainstream supermarkets are rare and the quality of the food is poor and prices high.
- Cites bullard, robert d., growing smarter: achieving livable communities, environmental justice, and regional equity.
- Argues that socioeconomic status is a defining characteristic of food deserts.
- Explains that in chicago, more than 500,000 people, who are predominately african-american, live in food deserts. grocery stores around new york city have been closed down in recent years.
- Analyzes gallagher's study on the impact of food deserts on public health in chicago. hobbiss, a., holzman, d.c.
1341 wordsRead More - A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Ratesopinion essayObesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that obesity is a rising problem in the united states, and something must be done to prevent it. education at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants and providing more space for citizens to get physically active.
- Explains that obesity is a rising problem in the united states, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy.
- Opines that obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects everyone, unlike most issues. people of every gender, age, and race are at risk of being obese.
- Opines that the best way to begin a revolution in health in america is to start with the youth. the united states has the largest percentile of overweight children in the world.
- Argues that obesity affects a child more than people with that argument think. being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases, and can result in decreased mental health.
- Explains that children's behavior is easily influenced and can be manipulated depending on their environment. proper instruction at school can result in a healthy lifestyle at all times.
- Opines that schools need to increase the amount of time they spend discussing living a healthy lifestyle. the percentage of high school students who participate in physical education classes is down from the nineteen nineties.
- Opines that schools must drastically change the food available to their students to ensure they have all the knowledge needed to pursue a healthy life.
- Opines that for obesity rates to decline drastically, parents must endorse physical fitness to their children and incorporate it into their daily life styles.
- Explains that obesity causes problems that kill over 400,000 a year and increases chances of breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. americans have become too lazy to go exercise and are unaware of what is in their food.
- Opines that to affect a mass amount of people it is necessary to emotionally appeal to them. if parents become aware that their eating habits affect their children in massive ways then maybe they will be more willing to give up their mcdonalds’ cheeseburger and go for
- Explains that people must be aware of what they are consuming if they want to become healthier. restaurant foods are usually packed with preservatives and unnecessary ingredients.
- Argues that a law should be passed that requires restaurants to post the amount of calories and the proper serving size on the menu beside that item.
- Opines that cities need to take extra measures to ensure that citizens are fully capable of living a healthy lifestyle.
- Argues that fat acceptance activists' argument against lowering obesity rates is to prevent discrimination against those who are obese and help obese people cope with their obesity.
- Opines that obesity is a problem that is constantly inflating. something must be done in order to protect the citizens in america.
- Cites carmona's testimony before the subcommittee on competition, foreign commerce, and infrastructure of the u.s.
- Cites larkin, m, mcbride, d, menifield, c, doty, n, & fletcher, a. obesity in america.
1830 wordsRead More - The Obesity Epidemicanalytical essayOgden, C.L., M.D. Carroll, B.K. Kit, and K.M. Flegal. "Overweight and Obesity in the U.S."
In this essay, the author
- Explains that obesity is a widespread epidemic that unfavorably affects the body.
- Explains that today's society is continuing to gain weight because of technology, fast food, high calorie foods, and the shortage of physical activity.
- Explains that genetics and medical history play a critical role in the obesity epidemic. hormone problems such as underactive thyroid and cushing's syndrome can lead to obesity.
- Explains that genetics and medical history impact the development of obesity, but it is not the only potential cause of it.
- Explains that social and economic environment plays a huge role in the development of obesity.
- Explains the health risks associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure, strokes, kidney disease, and blindness, as well as depression and psychosocial effects.
- Explains that physical activity reduces obesity and recommends a healthy diet. the gastric bypass surgery is recommended for people who are extremely obese.
- Opines that there should be procedures put in place to raise the awareness of obesity.
- Analyzes the journal of economic perspectives' article, "more obese."
- Explains the national institutes of health's "explore overweight and obesity."
- Explains that obesity strategies and solutions for schools and parents. education 132.4 (2012): 915-20.
- Analyzes ogden, c.l., m.d. carroll, b.k. kit, and k.m. flegal's "overweight and obesity in the us."
1899 wordsRead More