According to AP, “Despite years of public service campaigns — and lectures from Mom — Americans still aren't eating even close to enough fruits and vegetables, according to a recent study.” This is becoming problematic, since America is ranked number one in the most obesity countries in the world (www.nationmaster.com) with 30.6% whereas South Korea has 3.2%. In these days, most people do not know how much they are supposed to eat per day. Only 12% people said they eat the suggested five or more servings of vegetables and fruits which are the federal recommended minimum servings per day.
Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of Harvard Medical School s nutrition division, insisted that it is urgent to raise the awareness of the importance of eating healthy. Then he said, "People over report, even though it's a pathetic number. We would be ecstatic if they (ate) what they say they did," he said. "It's amazing how many people go day in and day out with zero." According to the survey above, 3 percent even said they do not eat fruits or vegetables at all.
So, instead of having Krispy Kreme burgers, fried candy bars, and more unhealthy food, what would it take Americans to eat healthier?
-Fraser Song
I went to the Dixie Classic for the first time this year, and honestly never wanted to eat again after walking the stalls. I literally could not believe it when I saw that Kripsy Kreme burger! This issue of healthy eating has been a big one for years - people just are not aware of how they eat. I feel that organizations are really trying to get the word out, but I think they need to get a little more creative. Simply redesigning the food pyramid to look cooler is not going to help. The "Let's Move" campaign for healthy eating offers a great online website, but few people know about it. To truly raise awareness, they will need to spread the word to a wider audience. Or maybe they could just take a walk through the State Fair and that would get them motivated, I know it did me!
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing that America still allows fast food restaurants to offer enormous portions for meals. In the 1960's, men consumed approximately 2,200 calories per day; on the contrary, by 2000 men consumed an average of 2,700 calories per day. Fast Food joints have played a major role in obesity in America and have helped increased the meal size from ~ 700 calories a meal to about ~900 calories a meal. Although most Americans do not believe that obesity and body fat are on the same negativity level as smoking and alcohol, obesity just recently took over smoking as the number one cause of death in America. When is unhealthy food and overeating going to be too much? America must do something to fast food chains in order to help minimize obesity.
ReplyDeleteI think for many people, convenience and cost are key. Most people know eating healthy is important but they have limited time and money, and going through a drive-thru to get a hamburger and fries is much quicker (and cheaper) than preparing a salad or another healthy meal. Unhealthy packaged snacks are easy to take on the go, and there are fast food restaurants on every corner. As we learned in "Switch", I think the path to eating healthier has to be shaped to change the situation. This could be done through more restaurants offering healthy options to go and more healthy prepared meals at grocery stores. Additionally, many people are likely overwhelmed by how to eat healthier, so a tactic like the 1% milk from "Switch" to clarify the solution might be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI don't think people know how much they eat. An average meal at a restaurant can have around 900 calories as Austin mentioned previously. The problem is that there really aren't nutrition facts on the menus. This is because it would probably crush their business. They have them on the packaging themselves, but by that time it's either slightly hidden or it's too late not to order the Big Mac. The nutrition labels work really great at markets, and if they were required to be on menus, I really think that could help reduce obesity problem in this country.
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