We Must Stop Oklahoma’s Obesity Epidemic
1369 Words6 Pages
The human body has turned into a fat hoarding machine in the past decade. People are so overly concerned with everything else in their lives that they do not have time to take care of their own bodies. Too many Americans are becoming obese due to their lifestyle and eating habits. As long as we keep sitting around hoping that one day the problem will disappear, obesity will keep plaguing. Obesity is a serious growing problem in Oklahoma and something needs to be done about it. This crisis has affected healthcare costs, created heavier adults and kids, killed many people, and most importantly took an emotional toll on people’s lives.
We do not wake up one morning and automatically become obese. We are a criminal of our own bodies. The eating habits of society have risen and become more harmful. The average American consumes 3,800 calories a day causing us to slowly put on pounds by the day. The convenience of food is constantly growing. On almost every corner of ever street there is some type of fast food joint or local convenient store. We get caught up in work, running kids around, busy with sports/ church and school functions, appointments that fast food places just sound more easily. But little do we people know what fast food does to their body. Lifestyle choices are an important factor in influencing your weight. Eating processed foods, drinking too much alcohol, not eating fruits and vegetables, eating out a lot, and eating larger portions than needed puts people on the path for becoming overweight/ obese. Not getting enough physical activity is another factor related to obesity. According to the Department of Health, adults should get 30 minutes of exercise a day and kids should get at least 60 minutes a day. Some gen...
... middle of paper ...
...s Obesity Trend.”
Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City, OK) (n.d.): Newspaper Source Plus. Web.
Heather, Caliendo. “Obesity Contributes To High Health Care Costs In Oklahoma.” Journal
Record, The (Oklahoma City, OK) (n.d): Newspaper Source Plus. Web.
Lemonick, Michael D. Bjerklie, David. “How We Grew So BIG. (Cover Story).” Time 163.23
(2004): 58. MAS Ultra – School Edition. Web.
Hickey, Spenser. “Obesity reaches disease status, doctor group declares.” Dayton Daily News
(OH) 20 June 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web.
Cook, Chase. “Survey: Obesity among teens up in Oklahoma.” Tulsa World (OK) 09 June
2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web.
Freedman, David H. “How To Fix The Obesity Crisis. (Cover Story).” Scientific American 304.2
(2011): 40. MAS Ultra – School Edition. Web.
Huber, Bridget. (2012, October 29). Michelle’s Moves. The Nation, p. 15-17.