I found this cartoon interesting because when you think of poverty in other countries you think of the starving people who sometimes will eat nothing that day. I believe that poverty in America is not really pictured that way. A study showed that the BMI for Americans was highest in the lowest income group and the lowest education group. Also, obesity rates increased by 10 percent for all U.S. children 10 to 17 years old between 2003 and 2007, but by 23 percent during the same time period for low-income children. After reading this I wondered why this could be. I found that low-income families choose high-fat foods dense with energy – foods such as sugars, cereals, potatoes and processed meat products – because these foods are more affordable and last longer than fresh vegetables and fruits and lean meats and fish. Poor families often tend to live in neighborhoods that have smaller food stores with less healthy options. Also, the stress associated with a low income can cause people to stress eat, which can also lead to obesity. For children, low income families usually can't afford after-school activities, like sports, which helps children stay healthy and in shape. In poor neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds, trails and free public gyms are usually not safe. This can keep kids inside watching TV and playing video games.
It is sad that children who are poor also don't have too many options to stay healthy. Obesity can lead to lifelong issues. Studies have shown that being overweight in young adulthood is associated with unemployment, limits on educational attainment and lower levels of income. This leads to an unending cycle of poor, uneducated people in America.
Not too long ago, obesity was thought to be a rare problem incorrectly associated with laziness, a lack of will power and frankly, “America”. Today however, the worldwide epidemic of obesity has forced a reconsideration of both the causes and consequences of this complicated disease. The rate at which weight issues and obesity is growing, both in the United States and worldwide, should concern even the healthiest of citizens. Childhood and teenage obesity is contributing to a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes in children, which was once a condition rarely found in America. Even scarier, the number of grade school and high school students who are obese has tripled in the last three decades. The geographical spread of obesity is also changing ideas of where the problem is restricted. Once thought to be a problem only in a few western developed countries, recent research estimates the overweight population growth of at least forty two developing countries (Sohn 1289). . To lower the obesity rates in the United States the government should focus more on solving other underlying causes by increasing minimum salaries and lowering the cost of healthcare and college education. Disproportionate salaries and poverty are major factors for obesity. Children born in lower socio economic status households are persistently at higher risk of being clinically overweight as teenagers. Economically, patients with obesity have higher medical bills sometimes amounting to 30% more than their normal weight counterparts. Higher education levels, sometimes even independent of salary, can reduce rates of obesity. The United States government then should focus on these three factors to bring down obesity rates -- increasing minimum salaries, decreasing healthcare costs and decreasing the cost of education.
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