A large portion of Americans have weight loss on their minds. In general…Americans eat far too much. One of the main edible enjoyments for Americans falls directly into the category of junk food. Americans seem to love junk food. One other problem is that Americans are confused when it comes to portion size.
Due to these little misconceptions and unhealthy eating preferences…many Americans are overweight and even obese. When you think of Italy you think of pasta. When you think of French you think of a variety of cheese. When you think of Germans you think of beer and bratwurst. What do you think of when you think of America? The answer used to be apple pie. But down home desserts aren’t the major American calling card anymore. McDonalds is what comes to mind for most people trying to identify the eating preferences of Americans. Americans are being defined by their love of fast food.
Fast food is a convenient alternative for many. Convenience is almost the only advantage of fast food. Even after all the negative attention the fast food industry’s response falls short of actual healthy options. (Pairing a bag of sliced apples with a canister of candy dipping sauce and fried chicken nuggets is not exactly a healthy option).
Weight loss diet statistics offered by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: Health, United States, 2009, Table 67) make the problem clear:
- 67% of adults that are not institutionalized are either overweight or obese
- Of this group, 34% are obese
- 18% of teenagers between 12 and 19 are overweight
- 15% of children (aged 6 to 11) are overweight
- 11% of kids are overweight (aged 2 to 5)
Weight loss diet statistics are hard to argue with because they bring home just how many Americans are suffering the negative effects of eating habits. And the negative effects of being overweight or obese are significant. They are actually terrifying when health risks and health care costs are considered together. Both the health of the individual and the health of the nation are at risk. And it’s all due to the convenience of fast food.
