Does Health Food Prevent Obesity?

¶ … Healthy Food Prevent Obesity?

Now more than ever obesity has become an immense issue in the United States. What used to be a growing concern has now become a topic of constant discussion and debate. It has received great media attention, with as far as getting celebrities and athletes to sponsor healthier food and more exercise. The President and First Lady of the United States have even made it a personal concern of theirs to get America healthier. Children are at an all time high for getting Diabetes from the unhealthy food that they are eating and that are being marketed to them. Adults are getting high cholesterol levels, Diabetes, and high blood pressure, from all the unhealthy fat and high amounts of salt and sugar in the foods that they are eating. In today's society, being healthy has become not only a way of living, but also a trend. But will eating healthy necessarily prevent obesity?

Changing a person's diet is proven to be effective in bettering their individual health, but will eating everything organic, without preservatives, and without it being processed necessarily prevent obesity? Any food that is now labeled "organic" comes along with a price tag that is twice if not more than a store brand, "non-organic" product. People not only have to want to eat healthy, they also have to be able to afford it. With the economy as horrendous as it is, and unemployment rates at an all time high, an average American family can barely even afford to buy the essentials and necessities; buying "organic" would be an unreasonable request. Fruits and vegetables are also at an all time high, with the average fruit almost double in per pound price in just the past three years. These companies are making money by making their foods more "green" when it should be mandated that these foods be "green" and "organic" to begin with. Eating healthier would reduce obesity, but the average person has to be able to afford it. People should not have to pay double to eat healthy and prevent a growing number of diseases and ailments.

Exercise could be an alternative to healthier eating, and like everything else, money is involved in the promotion of most of these programs. Although simple exercises could be done to maintain a healthy weight, eating healthy is also a big part of doing these. Some foods are broken down easier than others, which makes it important to maintain a good diet as well. This brings back the issue of eating some foods over others. An individual won't want to eat foods high in fat and sugar while trying to exercise to lose weight; it will be counterproductive. Either way, if one wants to beat obesity by eating healthier, it will be more expensive and therefore will be more difficult for people to afford the food that will enable them to lose weight, to get to a healthier lifestyle.

Food control for children has also been a topic that has taken over. The fact that eating healthier will lead to a lower obesity rate, schools have now attempted to regulate the types of foods that are being given to our children. From removing vending machines that were once full of sugar filled sodas and juices and unhealthy junk food, to designated menus that provide proper nutrition, this idea that eating healthier will lead to a healthier future has even overtaken the educational system. It's the only way that children will grow up to have healthier lifestyles.