The Importance Of Obesity In America

Submitted By Marcgt46
Words: 731
Pages: 3

Despite all the efforts being put into place by the media there is still a growing concern with obesity in the United States. If something is not done soon then future generations of children will grow up to become overweight and suffer from a long list of health problems as they become older. In order to fix these problems we need to change the way we think, teach our kids in the home about healthy choices, and help try and change the way our schools feed them. In order to fix the problem we need to start from within the home, we can’t expect others to help mold our children. We need to take the time to think about their future health and not just give in to a quick fix because they are begging for it. In order to change the way we think we need to start by doing some research about healthy living. A good place to start is by researching on the internet where we can find healthy food choices and recipes, healthy exercise habits that the whole family can do together, and planning out your meals for the week. Food is the first step in becoming healthy and we need to research our options for healthier food choices. For example instead of frying chicken in unhealthy grease or oils we can make a simple healthy change by baking, broiling, or grilling it. By baking and not frying the chicken you are limiting the fat intake that you consume. Another option is finding fun exercises that the whole family can take part in together. Some fun options can be biking around the neighborhood, taking a walk to the local park for a soccer game, or playing a fun game of tennis. To get healthy my wife and I decided to change how we spend the weekends; instead of sitting around at home all day we took up a fun activity. In the mornings we go bike riding to the high school down the street from us and play tennis for about an hour. Then we bike back home, and just by doing this one simple activity we can burn up to 1,000 calories alone. When planning out meals for the week you can limit the impulse urge to go and buy fast food or drive to a nearby restaurant. This alone can save you on calories, fat intake, sodium intake, and saving money you can put towards other activities. “In 2010, the average consumer spent $2,505 when eating food away from home, according to the United States Department of Labor.” [ (Good Morning America) ] So if you multiply that amount by 4 you can see that eating out in a year can cost you from $8,000 to $10,000. A good way to make it fun for everyone